Art and Craft

Did you know that big windmills catch the wind in their sails to help produce energy strong enough to grind corn into flour, pump water, or even produce electricity? Let’s show you how to make a tiny one just for fun!

What you will need:

• Pins with a large head
• Small beads
• Pencils with a rubber on the end
  
• Sheets of coloured paper
  
• Scissors
  
• Pencil
  
• Ruler

Using the ruler, measure out and draw two squares the same size on two different-coloured pieces of paper. Cut out the squares.

Using the ruler again, draw two diagonal lines across each square so they cross in the middle. Cut only two thirds of the way along each line, as shown.

Hold the squares of paper together. Bend the paper back along each cut line into the centre, as shown, and hold the corners down.

Push a pin through all the corners of the paper, then through a bead and into the rubber at the end of a pencil. Make sure the sharp end of the pin doesn’t stick out of the rubber. Also make sure that the point of your pencil is not sharp.

Blow on the windmill to make it spin. You can make bigger or smaller sails by using different sized squares of paper. If the paper is very thick, you will only need one square of paper.
You can make bigger or smaller sails by using different sized squares of paper. If the paper is very thick, you will only need one square of paper.

Now its time to go out and test your little windmill!
The faster the sails of your windmill turn, the stronger is the wind! Have fun!!