Make a windmill with kids using nothing more than toilet rolls and paper, and you have a craft project that sparks imagination, builds fine motor skills, and reuses materials that would otherwise go straight in the recycling bin. Toilet roll crafts are a perennial favourite for creative afternoons at home, in nursery, or in primary school — and this spinning windmill is one of the most satisfying builds around. It combines upcycling, hands-on learning, and a touch of history in one cheerful afternoon activity.
Historic Mills for a Modern Afternoon
Germany celebrates its annual German Mill Day every Whit Monday, when hundreds of historic windmills and watermills open their doors to visitors across the country. It is a wonderful tradition that gets families outdoors and curious about old technology. For English-speaking families, there is a similarly rich heritage of working mills to explore — from the tower mills of Norfolk and Suffolk to the watermills of the Cotswolds and the smock mills of Kent. A craft afternoon built around this theme is a brilliant way to bring that history to life for young children.
When you make a windmill with kids, they naturally start asking how mills actually work — why sails catch the wind, how that energy was once used to grind grain, and why water power was so important before electricity. All of that curiosity comes from sticking a toilet roll together. At the same time, the project develops concentration, scissor skills, and spatial thinking in a way that feels like play rather than learning.
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The sustainability angle matters too. Empty toilet rolls are one of the most freely available craft materials in any household, and turning them into something beautiful is a small but satisfying lesson in upcycling for children. Why not pair this activity with a trip to a local working mill or a spring country walk to spot any windmills on the horizon?
Why Toilet Roll Crafts Work So Well for Children
Toilet rolls are endlessly versatile. They are free, easy to cut and paint, and sturdy enough to stand up on a table without collapsing. For this windmill project, the roll becomes the mill tower in seconds. Children can paint it, wrap it in coloured paper, cut out little windows, and add a pointed roof — and the best part is that the finished sails actually spin.
Younger children aged three and up will enjoy the painting and decorating stages. Older children from around six can take on the cutting, folding, and assembly steps with a little guidance. It is a genuinely multi-age project, which makes it ideal for mixed groups at home or in a classroom.
What You Will Need
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- Coloured paper or card
- One toilet roll tube
- Scissors
- Glue or glue stick
- Felt-tip pens or markers
- A wooden toothpick
- Thin card for the rotor blades (cereal box card works well)
- Acrylic paints as an alternative to coloured paper
- A small piece of modelling clay or Blu Tack
Building the Windmill
Cut a piece of coloured paper large enough to wrap around the toilet roll and glue it in place. Alternatively, paint the roll directly with acrylic paints and leave to dry. Cut a circle from card for the roof. Its diameter needs to be wider than the top of the roll. Mark the centre point of the circle and cut a straight line from the edge to the centre. Pull the two cut edges together to form a cone shape and glue them in place. Sit the cone roof on top of the roll.
Draw windows and a door onto the roll with felt-tip pens. Push a toothpick through the side of the roll just below the roofline — this will be the axle for your spinning sails. Cut four strips of thin card for the rotor blades and wrap each one in a strip of coloured paper for a neat finish. Lay the four blades in a cross shape and carefully push the toothpick through the centre point where they overlap. Slide the sail assembly onto the toothpick so it sits against the side of the mill tower. Press a small ball of modelling clay or Blu Tack onto the end of the toothpick to hold the sails in place — and give them a gentle blow to watch them spin.
This simple construction is effective enough to hold the attention of a class full of five-year-olds, yet the physics behind the spinning blades offer a useful hook for older children interested in how different forces interact. Once the model is complete, the toothpick axle should be loose enough to rotate freely but tight enough to hold its position against a gentle breeze. A slight imbalance in the blades can cause the windmill to wobble or spin erratically, which offers a practical lesson in balance without needing complex measurements or tools.
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Bringing the Activity Into the Classroom
This windmill craft fits naturally into primary school topic work on history, science (forces and energy), or geography. Teachers and teaching assistants can pair the making session with stories about how windmills changed farming communities, or with a look at where the nearest historic mill is located. In the UK, organisations such as the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings maintain registers of working mills that are open to visitors — a field trip to a local mill makes a perfect follow-up to the craft session.
At home, the finished windmill makes a charming piece of windowsill decoration, a table centrepiece for a spring gathering, or a handmade gift for grandparents. With different colour combinations and decorative details, every child’s version becomes completely unique. Looking for more half-term inspiration? A visit to a local working mill or open farm is always a hit with primary-age children.
To make a windmill with kids, you really do not need much — a toilet roll, some paper, a toothpick, and a little patience. What you get in return is a spinning, colourful model that children are genuinely proud of, a conversation about wind power and history that sticks far longer than any worksheet, and a craft afternoon that costs almost nothing. Whether you tackle it on a rainy weekend, during a school holiday, or as part of a classroom project on traditional crafts and local heritage, this is one of those ideas that delivers every time.
