Reader Activities for Pink Flamingo Finds His Flock

I will be adding more art projects during Summer 2024 to print out as I tidy them up…check back here now and then, or follow me on Instagram or Facebook for updates.

Paper Spinners: Optical Illusions!

I used to have a crafts column in a regional parenting magazine, and designing this kind of spinner was my absolute favorite craft. Two slightly different images are placed back to back with strings poked through and tied on either side. When the strings are wound and gently pulled, the two images will spin to make the image seem as if it is moving.

Spinners work best when they are stiff and have a bit of weight. I suggest printing these on card-stock paper with circle of thin cardboard such as an empty cereal or cracker box glued between the layers. If you use regular computer paper instead, try it with two layers of thin cardboard. If the spinner is too light to wind up smoothly, you can tie beads or buttons onto the strings close to the spinner. I’ve included the directions on the sheet.

You can make a spinner as simple as a stick figure dancing, but my favorite is a bird flying. You can click here to print out a Blue Jay flying spinner.

This spinner makes Pink Flamingo bounce while the garden gnome looks on.

When flamingos show affection for each other by pressing their beaks together, they look like kissing flamingos.

Coloring Sheets with Fun Facts!

Have you ever wondered why flamingo chicks are not pink when they first hatch? It’s not just their feathers that change color. Flamingo chicks have gray eyes for several months before they change to yellow. Flamingos also start life with straight beaks that gradually curve into the familiar shape as they grow older.