6 Ideas to Try Right Now
🎭
#1·30–45 min
Shadow Puppet Theater
🛒Materials: Cereal box, tissue paper, flashlight, skewers
- 1Cut a large window in a cereal box and tape tissue paper over it.
- 2Cut puppet shapes from cardboard and tape them to skewers.
- 3Shine a flashlight behind the box to put on a show.
🤖
#2·20–30 min
Code a Paper Robot
🛒Materials: Paper, pencil
- 1Write a list of 'robot commands': Move Forward, Turn Right, Pick Up, etc.
- 2Draw a simple maze on paper.
- 3Write the exact sequence of commands needed to get the robot through the maze.
💡
This is computational thinking — the same skill behind real coding.
♟️
#3·25–30 min
Strategy Board Game: DIY Checkers
🛒Materials: Paper, pencil, 12 coins of 2 types (or bottle caps)
- 1Draw an 8x8 grid on paper and shade alternate squares.
- 2Each player gets 12 pieces arranged on their 3 rows.
- 3Play standard checkers rules: diagonal moves, jump to capture.
📕
#4·30–45 min
Write and Illustrate a Mini Book
🛒Materials: 5 sheets of paper, stapler or string, pencils
- 1Fold 5 sheets of paper in half and staple along the fold.
- 2Page 1: title and author's name (them!).
- 3Write and illustrate one scene per page — 4 pages of story.
💡
Ask: 'What's the twist at the end?' — 7–8 year olds love a plot twist.
🎬
#5·30–45 min
Stop-Motion Animation
🛒Materials: Phone/tablet, small toys or playdough figures
- 1Set up figures on a flat surface with consistent lighting.
- 2Move figures a tiny bit, take a photo. Repeat 20–30 times.
- 3Use a free stop-motion app (or just flick through the photos fast).
💡
Even 20 photos makes a surprisingly good animation.
🧫
#6·20 min
Kitchen Chemistry: Slime
🛒Materials: PVA glue, baking soda, contact lens solution
- 1Pour a full bottle of PVA glue into a bowl.
- 2Mix in 1 tsp baking soda.
- 3Add contact lens solution 1 tbsp at a time, kneading until it comes together.
