Third graders will be hooked! A collection of science project ideas using everyday materials

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

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!”

Ideas for Independent Research Projects (41–50) That Will Fascinate Third Graders! Made with Everyday Materials

Remaking a 100-yen shop clock

@broccoli_family
Remake a 100-yen shop clock! Clip clock 👍✨Summer Vacation Craft #Summer Vacation Workshop #100-yen shop DIY #100-yen shop arrangement
Original Song – Nanmo-kun – Broccoli Family

The part you can see from the back of a table clock or wall clock—the section with the battery compartment and the knob for setting the time—is called the movement.

You could say it’s the heart of the clock.

In fact, clock movements are sold on their own at 100-yen shops and home improvement stores, and you can use them to make your own original clock! If you’re good at woodworking, try starting from scratch by buying a wooden board and cutting a groove to fit the movement.

If that’s not your strong suit, there are also assembly kits with pre-cut grooves available, so you can use those instead.

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Hane Keisuke

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Fizzy Ramune Experiment

http://www.lemon8-app.com

Why not try making fizzy ramune tablets for your summer break science project and enjoy their colors and sounds when dropped into water? After thoroughly mixing ingredients like powdered sugar, cornstarch, and food-grade citric acid, add food coloring to make them visually fun.

Press the mixed dough with two spoons to shape it just right.

Let them dry for about half a day to finish the ramune.

When eaten, they fizz in your mouth, letting you experience the curious chemical reaction of carbonation.

It’s a safe project even for children, using the carbon dioxide produced by the reaction between lemon juice’s acid and baking soda.

You can boost originality by changing the colors and flavors.

It’s a great idea for learning chemistry with familiar materials.

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mutō

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Refreshing! Square Bag

@n.annlee321
A cool-looking square bag design 💕 Perfect for a summer vacation craft project, too 🥰🫶✨#100-yen-shop #100-yen shop DIY #Summer Vacation Summer Vacation Craft Daiso
♬ Good luck to me tomorrow – NANAOAKARI

Here’s an idea for making a bag using bag hardware from a 100-yen shop, plant pot mesh, and yarn in your favorite color and material.

First, cut the plant pot mesh to match the size of the bag hardware, then crochet or stitch the yarn onto the mesh.

Once you’ve finished attaching the yarn, sew the mesh and the bag hardware together.

Finally, add the handles and your favorite decorations to complete the bag.

With this method as a reference, it seems like you could create all kinds of items depending on your ideas!

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Hane Keisuke

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Butter Even Elementary School Students Can Make

@nonno.chan
I recreated a summer vacation science project I made a long time ago: homemade butter!#Summer Vacation Independent Research #HandmadeButter Homework #tiktoksummerbreak #meiji Meiji Delicious Fresh Cream
♬ 3 minutes cooking style pop / cooking / sweets(957554) – ArcTracks

Here’s a summer vacation science project idea for making authentic butter at home using heavy cream, salt, and a plastic bottle.

Put heavy cream and a pinch of salt into a plastic bottle, close the cap tightly, and shake it vigorously.

After shaking for a while, the contents will separate into liquid and solids.

This is the sign that butter and buttermilk have separated.

Pour off the liquid, cut the bottle open with scissors, and take out the contents—the butter is ready.

Spread it on bread to enjoy a special flavor that really lets you feel you made it yourself.

Watching the cream change teaches about dairy processing and fat separation.

The hands-on, energetic shaking is fun and gives a sense of accomplishment, making this a great idea for elementary school students.

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mutō

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Milk Carton Rolling Tower

@silk_haru3mama
[Summer Vacation Craft/Independent Study] I made a rolling ball tower out of a milk carton 🌻#Summer Vacation Summer Vacation Independent Research Summer Vacation Craft translation #HandmadeToys work Independent Research Scrap Material Crafting Simple craft #AtHomePlay #craft
♬ Electro Swing Jazz – Retro, strange, mysterious(1137053) – Ponetto

Let’s reuse empty milk cartons to make a fun rolling tower where a ping-pong ball tumbles down! Cut the milk cartons and connect two of them to create a long cylindrical base.

Make holes and slits in paper plates, attach them in a stepped arrangement, and adjust the angles so the ball rolls smoothly through.

Add slits to the side of the cylinder so the ball won’t stop midway and will drop all the way to the bottom.

If you wrap the whole thing with a tube-shaped cover made from a clear file, the ball won’t fly out and it’s safer to play with.

A bonus is that kids can learn about gravity and incline through the speed of the rolling ball and the fun sounds it makes.

It’s an eco-friendly idea that uses recycled materials to create a moving, interactive project.

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mutō

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Making Konpeito (traditional Japanese sugar candy)

http://www.lemon8-app.com

Let’s try making handmade konpeitō—colorful, cute sugar candies—for a summer vacation science project.

Boil sugar and water to make syrup, then gradually add small amounts of konpeitō cores; as you do, little spikes will slowly form on the surface.

By adding food coloring or flavorings during the process, you can customize the taste and color to your liking.

Even without special equipment, you can keep stirring and improvising with a frying pan or a bowl; it takes time, but the candies will gradually take on the characteristic konpeitō shape.

Because the results change depending on the temperature and timing of sugar crystallization and how you stir, it’s also enjoyable as a science experiment.

It’s a rewarding idea that nurtures both confectionery skills and observation.

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mutō

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desk lamp

@gakky_07
How about this for your summer vacation project?Summer Vacation Craft #Summer Vacation Desk lamp
♬ Fun Isono Family / Sazae-san [Cover] – Sound Works

Here’s an idea for making a desk lamp that uses a magnet-mountable LED light.

The stand is entirely wooden, and the arm is movable so you can adjust the angle.

First, think about what size you want and what kind of structure you’re aiming for, and try drawing a design plan.

Once the plan is ready, figure out the lengths and quantities of wood you’ll need and source the materials.

These days, you can even find small pieces of wood at 100-yen shops, so those might work as well.

One of the joys of woodworking is choosing the finish—whether to go for a natural look with varnish or oil, or paint it your favorite color—so definitely consider a variety of options.

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Hane Keisuke

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