Let your kids have fun making a mini water turbine at home

Explaining about energy to kids becomes easy when they understand how it is generated and exactly how it works. Help your kids understand and value the power of water by making this simple miniature water turbine at home.

What you will need

2-liter plastic water or cold drink bottle
Ruler
Marker pen
Cutter knife
Scissors
2 corks
1 wooden stick
Sewing thread (16 inches)
Small objects to lift (rubber objects, toy plastic car, eraser)
Kitchen Sink
Black tape
Large funnel
Paper clips

Step-by-step guide for making the turbine

Measure 6 cm up from the bottom of the bottle and put a few dots with the marker. Connect the dots to make a circle and cut off the bottom with the cutter knife
Measure and cut out an 8cm cylindrical section from the cut bottle
Cut four 2 cm wide strips from the 8cm section with the scissors. Cut these strips in half so you get eight curved strips measuring 4 cm by 2 cm
Draw 8 evenly spaced lines lengthwise on the cork, and make slits along each line with the cutter knife. Bend the plastic pieces slightly in the same direction and slide them into the slits in the cork
Unfold two paperclips and flex one end of each to create a small loop. These paperclips will act as supports for the water wheel’s axle
Affix your supports on opposite sides of the plastic funnel with the black tape
Cut the stick in half and poke each half into one side of the wheel cork. Guide each end through a loop on to the paper clip support. Make sure the paper clip’s loops remain loose enough to allow the wheel to turn freely
Insert one of the skewers into the other cork and tie it tightly with thread
Tie the loose end of the thread to the small object chosen
Place your completed water wheel in the kitchen sink under a gentle flow of water from the tap. Slowly run water over the wheel so that the plastic pieces on the cork catch the falling water. Your little turbine is now driven by the mechanical energy of water to lift the object!