How to Make a Weathervane

What You Need:

• Old business card
• Straw
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Clear tape
• Pencil
• Stickpin
• 1 liter plastic bottle
• Sand
• Compass
• Black permanent marker

What You Do:

1. Start by researching with your child what a weathervane is and what purpose it serves by visiting your local library or looking online. Many people have decorative weathervanes on their roofs.
2. Help your child gather the materials needed to create his own weathervane. Offer assistance cutting the liter bottle in half if necessary.
3. Now he can cut a triangle out of the business card to create the front and back ends of the weathervane. He can also trim the straw so it is 6 inches long. If the straw has a flexible end, make sure it’s the end that is cut.
4. Invite your child to carefully cut slits into both ends of the straw, about half an inch deep horizontally, and slide the cut card onto each end. He can secure each of the ends with a small piece of clear tape.
5. Offer your child the pencil and stick pin and encourage him to use the ruler to find the middle of the straw. Now he can position the pencil under the straw and secure the two together with the stickpin creating to top of his weathervane!
6. To create the weathervane base, invite your child to fill the cut bottom of the plastic bottle with some sand, and firmly stick the pencil weathervane into the center of the sand.
7. Now your child can place his weathervane in a windy spot and observe how it moves with the wind. Invite your child to guess which direction the wind’s blowing, and then use a compass to check his guesses. He can even use a permanent marker to write the directions on the side of the plastic bottle if he wants!