Junk modelling ideas for Reception and Key Stage 1

A big box or clean tin becomes the body, with smaller boxes, tubes and cans for the head, arms and legs. Children lay the pieces out before sticking anything, which is real planning from the parts they have. Bottle-cap eyes and foil details finish it. Tape over any sharp can rims, and keep buttons and caps away from under-3s.

One cardboard egg box of 12 cups makes six bats, each painted black and given folded card wings and googly eyes, then taped along a length of string. Cutting the cups builds scissor control and the matching wings are a simple lesson in symmetry. Allow about 40 minutes. An adult may need to cut the tough egg box card.

Silver foil turns a cardboard box into a wearable helmet, decorated with a name, a flag or stickers. It opens up a conversation about why real astronauts need a sealed helmet in space, where there is no air. An adult should cut the large face hole, and the helmet must fit loosely and never cover the nose or mouth.

Three to six empty tins, tubs, pots and boxes are turned upside down and arranged in a curve, with two wooden spoons as drumsticks. Children from age 3 can tap each one and hear that big hollow containers sound deep while small tight ones sound sharp. An adult should smooth or tape over any rough rims first.

Orange tissue paper squares are glued over a clean jam jar, then a black paper face is stuck on top. With a battery tea light inside, the tissue glows and the face stays dark, which shows the difference between translucent and opaque materials. Allow about an hour for the jar to dry. Never use a real candle.

Cardboard tubes are taped to an upright piece of cardboard, each one tilted downhill so a marble drops from one into the next and lands in a cup. Testing every tube as it goes on shows that steeper ramps make the marble go faster. Suited to ages 5 to 11, with an adult helping to cut the tubes.

Two clean tins or paper cups are joined by a long piece of string, knotted through a hole in each base. Pulled tight, the string carries a quiet voice from one end to the other, because sound travels along it as vibrations. An adult must pierce the holes and tape sharp rims. Paper cups are safer for younger children.

A small plastic bottle is hidden inside a mountain of scrunched newspaper and card, then painted. Baking soda, washing-up liquid and red food colouring go in, and a quick pour of vinegar sends foamy lava out of the top. It is a chemical reaction, an acid and a base making carbon dioxide gas. Use a tray or work outdoors.

Blobs of paint go on one side of a folded sheet of paper, which is then pressed shut and opened to reveal a matching pattern on the other wing. It teaches line symmetry, where one half mirrors the other, in about 30 minutes. Felt-tip pens work as an alternative to paint. Cover the table first.

Rinsed eggshell halves get felt-tip faces, a ball of damp cotton wool and a pinch of cress seeds, then sit in an egg box on a sunny windowsill. Children as young as 3 can see that seeds need only damp cotton and light to sprout. An adult should rinse the shells, as raw egg can carry germs.