[For First Graders] A Collection of Science Project Ideas Using Everyday Materials
Many first graders struggle with their summer vacation projects and crafts.
It’s completely understandable to feel unsure—“It seems hard,” “What should we make?” In this article, we introduce experiment and craft ideas that kids can enjoy.
From a fascinating experiment with floating vegetables, to postcards made from milk cartons, to colorful aroma stones—there are plenty of fun projects using familiar materials.
Enjoy them together as a parent and child, and make great summer memories!
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[For 1st Graders] A Collection of Independent Research Ideas Using Everyday Materials (61–70)
Animal clay

This craft involves dividing paper clay into parts, then assembling them, painting them, and finishing them in the shape of an animal.
First, check what combination of shapes makes up the animal you want to create, and make parts that match the appropriate sizes and shapes.
After that, attach the parts, refine the overall form, and add colors and patterns to complete it.
If you use a paper plate as a base and attach the pieces onto it, it will look like a three-dimensional picture—highly recommended, too.
Tyrannosaurus made of paper clay

When it comes to cool dinosaurs that boys love, the Tyrannosaurus is number one! So this time, let’s make a Tyrannosaurus out of paper clay.
First, create the dinosaur’s base using aluminum wire and cardboard.
Once the base is ready, add volume with paper clay.
After the clay dries, paint it and add patterns and facial details.
When the paint dries, it’s finished! If you want your Tyrannosaurus to stand on its own, be sure to fix the wire in the legs to the base before adding the clay.
Ice pops that don’t melt at room temperature

Ice cream that kids love.
In summer, we get more chances to eat it, right? That’s why I recommend making ice pops that don’t melt at room temperature.
As the name suggests, this is an idea for making mysterious ice pops that won’t melt even when it’s hot.
The reason they don’t melt is that the main ingredient is agar.
Agar has a high melting point, so it won’t easily melt in typical summer heat.
It can be fun to make ice pops with different flavors and appearances.
Enjoy eating them and make wonderful memories.
Cute lantern made with disposable chopsticks
@mami_toys #CapCut#tiktok#handmadeHandmadeHandmadework#fyp#foryou#share#diyLightlike#Healing#epResource Recovery#cute#😍#💖#🌈
Looping Through the Night – Chiahi Sato
Let me introduce a cute lantern you can make with disposable chopsticks—fun to display and enjoy.
Prepare chopsticks, glue, and washi paper.
Cut the chopsticks and build the lantern’s frame.
The key is to keep an eye on the balance so the frame doesn’t shift out of place.
Attach washi paper from the back to create the lantern’s window sections.
Finally, glue the frames together to finish.
It’s also recommended to use your favorite colors for the window sections.
The light that leaks through the gaps between the chopsticks looks absolutely beautiful.
Snowflakes made of yarn
@hoikushisatomi [From around age 4] Snowflakes with yarnNursery teacher / Childcare workerKids will love it#NurseryTeacherDailyLifeHand gamesworkTranslation#NurseryTeacherThingsKnitting yarn#YarnPlay
♬ Stylish cafe-style BGM – Hiro Hattori
After cutting three disposable chopsticks short, use two of them to make an X shape, then place it over the remaining stick set vertically and secure them with yarn.
Next, wrap more yarn around them to create a snowflake.
When wrapping, go one stick at a time: loop the yarn once around a stick, then move on to the next chopstick.
The yarn doesn’t have to be the same color—switching to a different yarn partway through creates a pretty pattern.
You’ll get a variety of snowflakes depending on how many wraps you make and the types of yarn you use, so try making several kinds.
paper cup light
@chooobo2 This time, I’m introducing how to make the “Original Light from a Paper Cup 💡” that we’ll create in the workshop on November 16 ✨ The picture you draw will glow in the dark 😳! Since Christmas is coming, I drew a tree! Depending on age, just coloring and adding stickers is enough—the pen colors and sticker shadows glow and look so cute 🩷 This time I drew on a clear file, but drawing directly on plastic wrap is also OK 🙆♀️◎ (Use a transparent clear file.) Using a clear file makes it easier to draw than on plastic wrap, and the finished piece is less likely to break! Workshop details are posted in the Instagram Highlights!Made in DecemberChristmas craftsChristmas partyTranslation#HandmadeToysPaper cup craft
♬ All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
Let’s make an exciting item using a paper cup! First, cut a piece of a clear file (plastic folder) to match the size of the paper cup’s rim.
Use a permanent marker to draw any picture you like.
Next, cut out the bottom of the paper cup and decorate the sides with stickers, etc.
Finally, place the drawing you made on the rim side of the paper cup, cover it with plastic wrap from above, and secure it with a rubber band—that’s it! If you shine a light through the hole where you cut out the bottom and aim it at a wall, your picture will be projected on the wall.
It looks perfect for Halloween or Christmas too.
Try playing with it in a dark room!
How to Make an Easy Guitar

A simple guitar you can make with paper cups lets you easily live out the dream of strumming a ringing guitar.
First, glue the bottoms of two paper cups together.
Then stack another paper cup on each side with slits cut into them, and attach rubber bands into those slits—done.
The key here is the length of the rubber bands.
By choosing which slit to anchor them in and lining up rubber bands of different lengths, you can create differences in sound just like a real guitar.
Think about what kind of sound will make it feel cool, and fine-tune it into your ideal guitar.



