Anemometer Wind Speed Rotary Calibrator
An engaging, screen-free learning activity that builds real-world creativity and critical thinking for kids aged 7 to 9.
Materials Needed
- • Small paper bathroom cups (4 units)
- • Stiff plastic drinking straws (2 units)
- • Unsharpened pencil with a fresh eraser tip (1 unit)
- • Sewing pin or safety pushpin (1 unit)
- • Stapler or tape (1 set)
- • Colored marker (1 unit)
Pro Tips
- → Color one paper cup bright red; this serves as the reference cup to count rotations per minute.
- → Punch holes in the cups so all four mouths face in the same circular direction (clockwise or counterclockwise).
- → Count rotations over 15 seconds and multiply by 4 to calculate revolutions per minute (RPM).
Safety First
Ensure the pushpin is centered properly through the straws into the eraser so it spins freely without slipping out.
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Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1
Color one paper cup bright red and leave the other three white to provide a clear visual counter.
Step 2
Cross two straws into an X and staple a paper cup to each tip, ensuring all cup openings point in the same circular direction.
Step 3
Push a pin through the center intersection of the straws and down into the rubber eraser of a vertical wooden pencil.
Step 4
Hold the anemometer outside in the breeze, count how many times the red cup circles in 60 seconds, and log the wind speed RPM.