DIY: Wind Turbine | Tinkerer Box Blog

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Wind Turbine

Stem Activities

Ages: 6-8

Less than 1 hour

Grownup needed

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Have you ever seen massive wind turbines slowly rotating? Wind energy drives the turbine blades, and inside each wind tower is a generator that converts wind energy into electrical power, helping us learn, work, and live better. You can make your own wind turbine and explore how to harness energy from the wind.

Materials Needed

One large paper cup
Three medium paper cups
One small paper cup
Stones
Glue
Ice lolly sticks
String
Wooden stick
Pencil
Ruler
Paint
Paint markers
Scissors
Blu-tack (or modelling clay)

An overhead flat lay showcasing a collection of craft supplies arranged on a light wood-grain table. The supplies include a blue painted paper cup, several white paper cups, a bottle of white glue, a ball of white yarn, a ruler, wooden craft sticks, a paintbrush, scissors, a utility knife, a pencil, a flower-shaped paint palette, and several small tubes of paint or glue. These materials appear to be gathered for a crafting project.

Step-by-step tutorial

Step 1

Take two medium paper cups. Measure from the bottom and mark one at 7cm and the other at 5cm.

Two white paper cups sit on a light wood-grain surface. A vertical line beside each cup indicates its height. The smaller cup on the left is 5cm tall, and the larger cup on the right is 7cm tall. This image illustrates the size difference between the two cups.

Step 2

Carefully cut along the marked lines, trying to keep the edges even.

Two hands are using scissors to cut a small white paper cup. A portion of the cup has already been cut away. Another uncut paper cup sits on the light wood-grain table in the background. This image shows a step in a crafting process involving paper cups.

Step 3

Using the pointed end of a pencil, carefully make a hole in the centre of the cup bottoms. Be careful not to hurt yourself.

Two hands manipulate a small white paper cup and a blue pencil on a light wood-grain table. One hand holds the cup steady while the other hand uses the pencil to poke a hole in the bottom of the cup. This image depicts a step in a craft project.

Step 4

Insert the 5cm cup into the 7cm cup and secure them together with glue at the connection point. Let it dry.

Two hands hold a flattened white paper cup against a light wood-grain background. The cup appears to have been cut and unfolded. This image likely demonstrates a step in a crafting process.

Step 5

Measure 25cm on your wooden stick and mark with a pencil. Cut the stick at the mark - ask an adult for help if needed.

A thin, light-colored wooden dowel lies horizontally on a light wood-grain surface. A line above the dowel indicates its length, marked as 25cm. This image simply displays the dowel and its measurement.

Step 6

Thread the cut wooden stick through the holes in both cup bottoms.

Two hands hold a flattened white paper cup and a thin wooden dowel on a light wood-grain table. The dowel is inserted through the cup. This image appears to show a stage in constructing a simple craft or toy.

Step 7

Place the large cup upside down and glue two ice lolly sticks to the sides, 3cm down from the base, ensuring equal distance between the sticks at the top.

A small, light-blue paper cup sits on a light wood-grain table. Two thin, light-colored wooden dowels are inserted into the top of the cup on opposite sides, sticking upwards. A bracket and the label 3cm indicate the height of the dowel protruding from the cup. This image appears to show a component of a craft project.

Step 8

Once the glue on the large cup is dry, apply glue to the inner sides of the ice lolly sticks.

Two hands work on a craft project on a light wood-grain table. One hand holds a small light-blue paper cup with two wooden dowels inserted into the top. The other hand holds a small bottle of glue, applying it to the dowels and cup. This image shows a step in assembling a craft.

Step 9

Place the connected cups between the ice lolly sticks, ensuring they stick to the glued areas.

A simple craft resembling a miniature windmill or seesaw sits on a light wood-grain table. A small, light-blue paper cup serves as the base. Two thin wooden dowels are inserted into the cup, and a flattened white paper cup is attached to the dowels, balancing horizontally. This image showcases a finished DIY craft project.

Step 10

Now make the turbine blades. Cut the remaining medium cup in half.

Two identical white paper cups sit on a light wood-grain surface. Both cups have a section cut out from their sides, making them appear partially flattened. This image seems to depict a step in preparing materials for a craft project.

Step 11

Cut each half into two pieces and remove the bottom portions, creating four identical pieces.

Four identical white paper cups are arranged in a row on a light wood-grain surface. Each cup has a section cut out from the side, giving them a partially flattened appearance. These appear to be prepared materials for a craft project.

Step 12

Cross two ice lolly sticks to form a cross shape and glue them together at the intersection.

Two small, light-colored wooden craft sticks are arranged in a cross shape on a light wood-grain surface. One stick lies horizontally, and the other vertically, overlapping in the center. This image appears to show a simple craft component.

Step 13

Glue the four cup pieces onto the ice lolly sticks, ensuring the convex sides face upward and the same edges are attached. Your turbine blades are now complete.

Four flattened, white paper cup pieces are attached to two small, crossed wooden craft sticks, forming a pinwheel shape on a light wood-grain surface. This image appears to show another stage in a craft project.

Step 14

Use Blu-tack to attach the cross to the wooden stick.

A small, homemade windmill craft sits on a light wood-grain table. The windmill's base is a light-blue paper cup. A flattened white paper cup is attached to the base with wooden craft sticks, acting as a fulcrum. A longer wooden dowel extends horizontally from this cup. At the other end of the dowel, four flattened white paper cup pieces are attached to crossed craft sticks, forming the windmill's blades. A small ball of blue putty or clay secures the blades to the dowel. This image showcases a completed DIY windmill project.

Step 15

Make three evenly-spaced holes around the top of the small cup - this will be your lifting bucket.

Two hands hold a white paper cup over a light wood-grain surface. One hand holds the cup steady, while the other uses a short, sharpened pencil to widen a small hole near the cup's rim. This image appears to depict a step in a craft project involving repurposing a paper cup.

Step 16

Cut two pieces of string: 12cm and 40cm. Thread the 12cm string through two holes and tie knots 2cm from each end.

A small, white paper cup sits on a light wood-grain table. Short lengths of string are tied through small holes on opposite sides of the cup's rim, creating a small, improvised bucket or pail. This appears to be another element for a craft activity.

Step 17

Thread the 40cm string through the remaining hole, leaving equal length on both sides, then tie it to the middle of the shorter string.

Two hands hold a white paper cup with pieces of string threaded through holes on opposite sides of the rim. The hands are in the process of tying the two strings together above the cup's opening, creating a handle. The cup sits on a light wood-grain surface. This image appears to be another step in a simple craft project.

Step 18

Tie the other end of the long string to the wooden stick and secure with Blu-tack to prevent slipping.

A completed, homemade windmill craft project stands on a light wood-grain table. The windmill's base is a light-blue paper cup. A flattened white paper cup is attached to the base with wooden craft sticks, acting as a fulcrum. A longer wooden dowel extends horizontally from this cup. A small ball of blue putty or clay is affixed to the dowel's end. A string is tied to this blue putty and hangs down to a small, white paper cup bucket which has string handles. At the other end of the dowel, four flattened white paper cup pieces form the windmill's blades and are attached to crossed craft sticks and held to the dowel with a small ball of blue putty. This image demonstrates a finished DIY windmill model with a small bucket suspended from it.

Step 19

Decorate your wind turbine with paint.

A partially constructed windmill craft project sits on a light wood-grain table. The windmill's base is a light-blue paper cup. A flattened white paper cup is attached to the base with wooden craft sticks, acting as a fulcrum. A longer wooden dowel extends horizontally from this cup. A small ball of blue putty or clay is affixed to the dowel's end. A string is tied to this blue putty and hangs down to a small, white paper cup bucket which has string handles. At the other end of the dowel, four flattened white paper cup pieces are attached to crossed craft sticks to form the windmill's blades. These blades are secured with small pieces of blue tape. A hand holds a paintbrush and is applying something to the flattened white cup that serves as the fulcrum. This image captures a stage in the creation of a DIY windmill model.

Step 20

Test your wind turbine by placing it in the wind and putting items in the lifting bucket to see how quickly it rises (use a fan or hair dryer if there's not enough wind).

A finished, painted windmill craft project stands on a light-blue paper cup base, which is placed on a larger white square surface. The windmill's tower and horizontal arm mechanism are constructed from light-blue and flattened light-green-painted paper cups, connected by wooden craft sticks. A small ball of teal-colored putty or clay is affixed to the end of the horizontal arm. A string is tied to this teal putty and hangs down to a small, white paper cup bucket with string handles. The bucket contains small yellow and blue balls. The windmill's blades are made from flattened paper cups painted light blue and yellow, attached to crossed craft sticks, and affixed to the horizontal arm with teal putty. This image showcases a completed and colorful DIY windmill model with a loaded bucket.

Try different weights in the lifting bucket to test your turbine's strength.

Experiment by adjusting various factors like wind speed (different fan settings) and turbine blade configurations (number and size of blades). For fair testing, change only one variable at a time while keeping others constant.

The Science Behind It:

Wind turbines harness kinetic energy from wind to generate electricity. Wind turns the turbine blades, which drives the generator's main shaft. The generator produces electrical power that can be used to power various devices. Wind turbines generate the most energy in windy locations, which is why they're commonly found on hilltops and coastal areas where winds are strongest.

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