In a spin
* Explore how water wheels turn when water is poured on to them. Is it possible to make the wheels turn faster or more slowly? How can the children stop the wheel from turning? Try pouring mixtures such as cornflour and water on to the wheels to see if they still turn. Experiment with sand wheels. Do they turn more easily when dry or wet sand is added?
* Run around outdoors to explore how toy windmills turn, and then try to make your own.
* Make spinners from circles of card with a pencil pushed through the centre. Colour them using the colours of the rainbow and watch what happens to the colours when the spinners are turned. Create a rainbow-coloured cardboard disc. Thread the disc through an elastic band, turn it round and round, holding the ends of the elastic, and then release the disc. Watch what happens to the colours as they spin.
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