The air is still chilly here, and the forecast is calling for snow, but the birds have been chirping a lot lately, which is making me think of spring and opening the house up to catch warm breezes. Here’s an easy craft for kids that will help you enjoy those spring breezes when they come (and maybe give you something indoors to do with the kids if it snows again.)

1. Start with paper plates, the cheapest white paper ones you can find. Color both sides with markers or crayons, in any way you like. I would recommend patterns or small pictures (little hearts, maybe) instead of one large picture, as you’ll be cutting it up.



2. Starting on the outside, cut your plate around and around, making a spiral. Thin strips make it longer,thick strips, make it will shorter.



3. Now that your plate is cut, you can lay it back down on the table and add stickers, glitter, beads or sequins- whatever your kids like and you are willing to clean up!
4. Using a hole punch, make a hole at the end of your spiral (at what was formerly the inside of the plate) and attach a loop of yarn or string. Hang up your whirligig by a window to catch the breezes!

I did this craft with a big group of kids, and it kept them happily engaged for about 20 minutes. It might be a fun birthday party activity. And if you add cutout flowers, hearts, eggs. ghosts or ornaments, you could modify it for any time of year.