During our staycation we visited the Lefferts House (yes, yes, we go there a lot). As it was a holiday weekend they had a craft station and Kiddo made this simple but highly entertaining whirligig.Cut a cardboard circle, decorate it and pierce a small hole in the center. Thread a long piece of yarn or ribbon through the hole, tying the ends together.
To use:
Holding the ends of the yarn, spin the whirligig around and around. Once you have it going, pull the yarn in opposite directions, but not too tight. The circle should spin fast and you can look at your decoration to see how it looks different in motion. Experiment with keeping the yarn tight, or giving it a bit of slack.
Here's a link for more exacting instructions.
cathy says
Wonderful! Simple but engaging. Both my 6 and 3 yr old are going to love this!