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    You are here: Home / Art and Crafts / Coloring Pages / Halloween Thaumatropes: Spooky Science + Art Project

     

    Halloween Thaumatropes: Spooky Science + Art Project

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    This month's coloring page is so much fun! Your kids can make their own Halloween thaumatropes. My kids and I have made thaumatropes from scratch to learn about the science of "persistence of vision" and now we have a cool spooky holiday version to share with you! Use this free printable Halloween thaumatrope template and coloring page designed for you by Melanie Hope Greenberg!

    Free Halloween thaumatrope printable and supplies

    How to make Halloween Thaumatropes

    The instructions for making this quick Halloween project are super easy!

    Materials Needed:

    • Halloween thaumatrope coloring page. Download and print yours: (*by clicking on the following link you agree to our terms of service* see end of post for details) HERE.
    • Paper. Heavy weight paper works best, but regular paper is fine, too.
    • Coloring implements like colored pencils, markers or crayons.
    • Tape. Double stick tape works best.
    • Stick. You can use straws, chopsticks, pencils, even a small, thin stick from the yard.

    Free printable Halloween thaumatrope printable

    Step by Step Instructions:

    Print out the coloring page on heavy weight paper.

    Color as desired and cut out the circles.

    Materials to make a Halloween thaumatrope

    Adhere double stick tape to each side of the straw.

    Place one circle face down and press down taped side of straw so the circle sticks.

    Taping halloween thaumatrope to straw

    Carefully place second circle onto the second taped side of straw so illustrations are aligned.

    Put straw between flat palms and roll back and forth as fast as possible.

    Keep your eyes on the illustration. What do you see? One spider or two? A plain pumpkin or a jack o'lantern. A sleeping bat or a flying bat? A moon or a witch flying across the moon?

    Watch our video of how we made these - the non-Halloween version!

    Prepare for Halloween

    Halloween thaumatropes are a unique idea for your pre-trick or treating party. Have the coloring page thaumatrope template and supplies available as a craft activity for kids either at an at home, at school, or library Halloween event.

    Got a STEM class or need a Halloween-themed time filler for your classroom? Learn all about the science behind thaumatropes with the kids!

    Pair our Halloween thaumatrope with other Halloween coloring page activities. Try these out for cute and spooky fun:

    • Halloween finger puppets
    • Halloween leaf puppets
    • Halloween "fishing" coloring page and stick puppets
    • Costume coloring page
    • Halloween or Day of the Dead coloring page mask

    About the Creator

    Melanie Hope Greenberg is an award winning author and illustrator of more than 15 children’s books. Her cheerful, vibrant illustrations can be found in books such as Good Morning, Digger, Down in the Subway and A City Is. Her iconic book, Mermaids on Parade, was selected as a Bank Street Best Book, and for the Texas Reading Club and PBS Kids Summer Reading Lists.

    Melanie loves to make school visits where she shares her writing and illustrating process. Learn more at her website.

    Her classic book, Aunt Lilly’s Laundromat, has recently been re-published in paperback. The book takes place in Melanie’s neighborhood laundromat on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights.

    Aunt Lilly's Laundromat

    “Succeeds as a celebration of fond memory and honest labor.” –Publisher’s Weekly.

    Click here purchasing information! And don’t forget our exclusive Aunt Lilly’s Laundromat coloring page!

    I’m sure you know a kid who likes diggers. Or mermaids? Or subways? Melanie signs all copies of her books purchased through her Amazon vendor link.

      

     *Terms of Service: this coloring page is used with permission from Melanie Hope Greenberg and is for non-commercial use ONLY. You many print out as many copies as you like for personal, library or classroom use. If you would like to share this coloring page, you MUST link to this blog page. It is expressly forbidden to link directly to the coloring page pdf file.

    Finished Halloween science STEM project to study the science of vision
    Printable Halloween STEM project
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