Spinning Documents Simplified: A Guide to Easy Paper Spinners
Last updated on August 19, 2025, by Emma Vanstone.
Get ready for an exciting journey into the world of science with the Paper Spinner activity, a fun and engaging experiment suitable for children in Key Stage 1 Science. This activity, first published in 2016 and updated in 2020, is part of the Tray a Day series, a collection of science activities using simple materials that fit in a tray.
The Paper Spinner is a simple yet captivating device that encourages children to ask questions, observe closely, perform tests, and develop their scientific thinking skills. To create their own Paper Spinner, children will need different types of paper, paper clips, and scissors. The easy paper spinners, also known as paper helicopters, take less than two minutes to put together and spin amazingly well.
The science concepts covered in this activity include gravity, air resistance, and forces. As the spinner falls to the ground, air resistance pushes up, while the weight of the object pulls down. Children are expected to understand these forces and explain how they affect the spinner's descent.
Besides creating and exploring their Paper Spinners, children can also design a fair test to find out how one factor affects the time the spinner takes to fall. Factors such as the type of paper, number of paper clips, size of the spinner, and height dropped from can all influence the spinner's speed.
For those who are up for a challenge, there are additional tasks to consider. For instance, why a mechanism like our spinners would not be a good alternative for astronauts returning to Earth in a capsule. Or, try to make the slowest spinner possible.
To help you get started, the article provides instructions for making paper spinners, accessible through a video or downloadable instructions. A free Paper Spinner template is also available for this activity.
As your child delves into this fascinating activity, they will not only have fun but also gain a deeper understanding of fundamental scientific concepts while developing their problem-solving skills. So, let's get spinning!
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