Make a Whale!

What can I use instead of crumpled paper packing foam or a sealed cork if I can't find them?

If you don't have crumpled paper packing foam or a sealed cork for the 'Stuff the inside of the body' step, tightly rolled newspaper, foam packaging pieces, or a sealed plastic bottle cap can be used to shape the whale and adjust buoyancy.

My whale sinks or the fins fall off—what should I try?

If the whale sinks when you 'place your whale on the surface' or the fins detach after 'Attach the fins and tail', reinforce the joints by inserting a toothpick into both body and fin before gluing, use a stronger adhesive like hot glue, and add more stuffing (crumpled paper or a sealed cork) to increase flotation.

How can I adapt this activity for different ages?

For younger children use a pre-made recycled bottle body, pre-cut cardboard fins, glue sticks, and supervised painting while skipping the solo water test, for school-age kids let them sculpt clay, cut fins, label parts and test buoyancy themselves, and for teens encourage detailed seam-smoothing, textured painting, and waterproof varnish before testing.

How can we extend or personalize the finished whale?

Personalize and extend the project by painting unique patterns after the base coat dries, adding a tiny sealed LED or decorative tag inside before sealing for a glowing effect, varnishing the surface to protect paint, and then sharing a photo and description on DIY.org.