Duck or Rabbit? Make the Famous Optical Illusion You Can Flip

Is it a duck or a rabbit? That depends on which way you look at it. The duck-rabbit optical illusion has been tricking people’s brains for more than 100 years. Now you can make your own version you can actually hold, flip over, and show to friends.

One side is a duck with feathers and a bill. The other side is a bunny with floppy ears and a cotton-ball tail. Same shape, two animals. This spring craft takes about 15 minutes and makes a perfect Easter activity.

Materials

Supplies:

• 1 sheet of yellow construction paper
• 1 sheet of brown construction paper
• 2-3 yellow craft feathers
• 2-3 cotton balls
• Craft glue or glue stick
• Duck or Bunny pattern (free printable PDF)

Duck Bunny Pattern

Tools:

• Scissors (grownup help needed)
• Crayons or markers (black, orange, pink, brown)

No feathers? Draw a wing with crayons or cut feather shapes from yellow paper. No cotton balls? Crumple a small piece of white tissue paper for the bunny tail.

Steps

Grownup help needed for step 3.

1. Print the pattern. Download and print the duck-or-bunny pattern.
2. Make the two-sided paper. Glue the yellow paper to the brown paper, back to back. Press flat and let it dry completely. The yellow side will be the duck. The brown side will be the bunny.
3. Cut out the shape. Attach the pattern to your two-sided paper and cut along the outline. You’ll get one shape that works as both animals.
4. Draw the duck. On the yellow side, draw a duck bill at one end, an eye, and two webbed feet at the bottom. Use orange for the bill and feet, black for the eye.
5. Draw the bunny. Flip to the brown side. The same shape that was a bill is now a long ear. Draw a bunny eye, a pink nose, and a small paw. Add a little mouth line.
6. Add feathers to the duck. Glue yellow feathers onto the duck side to make a wing. Keep them inside the body outline so they don’t stick out when you flip it.
7. Add a tail to the bunny. Glue one or two cotton balls to the bunny side for a fluffy tail.
8. Flip and show. Hold it up duck-side first and ask, “What animal is this?” Then flip it to reveal the bunny. Watch people’s brains short-circuit.