Find ways to get inspired for your Animal Builds

I can't find pipe cleaners or bottle caps—what can we use instead when gathering recycled bits for prototypes?

Use twist ties, cut drinking straws, rolled cardboard strips, buttons or beads as replacements for pipe cleaners and bottle caps, and attach them with glue or tape during the 'Build a simple prototype' step.

My prototype keeps falling apart during the 20-minute build—how can we make it sturdier?

Reinforce weak joints by overlapping cardboard, wrapping connections with tape or using paperclips or rubber bands, and let glued areas rest briefly before adding weight while following the 'Build a simple prototype using your recycled bits and glue or tape in 20 minutes' instruction.

How can I adapt the activity for different ages, like preschoolers, elementary kids, and tweens?

For preschoolers shorten the animal watch to 3–5 minutes and provide pre-cut recycled pieces and adult help for gluing, for elementary kids keep all steps but allow simple labels on sticky notes, and for tweens add constraints like using only three material types, enforcing the 20-minute build, and requiring a labeled plan drawing before sharing on DIY.org.

How can we enhance or personalize the animal builds beyond the basic prototype and mood board?

Add movement with split-straw hinges or brad fasteners, decorate using fabric scraps or paint from your gathered bits, write a short backstory on the sticky notes next to each mood-board image, and photograph the finished mood board, sketches and prototype to share on DIY.org.