DIY Paper Fidget Spinner

Dawn Abron By Dawn Abron, Teen Services Supervisor/Creative Space Supervisor, Zion-Benton Public Library December 26, 2017

Many teens own their own fidget spinners but do not know the mechanics/science behind it.  Paper fidget spinners is a program designed to show teens how fidget spinners work as well as allow teens to design their own spinners.

Type: Active
Age: Middle school
Optimal size: 20+
Estimated cost: $26 - $50
Planning time: <30 minutes
Frequency: One-time

Learning outcomes

Teens learn Newton's law of motion.

Teens become producers as well as consumers.

Teens learn about design.

Instructions

  • Search for a fidget spinner template on Google and print on cardstock.  Each teen should cut out three identical spinners.
  • Have teens use glue stick to glue the spinners together.  This is for thickness.  You can also do this on cardboard or foam board but teens may need to use a box cutter or Exacto knife to cut it out as scissors will leave messy edges.  If you are okay with teens using sharp utensils, let them.  If you use cardboard or foam board, you only need to cut out one spinner.
  • Trace a penny and cut five circles using cardstock.
  • Use a standard hole punch to punch a hole in the center of the spinner.
  • Cut a small piece from a straw-less than a quarter of an inch.
  • Hot glue one side of the straw to a penny or a large craft gem.
  • Push the straw through the hole in your spinner and hot glue a penny or large craft gem to the other side of the straw.
  • Hot glue the cardstock penny circles to both sides of the pennies.
  • Hot glue pennies to the ends of the spinner and hot glue the cardstock penny cirlces to each penny.

Evaluation

The success of the program will be determined by attendance.  We are doing two different fidget spinner activities in two days.  We'll use the amount of reoccurring teens to measure the success of the program.

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