One of the easiest but possibly the most delightful activities in Mr Shaha’s Marvellous Machines is the Balancing Bird. Erich Landstrom (@ScienceGiant on Twitter) took inspiration from it and designed a balancing reindeer for Christmas. He has kindly shared the template with me so that anyone can make their own. Click below for the template and follow Erich’s instructions to make a “delightful toy reindeer that which will appear to balance magically:

METHOD

1. Using a glue stick, stick Rudolph into a piece of cardboard from a cereal box or similar.
2. Cut out Rudolph out of the cardboard.
3. Using small loops of sticky tape, stick a penny (one cent coin) on Rudolph’s nose. It should be bright shiny penny, so if you ever saw it you would even say it glows.  
4. Bend Rudolph’s antlers slightly downward
5. Balance Rudolph by putting your fingertips underneath his forehead at the midpoint.
6. Try balancing Rudolph on other things, like the top of a Christmas tree.

Lots more stuff to make on my marvellous machines page. If you want another Christmas themed balancing toy, I’ve got a Balancing Santa for you here

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