Make a Water Wheel

We've been studying The Precious People with a co-op this year, and enjoying the crafts and activities in a community setting.

We've made Christmas ornaments, beeswax salve, had honey tastings, and a recent favorite, made a water wheel during our study of transportation.

It was so fun to see the water grab the cups and start spinning the wheel!

It was a simple project. Each child needed 2 thick paper plates, 1 wooden skewer, 6-8 small paper cups, and tape.

To make your water wheel, start by taping the cups around the bottom of a paper plate with the open side facing the outer edge of the plate.

Then, place the other plate on top and secure cups to the second plate.

Finally, stick the skewer through the center of the plates to finish your water wheel.

We were able to test our water wheels in a nearby creek, where chaos ensued as the water dragged the wheels away. The children dashed to save the pieces and prevent littering, but we were able to see that our wheels actually spun, and we could imagine the people of yesterday grinding grain and generating power with their water wheel.

You can get The Precious People resource here.

Read more about developing a co-op here.

Read about the history of water wheels here.