This creative activity uses static electricity to magically make butterfly wings flutter up and down. To get started, explain to students how static electricity works. Then, demonstrate the effects of static electricty using the materials below:
- cardboard
- tissue paper
- cardstock paper
- pencil
- scissors
- googly eyes
- balloon
- glue stick
- Take pieces of cardboard and cut them into squares.
- Use a pencil to draw butterfly wings on the tissue paper.
- Take cardstock paper and cut a butterfly body out, gluing it in the middle of the butterfly and overlapping onto the cardboard.
- Blow up a balloon.
- Rub the balloon in your hair to give it an electric charge and hold the balloon on top of your butterfly, close but not touching it. As you move the balloon closer and farther away the wings will flutter just like a real butterfly!
For a full list of materials and instructions head over to the Static Electricity Butterfly Experiement post by I Heart Crafty Things.
Using colorful materials and objects on hand is a great way to explain science concepts and bring in spring!
