[For 2nd Graders] Make it with everyday materials! Irresistibly engaging ideas for independent research projects

Butterfly flower hair clip

[Summer Vacation Craft] Butterfly & Flower Clips – also lovely as interior decor

Let’s make adorable butterfly and flower clips.

In the video, the butterfly part uses store-bought pieces, but you can also cut your own from sturdy materials like construction paper.

First, decorate the butterfly freely with colored pencils or beads.

Then simply use a hot glue gun to attach the butterfly to a clip, and you’re done! You can make the flowers the same way: punch out lots of flower shapes from origami or construction paper, layer them, and glue them to a clip.

They’re perfect not only for holding books and notebooks, but also as cute interior decorations.

These bright, cheerful accessories will liven up your mood—give them a try!

Ant farm observation

Results after observing ants for 3 weeks!! [Ant Legend] Ant Farm Observation Kit, Independent Research ☆ Saaaaaya

Many parents probably observed ants when they were children.

Unlike in the past, there are now kits available that let you clearly watch how ants build their nests.

All you have to do is catch some ants in your neighborhood! Put a gel that serves as a substitute for soil into a slim case, then release the ants inside.

Observe the case every day to see how the ants dig out their nest and how things change over time.

Since you’re checking daily, there won’t be any dramatic changes, but you’ll see the nest gradually expand.

Taking photos and compiling them is recommended.

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utatane

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handmade watch

[Summer Vacation Craft] Perfect for independent research projects and interior decor! Handmade clock using 100-yen store materials and seashells

How about making a handmade clock for a second grader’s summer vacation project? Using a store-bought kit is fine, but gathering materials at a 100-yen shop can be fun, too.

For the clock face, write the numbers on construction paper and add color with acrylic paints.

Make the hands from thick paper, punch a hole in the center, and fasten them with a split pin.

The clock doesn’t have to be round—animal or flower shapes are cute as well.

You can decorate it with seashells or glass marbles, or add small origami pieces; with a bit of creativity, you can make a one-of-a-kind clock.

It’s a great way for parents and kids to have fun together while improving their crafting skills.

Mochi-mochi Melon Pan Squishy

[100-Yen DIY] Craft: How to Make a Squishy Melon-Pan (Melon Bread) Squeeze Toy – Cute Craft, Addictively Squishy Feel – Easy Handmade with 100-Yen Store Materials – Independent Research/Free Craft Project – Stay-at-Home Activity

This is a cute melon-pan squishy with an addictively chewy feel.

First, draw a circle on a kitchen sponge and cut it out with scissors.

Next, mix yellow paint into some clay and roll it out thinly with a cotton swab.

Apply glue to the cut sponge and wrap it with the rolled-out clay.

Shape it into a round form to resemble melon pan, then score it with a spatula, poke a small air-vent hole, and add color to the surface with paint.

It’s fun to dab the paint on using leftover sponge pieces! Let it dry for half a day to a full day, and you’ll have a delicious-looking, adorable melon-pan squishy.

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Let’s make a Rube Goldberg machine

How to make a quick Pythagora! I tried building a Pythagora Switch in 5 minutes!

Not only children but also adults can’t help getting absorbed in NHK’s TV program “PythagoraSwitch.” How about trying a Pythagora contraption—those elaborate devices packed with intricate mechanisms—as a summer research project and actually making one yourself? It might not work smoothly at first over small things, but if you build it carefully, you’ll be fine.

Even if it’s not as large-scale as the ones on TV, try mobilizing whatever usable items you have at home.

Once you’ve made it, I also recommend filming a video of it!

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Original pen

[DAISO Purchase] Ink Mixing Set – Make an Original Pen! | Piisuke Channel

How about making your own original pens using an ink mixing set and a DIY pen kit you can find at 100-yen shops? It’s exciting to think that kids can customize their favorite stationery—color pens—themselves.

First, pour your preferred inks into a bottle and start blending.

The key is to add a little at a time, since adding too much at the start makes it hard to adjust later.

Then soak the pen kit’s cotton core with your mixture, and your original pen is complete.

Discover a one-of-a-kind color that exists nowhere else in the world!

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A toy that uses a lid

@n.annlee321

Usable... lid!!!TranslationHaagen-Dazs hand-made toy 100-yen shop DIY#KindergartenMom#Kindergartentranslation#ElementarySchoolMom

♬ Double Double FIGHT! – Intro ver. – CANDY TUNE

Haagen-Dazs is hugely popular for its ice cream.

How about turning the lid—something you’d usually throw away—into a cute science project? In this video, they put sequins inside to make a shaker-style lid, and they also poke in pipe-cleaner flowers to create a little trinket box.

With a bit of creativity, you can use lids from other ice creams to make all kinds of toys.

For example, how about making menko (slap-battle cards)? The weight and thickness seem just right.

With bottle-milk caps, you could make character medals.

If you coat them with gold or silver paper, you’ll get super cool-looking medals.