Upstart Magazine

View Original

Make Your Own Wind Vane… It’s a Breeze!

Proudly sponsored by: Scouts New Zealand

Being able to tell which direction the wind is coming from is super important when you're out on the water.


What you need:

  • 2 x pieces of card

  • Plate

  • A paper cup

  • A Straw

  • Pencil with an eraser

  • A pin

  • A marker

  • Scissors

  • Tape

  • Ruler

  • Compass (or a compass phone app)

  • Rocks (or something heavy)


What to do:

  1. On the cardboard, trace a circle using the plate as a template. Cut it out.

  2. With the ruler, mark the EIGHT points of a compass. TIP: Start with NORTH, SOUTH, EAST & WEST, then add in the other four points in between. Decorate it too if you want to fancy it up!.

  3. Carefully poke a hole in the bottom of the cup and push the pencil through (eraser facing up).

  4. Position the cup in the middle of the plate and tape it on.

  5. On the card, cut a triangle (for the arrowhead), and a rectangle (for the flag). Make it nice and big to catch the wind! Cut them both out.

  6. Cut a slit in both ends of the straw and slot the arrowhead and the flag.

  7. Push the pin through the straw and poke it into the eraser.

  8. Outside, set up the compass to figure out where NORTH is and line your wind vane.

    Position the rocks on the card to make sure it doesn’t blow over and watch to see which direction the wind is blowing!


Did you give it a go?

Send us a photo of your Wind Vane and you might find your creation featured in a future issue of Upstart magazine… AND win a prize!


Want to try new things, go on amazing adventures, learn new skills, and make friends with lots of different people?

Scouts welcome young people between 5 and 26 and are open to all genders, ethnicities, religions, and abilities. All you need is a sense of adventure and fun!

The Scouts programme is designed to give you ownership of your own adventures.