Summer Craft with Pencils: Pinwheels

Summer is here and the outdoors beckons us to come outside and play. Any thing that will get the children at your daycare moving and running around is a good thing. Pinwheels make a great  craft. Make them indoors or pull tables outdoors and make them in the fresh air. This craft is suitable for Pre-K through elementary with supervision and some help. Child care centers, elementary schools and home schools will all find that their children enjoy making these.

Pinwheel

Materials Needed:

1 – 6 ½” x 6 ½” piece of white paper

1 – 12” ruler

1 – Writing pencil

Crayons, markers, and/or colored pencils

1 – Child scissors

1 – Push pin

1 – Regular, wooden unsharpened pencil with eraser end

Instructions:

Step 1 – Place the ruler diagonally on the square and draw a line 3” in from each corner. Repeat this diagonally on the other 2 corners. Mark the center of the square (4 ½” in from each corner).

Step 2 – Use crayons, markers, and/or colored pencils to decorate the pinwheel. Consider coloring each of the 4 “triangles” a different color. Make sure the lines drawn in Step 1 are still distinguishable.

Step 3 – Following the lines in Step 1, cut the lines from each corner towards the center - 3” in.

Step 4 – Do not fold, but gently bend every other corner until 4 points meet in the center.

Step 5 – Stick the push pin through all 4 points and the center.

Step 6 – Stick the push pin into the pencil eraser firmly.

Step 7 – Roll the pinwheel around the push pin to enlarge the hole and loosen up the pinwheel to spin freely.

Step 8 – Run around in the wind and have fun!

The age of the child will dictate how much help and supervision is required. Be especially mindful of the push pin with preschool children.

Options:

- Vary the size of the pinwheel by varying the size of your square. Draw your lines diagonally; make a mark about 1/3 of the way from the center on each line. Cut from the corner to this mark on each line.

- Use different pastel colored papers.

- Use a heavy duty straight pin with a balled end instead of the push pin. Separate your pinwheel from the pencil eraser with 1, 2 or 3 beads (depending on the length of the pin). Put the beads on and then stick the pin into the eraser.

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