Projects

Origami Pinwheel

30 min. to an hour 5-7 8-10

WHAT WILL YOU MAKE?

A folded origami pinwheel that will spin in the wind.

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?

You will learn the basics of origami, an ancient and artful paper folding technique.

STEPS

STEP 1

Make Some Folds

Fold and unfold the square piece of paper in half diagonally so that it forms an X. Unfold everything.

STEP 2

Make More Folds!

Fold all four corners of the square to the center. Unfold everything.

STEP 3

Make Even More Folds!

Fold the square in half (not diagonally). Unfold everything. Orient your square so that the line you just created is horizontal.

STEP 4

You guessed it... more folds.

Fold the top and bottom edges of the paper to the horizontal line. Do not unfold this! Rotate your paper so that it is oriented vertically.

STEP 5

Almost Done Folding

Grab the corners at the top that meet in the center and pull them down and out until they meet the horizontal center of the paper. The folded paper should now resemble a house.

STEP 6

Repeat the Previous Step

Rotate the paper upside down and repeat the same fold that you just made. The folded paper should now resemble a hexagon.

STEP 7

Make the Last Folds!

Take the top left flap and fold it up towards the center. Take the bottom right flap and fold it down towards the center.

STEP 8

Put it All Together

Push the pointed end of the bamboo skewer into the cork. Center your pinwheel over the face of the cork and secure it by pushing the push pin through the center. Don't push it all the way in! Wiggle the pinwheel just a little bit to enlarge the hole and give it more room to spin.

STEP 9

Finished Pinwheel

Test your new pinwheel by blowing on it.

Materials:

Square Piece of Paper
Bamboo Skewer
Cork
Pushpin

See More Projects in these topics:

Paper Crafts

See More Projects from these themes:

Art/Craft Studio

Maker Camp

Maker Camp is a do-it-yourself online resource to help leaders like you organize a summer camp that engages children in making. Our goal is to provide you and your campers with the inspiration and the helpful resources, along with many possible projects to fit a wide range of interests and abilities. The idea is to focus on making as a playful, social activity. Maker Camp provides enough support for anyone to get started. Making provides experiences that help children become self-directed learners and good problem-solvers.

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Please Note

Your safety is your own responsibility, including proper use of equipment and safety gear, and determining whether you have adequate skill and experience. Power tools, electricity, and other resources used for these projects are dangerous, unless used properly and with adequate precautions, including safety gear and adult supervision. Some illustrative photos do not depict safety precautions or equipment, in order to show the project steps more clearly. Use of the instructions and suggestions found in Maker Camp is at your own risk. Make Community, LLC, disclaims all responsibility for any resulting damage, injury, or expense.

Maker Camp Project Standards

Based on NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards)

National Core Arts Standards

The National Core Arts Standards are a process that guides educators in providing a unified quality arts education for students in Pre-K through high school. Also see Standards with cross-cutting anchors in Creating, Performing, Responding, and Connecting through art for Visual Arts.

NGSS K-2 Engineering Design

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are K–12 science content standards.

K-2-ETS1-1. Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.
K-2-ETS1-2. Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.
K-2-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.

For additional information on using content standards with our projects please visit the Maker Camp Playbook.

NGSS 3-5.Engineering Design

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are K–12 science content standards.

3-5-ETS1-1. Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.
3-5-ETS1-2. Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
3-5-ETS1-3. Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

For additional information on using content standards with our projects please visit the Maker Camp Playbook.

Origami Pinwheel

WHAT WILL YOU MAKE?

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?