Check out this whirlygig craft for kids. Watch as the colors blend before your eyes. This activity is easy to make and is fun for kids of all ages.

Whirlygig Craft Supplies​

• Thick cardboard (from a box)
• 2-3 feet of string per person
• Drinking glass for circles
• Markers, colored pencil or crayons
• Glue 
• Skewer

Prep

Trace the base of the cup onto the cardboard cardboard.  Cut out the cardboard, you will need one circle for every child.

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How to make a Whirlygig

Give each child a cardboard circle and a piece of paper. Have the children trace the cardboard onto the piece of paper, twice.  This will be the two sides of your whirlygig. Then, have them decorate each circle in a colorful pattern. The two circles do not need to be the same, but should be filled with color. Next, cut out the circles.

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When the circles are decorated glue them onto each side of a cardboard circle, your whirlygig is almost complete. Next Use a skewer to poke two holes in the whirlygig. The holes should be just slightly left and slightly right of the center. When you have two holes, push the string through the circles and tie the ends together in a knot. You should have a loop of string that runs through the cardboard.

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How to use the Whirlygig

• Hold the two ends of the string so that the circles sit in the center of the string.
• Keeping slack in the string lowly spin the circle in one direction until the string becomes twisted up
• Now pull the strings quickly out to the sides.  This will cause the whirlygig to rotate so quickly that the colors blend together or disappear all together almost like magic!

More like the Whirlygig Craft

If you like making a whirlygig you may enjoy making a pony bead sun catcher. This simple craft uses standard pony beads to make a beautiful and unique suncatcher.

You may also like making a paper pin wheel. This paper craft challenges kids to create a functional pin wheel using simple supplies you have on hand.

If you want to see more color illusions and learn how they work check out these 5 illusions from brainfloss.com featuring illusions seen on brain games.