Make Your Own Whirligig 🙃

Since children in the past didn’t have access to electricity, TV, or video games, games from the past illustrate some of the creativity and ingenuity children possessed when making and playing them. Step into their shoes for a moment and make a modern whirligig and experience some fun from the past!

Supplies:

• Paper
• Markers or crayons
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Paper clip
• Glue (preferably a glue stick)
• String
• A bowl to trace

Instructions:

1. Flip the bowl upside down and trace a circle on one sheet of paper.
2. Stack all three sheets of paper and cut out the circle so that you have 3 circles when you finish cutting.
3. Glue all three circles together so that you have 1 thick, sturdy whirligig.
4. Decorate both sides of the whirligig with markers or crayons. 
   
   Tip! Try a different design on each side to see the different optical illusions that you can make.
    
5. Use a paper clip to poke holes to the right and left of the center of the circle. You can use the scissors to widen the holes if needed.
6. Thread string through both sides and tie the ends together so that you get one big loop threaded between the whirligig.
7. Pull the strings so there’s an even amount on both sides, and the whirligig hangs in the middle.
8. Flip the whirligig forward or backwards so that the string twists on both sides of the circle. 
9. Flip the circle until you can’t twist the string anymore, then pull the string on both sides so that circle spins. 
10. Watch both sides to see how the colors blend into optical illusions! Try again and see how fast you can spin your whirligig!

Looking for more summer fun? Try our Make Your Own Frog craft and Storytime, here, or check out the books from today's storytime--If by Sarah Perry and A Cool Drink of Water by Barbara Kerley.