Make a rainbow wind spinner

Teach your kids about the importance of recycling by reusing some stuff from your recycling bin. This cheerful rainbow wind spinner is made out of a recycled plastic bottle and is an easy craft activity for kids.  Watch the video tutorial below to find out how to make your own!

Number of players:

1 +

What you need:

• 1 x recycled plastic soft drink bottle (with a plastic lid)
• 4 x rolls of electrical tape (green, blue, red, yellow)
• 1 x small stanley knife
• 1 x brass barrel swivel ( a fishing accessory found in the fishing section of K-mart)
• string
• 1 x paperclip

Activity:

Watch the video below to find out how to make a recycled bottle wind spinner.

First take the label off your recycled bottle.

Now, where the label was, you are going to make the bottle look pretty by placing stripes of electrical tape in different colors around the centre of it. About six to seven layers of tape should do it.

Next you are going to make vertical slits at 2cm in the area that is covered by the electrical tape. Measure out 2cm intervals as a guide and then use a stanley knife to make the slits. (Kids you should get Mum or Dad or an older sibling to do this.) When using a stanley knife always make sure your hand is not in the 'line of fire' -  don't put your hand in the direction you are cutting. Always cut away from your supporting hand.

Now that you have your vertical slits, push the top of the bottle down to make the strips flare out. When they do, pinch each strip across the middle to make a fold.

Next you have to angle the strips at the top and bottom so that they will catch the wind. Do this by making 45 degree folds to the right at the top and bottom of each strip.

Now get the bottle top.  You are going to make a hole in the top of it. To do this you can either:

• heat the paper clip or a kitchen skewer so that it melts through the plastic to make the hole
• use a small hand drill
• hammer a nail through it

Unfold the paper clip so it's a straight piece of wire. Thread it through one eyelet of your swivel. Fold it over and twist the two ends together. Now thread them through the hole in the top of the bottle lid and fan them out so it stays in place.

Tie string to the other end.

Put the lid on the bottle.

Hang your spinner from a tree outside and watch it spin in the wind!