Victorian toys
Thaumatrope
How to make a thaumatrope
A thaumatrope is a toy that was popular in Victorian times. A disk or card with a picture on
each side is attached to two pieces of string or, in this case, on either side of a straw. When
the strings are twirled quickly between the fingers, or the straw spun back and forth between
your hands, the two pictures appear to combine into a single image.
What you will need
 scissors
 drinking straw
 sticky tape
 glue
 pictures (provided above or you can draw your own)
What you do
1. Cut around the box outside the two pictures and colour the fish in
2. Using the tape, stick the straw to the back of one of the pictures
3. Glue the two pictures together, back-to-back; making sure the straw is in between the two
pictures
4. Hold your thaumatrope between the palms of your two hands
5. Make it spin by rubbing your hands together quickly, twirling the straw
6. You should be able to see both pictures at once. The pictures from each side will appear to
merge together.
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