How to make a simple zoetrope at home?

Zoetrop is a traditional toy that continues to arouse the curiosity of modern children. Today we will describe how to make it at home!

Zoetrop is a device with a simple design, which is easy and fun to make. But do you know what it is? Who came up with them? Find out all about this original optics toy that kids will love, then start organizing a family DIY gathering.

What is a zoetrope anyway?

Since the invention of photography, man has constantly striven to create images that contain movement. It was a prelude to the emergence of cinema, the so-called "pre-cinema scene". This is how the period during which various simple devices were invented, including the zoetrope, is defined.

This optical device was created  in 1834 by the mathematician William George Horner, later it became popular as a toy around 1860 under the name "magic drum" or "wheel of life". Its mechanism uses the same principles that are used to create cartoons.

The device also works in the same way as a movie theater and creates a series of moving images for the observer. It is a kinetic illusion that combines figure drawings and movement, using the light effect and the persistence of images on the retina.

This is because as the drum rotates, successive still images are stitched together to produce a moving scene effect.

How to make a zoetrop for kids at home?

Crafts are creative, fun and addictive activities that kids love to do. Plan to build a home zoetrope with them and you will see how much fun they will have with it. You will need the following products to complete the task:

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• Drawing templates for zoetrope or white cardboard.
• Round cardboard box.
• Black cardboard.
• Silicone glue.
• A sharp knife.
• Plastic or polystyrene cup.
• Drawing pin.

Step-by-step instructions for making the zoetrope:

• Draw two shapes on the black cardboard. Each of them should be a circle the size of a box. Also prepare a rectangular strip of the same size as the inner circumference of the circle and protruding from the edge twice as high. For example, if the side of the box is 5 centimeters wide, the cardboard strip should be about 10 centimeters wide.
• On one of the edges, mark and cut out half-centimeter slots, separated by a space of one centimeter. Cut the cardboard with a precision knife and remove the excess cardboard so that a grooved strip remains.
• On the opposite edge, make small triangular cuts 1 cm in diameter and fold over it.
• Stick the cardboard with slots to the inner base of the box using the tab.
• Place the black cardboard circle on top and cover the tabs
• . Cut a strip of white cardboard the same length as the black one and the same height as the edge of the box.
• Mark six sections with a pencil and leave a centimeter of space on each edge to stick.
• Draw the character in a sequence of movements in each space. Alternatively, you can download drawing templates in sequences from the Internet, print them, and then stick them on black cardboard.
• Stick a strip of cardboard with drawings or a template on the inner wall of the drum.
• Mark the center of the base of the box.
• To make the swivel system, turn the cup upside down and place the box on top of it, resting the base on the cup.
• Stick the pushpin into the box by piercing the cardboard and the cup. At this point, your homemade zoetrope is ready to use!

Ecological cartoon device

Zoetrop is a simple and easy-to-make home appliance; you can even use reusable materials to create an environmentally friendly toy! For example, use a round box of candy or chocolates to make the base and use cereal wrappers to make a drum.

You can also combine handicrafts with a web search for templates to get several toys with different characters. In this way, you will encourage children to learn different content in the same activity: ICT, reading, drawing, DIY, geometry and math.

Plan an afternoon with the kids to make this home zoetrope. It will be an activity that involves the implementation of several skills, such as creativity, manual dexterity, stimulating their artistic side, and above all, the desire to have fun with the whole family. What are you waiting for to get to work?