Four Seasons Clock Craft

This Four Seasons Clock Craft is a fun way for kids to explore how nature changes throughout the year. Using simple supplies, children can create a rotating season wheel that shows winter, spring, summer, and autumn through one tree design. This easy craft for kids is a great fit for classroom activities, homeschool projects, or a rainy afternoon at home.

This creative idea was submitted by eight-year-old Henry from Newton, Massachusetts. Henry shared that he wanted to make a clock that shows the season we are in now and can rotate throughout the year as the seasons change. He also shared that he enjoys building with Legos, drawing, making crafts, and collecting samples from nature.

Supplies

• 2 paper plates
• 1 small screw or paper clip for the center fastener
• Tape or stapler
• Color markers
• Pencil
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Use a pencil to divide one paper plate into 4 equal sections by drawing one horizontal line and one vertical line through the center.
2. In each section, draw the same tree as it would look in a different season. Arrange the seasons in order: winter, spring, summer, and autumn.
3. Carefully poke a hole in the center of the plate using a paper clip or another safe tool with adult help.
4. Cut a quarter-sized viewing window from the second paper plate so only one tree section will show at a time.
5. Place the second plate on top of the first plate and line up the center holes.
6. Attach the two plates together in the center using a small screw or a paper clip so the bottom plate can rotate.
7. Tape or staple the edges if needed to help keep the plates in place.
8. Turn the wheel as the year changes so the window shows the correct season.

Fun Facts

Weather can give animals clues about what is coming next. Cats and dogs have been known to sense when a tornado is approaching. Some frogs get louder before it rains, and worms often wriggle up from the ground before a flood. You can even estimate the temperature by counting a cricket’s chirps. These kinds of weather observations make this craft even more fun to talk about while kids create their seasonal trees.

Source: National Geographic Kids – 30 freaky facts about the weather!

More Craft Ideas

This same rotating paper plate idea can be used in other ways too. Kids could draw different colors on the bottom plate and cut a flower shape into the top plate so the flower changes color when the wheel turns. You could also make a chameleon craft that changes colors as the plate rotates. It is a fun way to turn simple paper plates into creative printable templates and classroom activities.

Patterns, Templates and Printables

Use the paper plates as your craft template for this project. Kids can design their own seasonal tree scenes and make each one unique. This simple rotating craft is a great example of how printable templates and easy crafts for kids can inspire creativity and learning at the same time.