Download the article: Mobile for Spring or Summer
From Star Weavings, the publication of the Australian Waldoif Kindergarten Association, Spring 1995.
The birds could be made with spring colors for Easter, white for Whitsun, or fiery summery colors for the end of the year or St. John's Day. It is a simple activity that can be shared even with little children.
You will need:
- One 8 inch diameter wooden ring or piece of wire; can be covered with twisted tissue paper.
- A piece of white card about 7" x 9" (or of the color you choose to make your birds).
- One sheet of tissue paper (the color of your choice for wings).
- Some white, colored or gold thread.
Instructions
From the card paper cut out a bird as shown. Cut out a slot for the wings where indicated. Cut out a piece of 3" x 4" tissue paper, and fold and trim corners as shown.
Insert the folded tissue paper through the slot in the body piece and open it up in a fan-like way. Now pull up the wings so that they meet in the middle and join them together by carefully threading a length of cotton through each side.
The bird can now be hung up on that thread. Make 11 more birds. It is easiest to hang the ring up before fixing the birds onto it.
To achieve the 'spiralling' effect the first bird needs to be tied to the ring so that it hangs 5cm below the ring. The thread of each following bird needs to be about 4cm longer. Space the birds out evenly around the ring. Voila!