Paper Plate Life Cycle Spinners

This spring, as usual, we’ve been reading and talking about plant and animal life cycles. Here’s a fun project we did last spring – and we’re planning to revisit it again this month! {Originally posted at Early Bird Homeschool, May 2010}

The girls had fun making life cycle spinners using two paper plates and a brad.  I drew lines to divide one plate into four sections and the girls illustrated the plant or animal life cycle of their choice.

I cut a wedge-shaped window out of the other plate and we used a brad to attach it to the illustrated plate.  Simple, but fun!

For reference, the girls used a set of life cycle books that Delaney got for her birthday last year.  They have just the right amount of information for beginning readers and great photographs. Here are a few of the titles (I think there are 12 all together):

The spinners have been great for retelling and explaining the life cycles. For older students, divide the plate into more sections and add captions to go with each stage.

No paper plates hanging around your house? Cardstock or thin cardboard, such as cereal boxes, would work great, too!

What are you exploring this spring?