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

Cute mysterious bottle

A cute, mysterious bottle made with dollar-store materials! Perfect for summer vacation and independent research projects. Uses few materials and is fun to make. Easy handmade craft, dollar-store DIY, great for time at home, handmade project.

A mysterious bottle where two liquids won’t mix even when tilted.

It’s a fun idea that works great as interior decor or a small gift.

First, fill the bottle about halfway with baby oil.

Next, add colored water tinted with food coloring.

Put in glitter or holograms as you like, cap it, and decorate the bottle to make it cute—and you’re done! The method is very simple, so even younger elementary school children can enjoy making it.

Along with the craft, try summarizing both your own ideas and the correct explanation for why baby oil and water don’t mix.

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Puru-Koro Soap

Easy handmade: How to make squishy round soap! Portable soap for the COVID era. Handwashing, building a handwashing habit. Simple and fun handmade craft. Stay-at-home time, summer vacation, independent research, perfect for DIY!

It’s like a jewel! Let me show you how to make cute, jiggly soap.

You’ll need liquid hand soap, gelatin, hot water, and food coloring.

Dissolve the gelatin in hot water, then mix in the liquid hand soap.

The trick is to stir slowly so it doesn’t foam.

Add food coloring, pour into a flat container, and chill in the refrigerator for 1–2 hours.

Then just cut it into your favorite shapes and you’re done! It looks adorable and might make handwashing more fun.

Just be careful to prevent small children from accidentally swallowing it.

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Sparkling Kaleidoscope

Sparkling Kaleidoscope: Perfect for summer vacation crafts and independent research!

If you’re unsure what to make for your summer vacation craft project, why not try a sparkling kaleidoscope? You can make this kaleidoscope with recycled materials and items from the 100-yen shop.

Cut a hard plastic case and form it into a triangular prism, then place beads in the bottom and secure them.

On the opposite end, attach a piece of black construction paper with a peephole.

Glue a milk carton—lined on the inside with black construction paper—around the triangular prism, and decorate it as you like to finish.

While kaleidoscopes typically use mirrors, in this idea the hard plastic case serves that role.

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lampshade

I tried making a lampshade! Perfect for a summer vacation project—my child and I had fun making it together 😊

Here’s a lampshade idea that also works as room decor.

Brush glue mixed with water onto an inflated balloon, then stick on small torn pieces of washi paper.

For sturdiness, layer the washi several times until the balloon’s color isn’t very visible.

Be sure to leave an opening where the light will go.

Since washi is white, use tissue paper if you want to add color.

Once it’s completely dry, pop the balloon and remove it, then secure a wire along the inside edge of the opening for the light to finish it off.

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Experimenting with resin?!

[Complete in one day] Summer research project: Experimenting with resin!? #resin #summerproject #howtosummarize

If you want to try your hand at making things with resin, why not purchase a resin craft kit? It comes with all the basic materials and tools, so you can start creating right away.

Deciding what shape to make and which parts to decorate with—and bringing your ideas to life—is a lot of fun.

While resin is often used for crafts, you can also do experiments, such as comparing how quickly different resin liquids cure! If it’s your first time, please work together with a parent or guardian.

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sasashina

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a picture from the story

[Elementary School Art: Story Illustrations] Introducing recommended picture books and ways to support children who struggle to draw from imagination — Fukiko Grandma’s Art and Craft Teaching Tips

When drawing, choosing a theme is important, and some people may struggle with that and find it hard to get started.

For those who aren’t good at deciding on a theme, a recommended approach is to use a story as a reference and create your artwork from it.

Freely choose a narrative, find a scene you like, and express it in your own way through your art.

Because cover illustrations and interior artwork can influence you, it takes skill to see how far you can distance yourself from them and how much originality you can bring.

Try to visualize the setting of the story and make a habit of expanding your imagination from there.

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A piggy bank with a wagging tail

How to Make a Tail-Wagging Piggy Bank [Paper Clay, Swan, Creative Piggy Bank]

When it comes to classic summer independent projects, a “piggy bank” is a staple.

The “Yucho Idea Piggy Bank Contest” held by Japan Post Bank is also well-known.

You might think, “Have all the ideas been used up by now?” but every year a lot of creative piggy banks appear.

So, here’s one to introduce: the “wagging-tail piggy bank.” The simple mechanism is that the weight of the coin you drop in makes the tail sway gently.

If you expand on this mechanism, you could adapt the idea to things like a fishing game or a dinosaur’s neck.

We recommend using air-dry paper clay, which you can paint once it dries!