Make a Swarm of Tumblebugs

By Family Fun
Oct. 3, 2009

Set these little critters on an incline and watch them cartwheel a beeline to the bottom. The secret to their antics is a marble rolling around inside.

 

CRAFT MATERIALS:

• Scissors
• Card stock
• 2 nickels
• Tacky glue
• Toothpick
• Marble (1 for each bug)
• Black marker
• Colored tissue paper
• Glue stick

Time needed: Under 1 Hour

1. For each bug, cut a 5-1/2- by 3/4-inch strip of card stock and two 1 3/4- by 7/8-inch card stock ovals.

2. To make an oval, lay 2 nickels side by side on the card stock and trace around them, connecting the top and bottom.

3. Glue the strip into a loop, overlapping the ends by an inch. Pinch it or use a paper clip to hold it together while the glue dries. Next, use a toothpick to line one edge of the loop with glue, then set the loop on top of an oval.

4. When the glue dries, place a marble inside. Line the edge of the loop with glue and press the other oval on top.

5. Once all the glue is dry, use a marker to add a face and other features. Cut out a couple of 2-inch-long wings from tissue paper and use the glue stick to attach them to the top of your bug.

Source Family Fun

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com