Make a Paper Spinner

🎂 5 + years ⏱️ 20 min 📍 Anywhere ⭐ easy

Imagine creating something colorful and beautiful with your own hands that spins magically! Today, you can do just that: you’ll make your own paper spinner. A paper spinner isn’t just a spinning object; it’s a little journey into the world of physics and art. When you set the spinner in motion, something amazing happens. The colors and patterns you designed blend together. They come to life and constantly change. You’ll learn how forces work and discover how you can move things with your hands. And maybe you’ll realize that you can achieve more than you think.

What you'll need

Cardboard
Scissors
Colored pencils and paints
Glue
A piece of string or thread, about 1 meter
Sharp object

How it works

First, gather all your materials. You might find cardboard from an old package. While you’re collecting everything, think about how you want your spinner to look. Do you want it to be colorful or maybe have cool patterns?
Now, cut out two circles from the cardboard. It’s best to use a glass or a cup to draw perfect circles. Place the glass on the cardboard, draw around it, and then cut out the circles. When you glue them together later, the spinner will be more stable and spin better.
Now comes the creative part. You get to paint and decorate the circles! Think about what colors and patterns you want to use. While you paint, imagine how the spinner will look when it spins and what cool effects your patterns will have. It’s going to look amazing!
Now glue the two circles together. Apply the glue evenly and press the circles firmly together. Let the glue dry for a moment. While you wait, you can prepare the thread and look forward to what’s coming next; your spinner is almost ready!
Use a sharp object to make two small holes in the center of the circles. The holes should be about 1 centimeter apart. Be careful and ask an adult for help if needed.
Take your thread and thread it through both holes so that the thread goes through the spinner twice. The spinner should now hang in the middle of the thread. Tie the two ends of the thread together tightly to create a closed loop.
Now hold the thread with both hands so that the spinner hangs in the middle. Spin the spinner until the thread is twisted. Then pull the thread tight. The spinner starts to spin! Watch as your painted colors and patterns come to life.