Third graders will be hooked! A collection of science project ideas using everyday materials
For summer vacation independent research, especially for third graders, it’s common to think, “I want to pick an interesting topic, but I don’t want it to be too hard.” Actually, with familiar materials and a little creativity, you can do experiments and crafts packed with scientific discoveries.
Here, we introduce curiosity-sparking ideas like learning about chemical reactions by making bread, observing plant mechanisms with colorful flowers, and reviving a dried-out marker.
Try exciting research and craft projects that will make your friends say, “Awesome!”
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Ideas for Independent Research Projects (61–70) That Third Graders Will Love: Made with Everyday Materials
Creeper made from a milk carton
Minecraft is a hugely popular game among kids.
Creepers are characters that appear in Minecraft and explode when they get close to the player.
Let’s make a craft that captures that feature using an empty milk carton.
Besides a milk carton, prepare green plastic bottle caps, bamboo skewers, and oil-based clay as well.
Cut the milk carton and wrap it with green vinyl tape to make the Creeper’s body.
Then cut the body section further and attach parts.
Use another milk carton for the head along with vinyl string or rubber bands to create a mechanism that “explodes.” Because kids use fine motor skills to build it, it helps improve their concentration.
Once it’s finished and displayed at school, you can almost hear friends saying, “Wow, that’s awesome!”
stone art
Let’s make stone art using materials close at hand, like those from rivers and parks.
Start by collecting stones and twigs.
Choosing stones without sharp edges will help you create cute pieces.
Also, selecting twigs with branches is a key tip for making a lovely work.
Arrange the stones and twigs you found on a frame or cork board, which you can also buy at a 100-yen shop.
As children think, design, and create on their own, it boosts their imagination.
You can paint the pieces, and it’s also nice to add pinecones, leaves, and other items besides stones and twigs.
Accessory box made from an empty box
Some children who love fashion may have lots of charms for rings or clothes, right? Since they can easily get lost, it’s handy to have a box that can store them all together.
Here’s an accessory box that’s practical too.
You can make it with an empty box you already have at home.
Add thickness by attaching pieces cut from a quilted surface to the lid and the sides of the box.
The soft, cushioned thickness gives it a luxurious feel, turning it into a proper jewelry box.
If you roll up some felt fabric and place it inside the box, you can store rings neatly.
The finished product won’t look like it was made from an empty box, so give it a try for inspiration!
Mini violin made of clay
There are many kinds of musical instruments with different shapes, and those differences heighten our expectations about what kinds of sounds they can produce.
Focusing on the shapes of instruments, this activity has you use paper clay to make a violin shape.
A real violin has a unique form made by combining pieces of wood, so let’s carefully reproduce the details, such as the indented areas.
Once the overall shape is refined, paint it and attach separate parts like the strings to finish it as a realistic-looking violin.
Let’s make a tomato with paper clay
Let’s make one of the classic vegetables—tomatoes—using paper clay.
Knead red paint into the paper clay, shape it into a ball, then stick it onto a stand with a wire post.
Paint it further in red, and layer yellow at the top center to capture a tomato’s coloring.
Knead green paint into another piece of paper clay to make the calyx, attach it to the red fruit, and adjust the size and shape.
Add green coloring, and finally paint the stand to finish.
Mounting the tomato on a stand makes it easier to paint and to submit as a finished piece.
Cute lantern made with disposable chopsticks
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Looping Through the Night – Chiahi Sato
Let me introduce a cute lantern you can make with disposable chopsticks—fun to display and enjoy.
Prepare chopsticks, glue, and washi paper.
Cut the chopsticks and build the lantern’s frame.
The key is to keep an eye on the balance so the frame doesn’t shift out of place.
Attach washi paper from the back to create the lantern’s window sections.
Finally, glue the frames together to finish.
It’s also recommended to use your favorite colors for the window sections.
The light that leaks through the gaps between the chopsticks looks absolutely beautiful.
Disposable Chopsticks Chomping Crocodile
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Let me introduce the Chopstick Chomping Crocodile—its moving face is super fun! Get some chopsticks, rubber bands, and origami, and let’s make it.
First, split two pairs of chopsticks.
Align each pair lengthwise and secure them with rubber bands.
Once you have two secured sticks, attach them together top and bottom with rubber bands so they can open and close.
Finally, glue or tape a face and mouth to the tips of the chopsticks, and you’re done.
Give it a try for some chomp-chomp fun! Since the method is simple, it could also be fun to swap the crocodile for another animal.