Small enough to slip into a backpack and wonderfully simple to build, the Kraul Little Water Wheel Kit turns a walk beside a stream into a hands on lesson in water, movement and nature.
Children assemble their own working wooden water wheel and place it in shallow flowing water, resting the axle between forked branches or suitable stones. As the current catches the wooden blades, the wheel begins to turn, bringing the power of moving water beautifully to life.
There is no glue required. Once the wooden pieces are dipped into the water, the wood naturally swells so that the parts hold securely together. Children can then experiment with where they position the wheel, the speed and direction of the water and the way the blades meet the flow, discovering through experience how these changes affect its movement.
When the adventure is over, simply take the wheel apart and allow the wooden pieces to dry ready for the next trip.
It is an unusually lovely way to introduce ideas such as water power, motion, cause and effect and simple engineering, while encouraging children to explore outdoors and learn directly from the natural world.
Made in Germany by family run Kraul, this little water wheel reflects everything we love about the range: natural materials, clever design and the pleasure of discovering how things work for yourself. Kraul has been creating water wheels inspired by nature and Waldorf education for generations.
What Children Can Discover
• How flowing water creates movement
• Cause and effect
• Early ideas about water power and energy transfer
• Rotation and changing speed
• Observation and problem solving
• Simple engineering through real hands on experience
Product Details
• Wooden water wheel construction kit
• Designed for streams and shallow flowing water
• No glue required, assembly instructions included
• Can be supported between forked branches or suitable stones
• Can be dismantled, dried and used again
• Approximate diameter: 20 cm
• Approximate weight: 100 g
• Recommended age: 5 years+
Children must always be supervised when playing in or beside water. Kraul specifically warns that children should never be left unattended near water.
Take the Experiment Further
The Kraul Hammer Mill can be powered by the Little Water Wheel, allowing children to see how the movement created by flowing water can be transferred to another working mechanism.
Kraul Toys & Experiment Kits
Kraul is a family run German toy maker creating wonderfully inventive toys and experiment kits that help children discover how nature and technology really work.
Inspired by the elements of Earth, Water, Air and Fire, Kraul toys encourage children to build, observe, experiment and find things out for themselves. From working cable cars, pulleys and water wheels to optics, magnetism and outdoor experiments, each design makes scientific ideas tangible through hands on play.
Kraul's roots stretch back to the 1920s. Its later toy designs were influenced by Walter Kraul's work as a Waldorf teacher, while physicist and meteorologist Christoph Kraul developed many of the company's scientific experiment kits. The company continues to use local wood and high quality materials, with almost everything manufactured and packaged in Germany.
Discover the full Kraul Toys & Experiment Kits collection at Magic Forest Shop.
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