How to Make Pinwheels & Spinners
Pinwheels and spinners are easy toys to teach a child to make.They can be used to teach a child how wind affects an object. Both are very simple projects that can be completed in a manner of minutes with items you probably already have in your house. Even better, they can entertain a child long after they've been completed.
Things You'll Need
- Paper
- Scissors
- Pencil or pen
- Ruler
- Brad pin (paper fastener)
- Straw
- Paper clip
Instructions
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Pinwheels
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1
Cut out a square piece of paper. Draw two straight lines across the piece of paper from one corner to another, so that the lines form an X across the square.
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2
Decorate the piece of paper, if you'd like, with markers, crayons or another decoration. Don't add anything heavy to it, though.
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3
Make four cuts along the lines you've drawn, starting from each corner and cutting toward the middle. Stop cutting when you're about a quarter-inch from the center. This produces two angular flaps at each corner.
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4
Use your pencil or pen to make a small hole in the left flap at each corner.
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5
Fold down each flap you've made a hole in so the four holes meet at the center. Do not crease the paper; let it stick out so you're forming four rounded pockets.
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6
Push your brad (paper fastener) through the center.
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7
Use your pen or pencil to make a hole in the straw about half-inch from the top. Push the brad through that hole. Fold down the brad's ends.
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8
Blow into the pinwheel's pockets to make sure it spins.
Spinners
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9
Cut a strip of paper 6.5 inches long and 1.5 inches wide.
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10
Make a 3-inch long cut down the center of the paper, starting from the top.
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11
Fold down in opposite directions the two flaps of paper your cut created.
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12
Attach a paper clip to the bottom of the paper to add weight.
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13
Hold the spinner from the bottom with the two wings pointing up. Drop the spinner, so it will twirl to the ground.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Both pinwheels and spinners will be easier to make if you use heavier or thicker paper. If you're having trouble poking a sharpened pencil through a drinking straw for a pinwheel, use a needle or pin instead. If the paper clip doesn't add enough weight to your spinner, wrap some tape around the strip of paper on top of the paper clip.
