[For Kids] Spins in the wind! A collection of recommended DIY pinwheel ideas
A pinwheel that spins round and round using only the power of the wind—no batteries or electricity needed.
If you’re an adult, did you ever make one long ago with paper and a stick?
It looks simple to make, but I remember the construction being surprisingly delicate.
These days, though, there are lots of easy ideas for pinwheels that spin really well!
You can use materials other than paper, and you can make them in all sorts of shapes.
In this article, we’re sharing plenty of handmade pinwheel ideas for kids.
Use the article as a guide and try making your own unique, wonderful pinwheel to play with!
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[For Kids] Spin in the Wind! A Collection of Recommended DIY Pinwheel Ideas (1–10)
Plastic bottle windmill
Introducing a simple pinwheel you can make with a plastic bottle.
Get a plastic bottle, an awl, permanent markers, and a hanger ready.
Use the awl to make a hole in the bottom of the bottle.
Color the sides of the bottle with your favorite permanent marker colors.
Use a utility knife to cut slits in the side of the bottle, then fold them outward at an angle to create six blades.
Thread the hanger through the bottom of the bottle, bend the tip with pliers so it won’t slip out, add a straw, and you’re done.
When the blades spin, the colors you drew with the permanent markers whirl beautifully, making a lovely pinwheel!
A pinwheel made with a clear file
Let me introduce a pinwheel that spins in the wind.
Prepare a hanger, a clear file folder, pliers, scissors, and a felt-tip pen, and let’s get started.
Cut the clear file into a square and draw lines in an X shape to create the base for the blades.
Mark the center and the four corners, then punch holes.
Following the X lines, make one slit at a time with scissors, cutting toward the center.
Lift the four cut corners one by one, align them at the center, and staple to secure—this completes the blade base.
Insert a straw as the axle and attach the blades to the center of the hanger, then secure with pliers.
Your spinning pinwheel is complete!
paper pinwheel
It spins amazingly well when it catches the wind! Let me share an idea for a paper pinwheel.
You’ll need a decoration ring, a bamboo skewer, tape, a pencil, and scissors.
A decoration ring is a strip of paper; you can make it by cutting origami or other paper into long strips about 2 cm wide.
The steps are simple and easy to understand, so it’s a great craft for kids.
Since there’s a step where you cut the bamboo skewer, be sure to proceed with safety in mind.
A windmill that flies like a kite
Let me introduce a pinwheel that flies high in the sky like a kite.
Prepare A4 drawing paper, a ruler, string, and scissors, and let’s make it.
Cut the A4 drawing paper into a square, then use the ruler to draw lines connecting opposite corners to make an X.
Using scissors, cut along each line about two thirds of the way toward the center.
Fold and glue the cut corners toward the center to form the blades.
Use a thin straw as the base, wrap a small rectangle of drawing paper around it to create the axle for the pinwheel.
Make a hole in the center of the blades, insert the axle, and fix it with glue.
Thread the string through the hole in the center of the axle, tie the cut straw to both sides, and it’s done! If you prepare a long string and let it up into the sky, the pinwheel will spin in the wind.
Figure-eight pinwheel made from paper plates
Here’s how to make a figure-eight pinwheel using paper plates.
Prepare two paper plates, double-sided tape, a large bead, a bamboo skewer, glue, and masking tape.
Cut out the centers of the two paper plates, make four holes, and combine them with double-sided tape so they form a figure-eight.
Then make a hole at the center of the figure-eight.
Put glue into the hole of the bead, insert the bamboo skewer, and let it set at the tip.
Insert the bamboo skewer through the center of the paper plates, and wrap masking tape around the skewer near the center so the plates don’t slide down.
Fix the second plate the same way with masking tape, and your paper-plate pinwheel is complete.
Give it a try!