Mobiles are a fun and fascinating art form to look at and create. These kinetic energetic sculptures can help teach your young child about rhythm, movement, form, and space. This spider mobile activity encourages learning on multiple levels. From motion, to the science of air currents, to art, your child will be entertained and educated by this Halloween inspired project.
What You Need:
- Two sticks (gathered from outside or craft sticks)
- Black pom poms in a variety of sizes
- Black pipe cleaners
- Scissors
- Glue
- Wiggle eyes
- Yarn
- Poster board (or other thick paper)
- Hole punch
- Optional: glitter
What You Do:
- Help your child cut four thin strips from the poster board. These will become the bases for the spider sculptures. Cut according to the sizes that your child has chosen.
- Using a hole punch, make at least one hole in each poster board strip. This will be where the yarn is attached to hang the spiders.
- Ask your child to glue the pom poms onto the poster board in rows of three. Try a variety of sizes in different orders. The pom poms will become the body of the spiders.
- Cut the pipe cleaners to make spider legs. This should be done by an adult.
- Have your child glue the spider legs onto the poster board close to the pom pom bodies.
- Use glue to add wiggle eyes to the spider’s face. (Optional: Add glitter with glue for extra sparkle.)
- Set the spiders (you should have four) aside to dry.
- Tie the sticks together with the yarn. They should form a plus sign shape.
- Tie one piece of yarn to the end of each stick (there will be four ends).
- Feed the yarn through the pre-punched holes on the poster board, and secure firmly.
- Tie another piece of yarn to the center of the tied sticks. This center piece of yarn will allow you to hang the mobile.
After you've hung the mobile, encourage your child to explore and experiment with movement and wind currents. Have her create wind by using a paper fan to move the mobile parts. Ask her to make predictions about what will happen, and then test them out with different forces and directions of wind.
By Erica Loop
Erica Loop has a MS in Applied Developmental Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh's School of Education. She has many years of teaching experience working in early childhood education, and as an arts educator at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh.
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