How to Make a Model Wind Vane

For children learning about the weather, making a wind vane can be an entertaining tool, as well as a great idea for a craft project. Dress up the roof or hang it up unobstructed outside a window. Keep it simple, make it complicated, stick to traditional design or don't. The rules for making a wind vane are so minimal, it's almost impossible to go wrong.

Things You'll Need

• Construction paper
• Straws
• Straight pin
• Small eraser

Instructions

1. Cut an arrowhead and its tail from the construction paper. Attach both shapes to two ends of a straw.

2. Fix the straw with the arrowhead horizontally to another straw kept vertical, using a long straight pin, keeping a small eraser between the two straws. Secure the apparatus with clear tape, if necessary. Make sure the arrowhead straw is unobstructed and can rotate without hindrance.

3. Make the wind vane more elaborate; although one arrow is enough, you could make the first letter of the four directions out of cardboard instead. You could also stencil a rooster on construction paper, paint the cutout and stick it to the apparatus to make it more colorful.

Tips & Warnings

• Pay attention to proportion. You don't want to construct a wind vane too large to put outside a small window where it might look awkward, or have a wind vane that's too small on a large roof.

• If you're putting up the wind vane outside a window that has drapes, try and paint it in colors that match, or that are at least of the same tone, to create a more dramatic effect. You can also highlight the outer window pane by painting it a color predominantly used on the wind vane.

• For a slightly sturdier wind vane, you could use cardboard and thin, hollow, wooden sticks instead of construction paper and straws.

• Children should be supervised when using pins and scissors.

References

• The Hands-On Technology Program: Make a Wind Vane