A penny spinner is essentially a spinning top, but it’s also a neat way to explore STEM and keep the kiddos off the screens. Make your own penny spinner toy today!
Paper Spinner Template
Add this simple penny spinner project to your STEM activities this season. You can make these penny spinners in no time and decorate them any way you like with patterns and colors that mix and swirl together!
Additionally, you will find a fun printable paper spinner template below if you desire! Print and color your spinner template and attach it to the paper plate disc. While you’re at it, make sure to check out more fun paper plate STEAM activities.
How To Make A Penny Spinner
Watch the Video:
Grab the Paper Spinner Template
Supplies:
- Paper plate
- Round cup
- Pen
- Ruler
- Markers
- Scissors
- Penny
- Paper Template
💡 NOTE: You can glue the template to a paper plate and cut around it for your paper spinner, or you can make your own unique penny spinner.
Instructions:
STEP 1: Use the pen to trace around the outside of the cup. Then, cut out the circle.
STEP 2: Use a ruler to find the center of the circle and mark it with a pen.
STEP 3. Place the ruler on the center of the circle and draw a line to create halves.
STEP 4. Then turn the circle and draw another line across the circle to create quarters.
STEP 5. Draw two more lines through the center of each quarter to create eighths.
STEP 6. Use the markers to color each eighth or draw patterns in each section.
STEP 7. Cut a slit in the center of the circle slightly smaller than a penny. Push the penny through the slit.
STEP 8. Holding the penny between your fingers, spin the penny spinner on a flat surface.
How Does A Penny Spin?
The simplest answer is that something in motion including spinning will stay spinning unless a force is acted upon it. Although the penny spinner doesn’t spin on a tiny point it still shares similar qualities with a traditional top in that it uses something called the conservation of angular momentum to keep spinning.
The spinner or top is rotating around an invisible axis and will continue to do so until some sort of friction is applied. Eventually, the friction between the spinning disc and surface slows down, the rotation becomes wobbly and the top tips over and comes to a stop! Want to read more about spinning tops, click here.
Learn more about how Newton’s Laws of Motion apply to the penny spinner!
More Fun Science With Pennies
More Fun Things To Make
Check out more awesome STEM toys you can make!
- Make A Kaleidoscope
- Self Propelled Vehicle Projects
- Build A Kite
- Popsicle Stick Catapult
- DIY Bouncy Ball
- Air Vortex Cannon
- Thaumatrope Ideas
Printable Science Projects For Kids
If you’re looking to grab all of our printable science projects in one convenient place plus exclusive worksheets and bonuses like a STEAM Project pack, our Science Project Pack is what you need! Over 300+ Pages!
- 90+ classic science activities with journal pages, supply lists, set up and process, and science information. NEW! Activity-specific observation pages!
- Best science practices posters and our original science method process folders for extra alternatives!
- Be a Collector activities pack introduces kids to the world of making collections through the eyes of a scientist. What will they collect first?
- Know the Words Science vocabulary pack includes flashcards, crosswords, and word searches that illuminate keywords in the experiments!
- My science journal writing prompts explore what it means to be a scientist!!
- Bonus STEAM Project Pack: Art meets science with doable projects!
- Bonus Quick Grab Packs for Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry, and Physics
