How to Make a Matchstick Windmill for Kids

Building a matchstick windmill teaches children a lesson of sound construction methods while they enjoy a hands-on activity. Help the children apply the matches, though, since the younger they are the more unstable their hand-eye coordination skills will be. Shaky hands will lead to a matchstick windmill with crooked matches and a weak frame. Work over a milk carton to give the children a sturdy frame to work with before they start using the matches to construct the windmill.

Things You'll Need

• Milk carton
• Scissors
• Craft knife
• Craft glue
• Matches
• Wooden craft sticks
• Drill

Instructions

1. Close the lid of a milk carton. Cut the top lip of the milk carton off and throw it away. Cut a small square window into the side of the milk carton with a craft knife.

2. Choose matchsticks for the job that are as long as the sides of the milk carton are wide. Coat one side of the milk carton in craft glue and start placing matches on the side, setting them close together so no spaces show between the matches. Alternate the direction of the match head each time, making them fit nicely.

3. Trim the matches to fit on the sides of the milk carton that end in a point. Keep the ends of the matches lined up with the corners of the milk carton. Leave one match-length of space free on both of the pointed sides half an inch from the point of the milk carton.

4. Trim matchsticks even shorter so they can fit around either side of the window you carved into the milk carton.

5. Poke a matchstick-wide hole through the milk carton at the place where the match is missing. The hole should be the width of a matchstick.

6. Cross two wooden craft sticks, making an “X” shape with them. Glue them together to hold them in place. Drill a hole the width of a matchstick through the cross in the wood sticks where they meet.

7. Glue a 1-inch long matchstick to the wooden craft stick one inch away from the center of the cross. Attach a matchstick half an inch further up from the first one until you reach the end of the craft stick. Do this for each end of the craft stick.

8. Lay a long matchstick that runs from the match on the end of the craft stick to the first match near the center of the craft stick. This creates the wings for the windmill.

9. Line the hole in the center of the wings with glue. Insert a long match through it so the tip barely protrudes through the hole in the wings. Insert the match through the back so you can keep the front displayed. The match you use should be an inch longer than the milk carton is wide.

10. Poke the long end of the match through the hole in the front of the milk carton. Poke it through the back hole as well, holding the wings in front of the matchstick windmill. Turn the extra inch of match in the back to make the wings in front rotate.

Tips & Warnings

• Dip the flammable tips of the matches in water before you allow your children to work with them. This prevents accidents from occurring if the match head strikes a rough surface.