Freddie’s Wind Spinner

Freddie wants something that will show when the wind blows. He watches leaves moving in the garden. “Could I make a spinner?” he asks Aunt Liz. She finds some paper.

They fold the paper into broad blades. Aunt Liz fixes the middle onto a short stick with a safe, covered fastener. Freddie chooses a place beside the garden bench.

A breeze brushes Freddie’s hair, but the blades stay still. He turns the stick towards the breeze. Nothing moves. “The leaves are moving. Why is my spinner stuck?” he asks.

Aunt Liz holds the stick while Freddie looks closely. The paper is pressed tightly against the stick. When he nudges a blade gently, it catches instead of turning freely.

Aunt Liz adjusts the covered fastener and adds a spacer behind the paper. Freddie keeps his hands clear while she works. Now there is a little gap behind the blades.

Freddie gives the spinner a gentle puff from a short distance. The blades turn. He stops blowing and watches them slow down. “It can move now,” he says, grinning.

They return to the same place beside the bench. A breeze comes through the garden. This time the spinner turns with it. Freddie holds the stick still and lets the wind work.

Freddie puts his spinner in a sturdy pot beside the bench. Some moments it turns; some moments it rests. “It shows me the wind,” he says. Aunt Liz watches the leaves with him.