One of the best parts of Spring is seeing all the beautiful butterflies out and about. You can make a neat butterfly craft with your kiddo while teaching them about the science of static electricity with these Static Electricity Butterflies! This simple activity will fascinate your child and have them going back for more fun! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Cardboard
- Tissue Paper (any colors you’d like)
- Cardstock Paper
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Googly Eyes (optional)
- Balloons
- Glue Stick
Step one is to cut a piece of cardboard into a 7 x 7 inch square (safety first – you may need to help your child with this part). Next, have your child use the pencil to draw butterfly wings onto the tissue paper, making sure that the wings will stay within the boundaries of the cardboard square. Cut them out and set them on the cardboard, but don’t glue them down.
Now, cut a butterfly body out of the cardstock paper. This should be glued down in the center of the butterfly, overlapping on the top and bottom to touch the cardboard. Again, make sure that the butterfly wings are not glued down. they should remain loose. Don’t forget to add your googly eyes, and of course, draw on antennae if you’d like!
Once your butterfly is made, blow up your balloon. Have your kiddo rub the balloon in their hair to create a static charge. Now they can hold the balloon over top of the butterfly, but not touching it. Watch how the wings raise and lower as you move the balloon closer and further away. If the charge on the balloon goes away, charge it back up again by rubbing it in your hair!
See the full experiment and the science behind it from I Heart Crafty Things HERE.
As always, get as creative as you want, and above all, have lots of fun learning together!
We’ll see you right back here next Saturday for another STEAM Saturday activity! Scroll through the rest of our website to learn how Critchlow Adkins is Building Brighter Futures for the children and families we serve!