Wind Spinners
Catch the wind and see colors spin! Hang your wind spinner beside an open window or under a protected porch roof to catch the wind in the four Color Sticks-designed sections of your spinner.
1. Wind is the natural movement of air. Wind can move so slowly that it can hardly be felt or blow so hard that it can cause objects to move. Use markers on large paper to create a Windy Day chart of: "things that blow away", "things that move but don’t blow away", and "things that don’t move at all". Use the Internet to find out how wind helps people, animals, and plants.
2. Make a wind spinner that will move in the slightest breeze, but won’t blow away. Cut 2 large circles from white poster board. TIP: trace around a large, overturned plastic bowl to get two same-size circles.
3. Decorate both sides of the poster board circles with Crayola Color Sticks. Use your imagination to create a unique design, or trace a roll of masking tape all over the circle and color each area of the design a different color. You might choose three favorite colors for each design. Or choose colors that are in the same family (blues and greens or oranges and yellows).
4. Use scissors to cut a slit from the edge to the center of each circle.
5. Nest the poster board circles by sliding each circle into the slit of the other and pulling them together to create a spherical shape. Use tape to hold the circles in place so they are perpendicular to each other.
6. Cut five 12-inch lengths of ribbon. Attach 1 ribbon to the top of the spinner using Crayola Glue or punch holes with a hole punch and tie the ribbon through the holes. Attach remaining ribbons to the bottom edges of the spinner with glue.
7. Hang beside an open window or under a protected porch roof to catch the wind in the spinner flaps.
Adult supervision is required for any arts & crafts project. Observe children closely and intervene as necessary to prevent potential safety problems and ensure appropriate use of arts and crafts materials. Some craft items, particularly beads and buttons, are potential choking hazards for young children. Avoid use of such small parts with children younger than 3 years. Craft items such as scissors, push pins and chenille sticks may have sharp points or edges. Avoid use of materials with sharp points by children younger than 4 years. Read all manufacturers' safety warnings before using arts and craft supplies.
Outdoor Crafts—Choose safe outdoor areas, away from traffic and dangerous equipment. Close adult supervision is required.
Scissors—ATTENTION: The cutting edges of scissors are sharp and care should be taken whenever cutting or handling. Blunt-tip scissors should be used only by children 4 years and older. Pointed-tip scissors should be used only by children 6 years and older.
String-Like Materials—Includes string, raffia, lacing, yarn, ribbon, and other similar material. Children 3 years and younger should not be given any string-like material that is longer than 12 inches. Close adult supervision is essential whenever children use string-like material. When crafts are to be worn around the necks of children 8 years and younger, attach the ends of the “string-like material” with clear adhesive tape, which allows easy release of the bond if the craft becomes entangled or caught on equipment. For children older than 8 years, the ends of the “string-like material” may be tied and knotted.
Windows—Be sure windows are securely closed and locked before decorating. An adult must closely supervise the activity.
- Research legends about the wind in different cultures, such as Native American wind gods and Indonesian wind folktales.
- Work on teams to investigate different names for the wind, such as Chinook and Santa Ana. Create wind spinners with a different wind name on each half of each circle. Share information about each wind name with your classmates.
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