How To Make A Thaumatrope

Delight the senses with super easy Christmas theme thaumatropes you can make just about anywhere! My son loved this easy STEAM activity and that’s saying quite a bit since he usually doesn’t like anything to do with drawing. When I showed him my sample thaumatrope he was pretty interested in how the two sides seemed to blend together when he spun the straw in his hands. The perfect project for us!

EASY CHRISTMAS THAUMATROPE FOR KIDS TO MAKE

WHAT IS A THAUMATROPE?

It is thought the thaumatrope was invented in the early 1800’s as a popular optical toy. It has a disc with different pictures on each side which appear to blend into one when spun. Thanks to something called the persistence of vision.

Our Christmas thaumatrope below is a fun way for kids to explore simple optical illusions. To give the illusion of the images blending together, you need a picture that comes in two parts. A classic thaumatrope is the bird and a cage.

CHECK OUT: Valentine Thaumatrope

CHRISTMAS THAUMATROPE

When I say easy, I mean easy! I didn’t realize just how simple this super fun toy is to make. No mess either! I am not too crafty so I was impressed by how easily they came together. Plus my Christmas thaumatropes actually worked! Bonus, YOU can do it too!

Want to try the other activities seen in the video? Click on the links below.