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 (1–10) That Third Graders Will Love! Made with Everyday Materials
Lots of soap bubbles with DIY
https://www.tiktok.com/@sachimama_asobi/video/7268883132554808578Let’s have fun making soap bubbles using short-cut straws! First, cut a long strip of double-sided tape and line up the straws, sticking them onto it.
Apply double-sided tape to the other side as well, then roll the straws up tightly from the edge into a spiral and secure it.
Glue on a ring cut from a plastic bottle to serve as a frame, and attach a stick as a handle to finish.
Dip it in bubble solution and blow.
Bubbles will come out from each straw, creating a beautiful effect, and lots come out at once, so even small children can enjoy it.
Spinning piggy bank
https://www.tiktok.com/@silk_haru3mama/video/7514644804823682311Why not make a fun piggy bank where the coins spin as they go in? It’s a perfect idea for a summer vacation craft.
First, slice a milk carton into rings, press the corners to flatten the center space, and make four “blades” to form a propeller.
Decorate the edges with vinyl tape, and make two large propellers and four small ones in the same way.
Skewer a large propeller on a bamboo stick, then add two small propellers on each side to create a spinning mechanism.
Insert this into a clear tube, make a coin slot in the lid, put the lid on, and you’re done.
Craft ideas made with origami and a shredder
https://www.tiktok.com/@n.annlee321/video/7068609584490892545Let’s use the shredding function that cuts paper into fine strips to create various shapes.
We’ll use a hand-crank shredder, and by controlling where you stop shredding and other small tricks, you can make different parts and combine them.
Food motifs are an easy example: if you insert long, thin strips sideways and shred them even finer, they can look like a coating or breading; roll up long, thin strips and they’ll resemble shredded cabbage.
By layering parts and experimenting with how you bend them, you can also add a sense of three-dimensionality.
Think carefully about how to reproduce what you want to make.
Ideas for Independent Research Projects Made with Everyday Materials That Third Graders Will Love (11–20)
Easy Spinning Top Made from a Milk Carton
@silk_haru3mama Simple spinning top made from a milk cartonSummer Vacation CraftSummer Vacation Craft#HandmadeToys#HandmadeEducationalToy#Milk Carton Crafts#Milk carton#AtHomePlayworkSimple craftEducational toy#Summer Vacation
Fuzzy Navel – Conton Candy
Here’s an idea for making a spinning top you blow on using a milk carton.
First, cut the carton about 1.5 cm up from the bottom, then make slits at the four corners and open it up.
Next, rotating the carton in a consistent direction from each corner, cut along the edges of the bottom.
Leave about 1 cm uncut at the ends.
Bend the sections you just cut inward so they gather toward the center, and decorate with masking tape or stickers to finish.
If you blow straight down from above, it will spin around and around.
Simple salt sand art
@watako.hoiku Also great for summer projects 🌻 | Salt Sand Art |Simple craftIndependent Researchtranslation
♬ เสียงต้นฉบับ – น้องมิแมวว♡ – ⋅˚₊‧ ୨ 𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒊 ୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅
This is about layering different colors of salt in a glass to create a picture-like, beautiful look.
Start by making colors that match what you want to create: mix paint into the salt to prepare it.
Once your colored salt is ready, simply layer it into the glass.
It’s best to pay attention to the boundaries between colors and avoid overmixing.
After filling the glass, press the layers to compact them—you can aim for more complex shapes this way.
Try various patterns to see what you can achieve.
Making a marble run with an ice box
https://www.tiktok.com/@silk_haru3mama/video/7396983174892375297Summer is the season that makes you crave ice cream, and as you eat it, you might find the boxes piling up.
This idea uses those leftover ice cream boxes to make a marble run.
Use a large box, like a milk carton, as the base, and attach slopes made by cutting the ice cream boxes around it.
Adjust the angles and heights carefully, keeping in mind the strength needed so it won’t break when the marbles hit.
Using ice cream sticks to reinforce it is also recommended—they’ll make the whole thing sturdier and give it a cohesive look.
Water marbling

How about making a one-of-a-kind cup with nail polish marbling? First, fill a bowl with water and drip your favorite colors of nail polish onto the surface.
If you want a more colorful pattern, use several colors.
Use a bamboo skewer to swirl the nail polish as if you were drawing, and once you’ve made a pattern, roll the cup over it.
The design will transfer onto the cup, creating a beautiful, original piece.
You can also submerge the cup in the water and lift it out.
Try transferring the pattern in different ways and enjoy how the results vary.



