What is the Fidget Spinner, the little gadget that world has gone wild for? Let’s find out how we can make our own Fidget spinner, what is the science behind it and why is it so addictive to play with
WHAT IS FIDGET SPINNER?
Fidget spinner is a toy that usually consists of the ball bearing in the middle, but can be any part that enables it to spin around its axis and typically tree structures, or legs, that are reinforced with metal or heavy plastic.
You hold the Spinner in the middle, by the ball bearing and use the force to spin it. Its aerodynamic properties make it spin for a long time without any other external force needed.
Fidget Spinner is very popular among children and that led it to even be banned from some schools! It is said Fidget spinner is great at helping children with ADHD, Autism and generally helping in coping with anxiety. But it’s important to note that research didn’t find any conclusive evidence for the usefulness of the Fidget Spinner.
Nevertheless, it is a great toy that did raise awareness about the ADHD disorder and problems with concentration that some children have. And that led to bigger efforts in helping those Children in coping with the disorder.
HOW DOES THE FIDGET SPINNER WORK? THE SCIENCE (ENGINEERING) BEHIND IT
It’s all about friction! Try to roll a piece of wood and a piece of glass on the floor with the same force. Which one did get further? Glass? Right. And why is that? Because Glass surface is smoother than a wood surface so the friction between glass and floor is smaller.
Friction is all around us, be it from two surfaces touching each other, or from Earth’s atmospheric air. If there was no friction, once moved object would move forever and that only happens in a vacuum.
What does it all have to do with Fidget Spinner? Fidget spinner is designed to have the least possible friction or resistance between its middle part and its wings that spin around it. Designing, building and finally playing with Fidget spinner can be an excellent intro to learning the laws of physics.
First Newton law says that an object will remain motionless or in uniform motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an external force. So until we spin our spinner, it will remain motionless. When we spin it, it will continue to move until it is stopped by other force, friction or gravity.
Second Newton law says that used force and mass of an object affects how fast the object will accelerate or decelerate. The bigger the mass of our Fidget Spinner, the longer it will rotate. We can test it with different coins that we attach on our spinner and see which one will spin for the longest time.
MATERIALS NEEDED FOR FIDGET SPINNER:
- Piece of Cardboard
- 3 coins
- Pencil
- Hot glue (or any, stronger glue)
- Toothpick
- Scissors (and bonus scalpel)
- Bonus: a piece of paper and a smartphone
Materials you will need to make Cardboard Fidget Spinner
INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING FIDGET SPINNER:
Watch the video at the beginning of the article for instructions on making Fidget Spinner or continue reading instructions below.
- The easiest way is to find the picture of a Fidget Spinner using your Smartphone, take a sheet of paper, put it on the screen and draw the shape on the paper.
- Using scissors, cut the shape from the paper.
- Put the paper on the Cardboard and draw the shape on the cardboard 2 times.
- Take one coin, and draw around it on the Cardboard 2 times.
- Now cut all shapes from the cardboard using Scissors or Scalpel – you will get 2 circles from coin and 2 Fidget Spinner shapes.
- Take 1 part of the Fidget Spinner, and using a glue, attach each coin at the edges – one coin at the edge of every leg.
- Now put the glue on top of the coins, and attach the second part of the Fidget Spinner on top of them.
- Using a Toothpick (or you can also use a needle if the Cardboard is too hard) to pierce through the center of your two circles and the Fidget spinner.
- Use Toothpick to attach every Cardboard circle on each side of the Fidget spinner.
- Using Scissors, cut the extra Toothpick on every side so it is aligned with the circles.
- Use glue to attach a toothpick to the circles so it doesn’t fall apart.
- And you’re done! It’s time to give it a spin!
Fidget Spinner in action
WHAT WILL YOU LEARN MAKING YOUR OWN FIDGET SPINNER:
- Newton’s laws of motion and how different forces act on the motion
- Mechanical principles of motion
- Gross motor skills and fine motor skills
- Hand-eye coordination
If you enjoyed making Fidget spinner, you should also check other fun engineering activities:
- Build your own Catapult and launch paper balls
- Make the Cardboard Castle for your Prince or Princess
- Launch to the moon using a Match Rocket
If you’re searching for some great STEM Activities for Kids and Child development tips, you’re on the right place! Check the Categories below to find the right activity for you.
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