Twisters in the Sky

crayola supplies

household supplies

Why

Spin away into the sky! Make your own Twistables™ tornado replica.

Steps

  1. 1. Tornadoes have always frightened and fascinated people. They have great power and potential for destruction. Twisters can also be considered to be very beautiful, awesome forces of nature.
  2. 2. Do you remember the tornado that carried away Dorothy and Toto in "The Wizard of Oz"? This is just one of many famous tornadoes you might have seen in movies.
  3. 3. Tornadoes are large, twisting clouds that reach from the sky to the ground. They move along the Earth's surface, drawing up everything they encounter. If you're curious about tornadoes, find more information.
  4. 4. To create interesting tornado art of your own, think of the chaos left in the wake of a twister. Cover white paper with lots and lots of energetic scribbles using Crayola Twistables. Use as many colors as you like to make a creative, imaginative drawing.
  5. 5. Cut your paper into several long, thin strips with Crayola Scissors. Wrap the strips around a Twistables barrel to create a long spiral. Staple one end of the strips together, fanning the strips out at the other end to make a tornado.
  6. 6. Use one sheet of construction paper as the base for your landscape. Tear several sheets of contrasting colors of construction paper into jagged strips. Layer them on the base sheet, starting at the middle. Layer the strips until you reach the bottom of the paper. Create an interesting landscape. Use a Crayola Glue Stick to glue these torn strips in place.
  7. 7. Staple the bottom of your twister near the bottom of your landscape. Glue each of the tops of the strips to the landscape, fanning them out slightly so they resemble a funnel cloud.
  8. 8. Glue cotton balls around the base of your twister to show the turbulence it is creating on the ground.

When & Where

"My children are fascinated by tornadoes and waterspouts. This was a good way to explore their form."
- Sue-Ellen Y., home-school parent.

"After a thunderstorm, tornadoes came up in our conversation. This was a great way to ground the weather discussion."
- Derek L., camp counselor.

Interesting Info

Most tornadoes actually last only 2 or 3 minutes. The most damaging tornadoes, the ones featured in movies and on the news, continue to spin for as long as 15 minutes.

Safety Guidelines

Scissors—ATTENTION: The cutting edges of scissors are sharp and care should be taken whenever cutting or handling. Blunt-tip scissors should be used only by children 4 years and older. Pointed-tip scissors should be used only by children 6 years and older.

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