Straw Wrapper Magic Moving Spider

Using just a straw wrapper and a drop of water you can make a fun moving spider. It is super easy to make and is great fun to do with little ones while sitting in a restaurant waiting for your meal to come.

I have done this many times in restaurants and it gets great excitement from the kids I've shown it to. I will warn that I had a niece who was excited to see what would happen as I made the spider, but when the spider actually came to life for the first time, she screamed and ran from the table bringing the attention of the whole restaurant to our table. Once she got over the initial shock she wanted to see it again and again. Be warned this is hilarious, but some in your group may disapprove. Also, once kids learn how to do this themselves no straw wrapper will be safe again.

-A straw with a paper wrapper

-A drop of water

-A kid (or kid at heart) to enjoy it

Remove the paper wrapper from the straw as intact as possible. Tear the wrapper into 4 equal lengths.

Twist each segment of the wrapper. The more you twist the wrapper the more action you will get from the spider when you bring it to life, but don't overdo it either.

Place the 4 pieces together and twist them a few times in the center to bind them together. Then spread out the "legs" so it looks like a spider of sorts.

Using your staw, place a drop of water on the center of the spider and watch it magically come to life!

You can often add a few additional drops of water to the center to get a little more life out of the spider before it is totally saturated.

What is happening? As you add the water to the wrapper, the capillary action of the water entering the tiny spaces between the twists makes the paper swell and this swelling causes the folds in the paper to open up creating an unwinding effect which in turn makes it look as though it is coming to life.