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 (41–50) That Will Fascinate Third Graders! Made with Everyday Materials
cool pen holder
Let me introduce a very handy and stylish pen holder.
Prepare a wooden box, wooden boards, an interior mesh frame, paint, a brush, glue, and sandpaper, and let’s get started.
Cut the wooden boards, paint them, and glue them together.
Glue on the interior mesh frame as well.
Once it’s dry, it’s complete.
This pen holder makes the contents easy to see and offers great ventilation—give it a try! Adding illustrations or decorations to give it a personal touch will make it even more wonderful.
Ideas for Independent Research Projects Made with Everyday Materials That Third Graders Will Love (51–60)
Sumikko Gurashi piggy bank
I’ll introduce how to make a Sumikko Gurashi piggy bank out of origami.
Prepare two sheets of origami paper and one small sheet, then let’s get started.
Use the small origami paper to make the 5-yen coin part.
Fold the corners toward the center, then fold the surrounding corners as well.
It will form the shape of a 5-yen coin, so draw the details with a felt-tip pen.
For the base piggy bank, fold the origami toward the center to create creases.
Following the creases, tuck the paper inward to form a square box.
Make two identical boxes; on one of them, attach the 5-yen coin and draw the face.
The key point is to change the color of the origami depending on the character.
Candy Magnet
Let’s make a magnet that looks like a candy with twisted ends.
The materials and steps are very simple, so it’s highly recommended.
First, prepare strong magnets from a 100-yen shop, a plastic bottle cap, and a fabric scrap with a pattern you like.
Start by gluing the magnet to the back of the bottle cap.
Next, cut the fabric scrap to 14 cm by 10 cm, then fold back and glue three sides, leaving just one of the short sides unfolded.
Once the glue is dry, wrap the bottle cap with the fabric and secure it with glue.
Finally, to create the candy shape, gather and stitch the fabric at both ends with thread.
You’re done! Try making lots in different colors and patterns.
gel candle
At 100-yen shops, you can find a product called gel candles, and with them you can easily make homemade candles.
Gel candles are easy to handle, and you can even pour two different colors one on top of the other to create a two-layer candle.
The way the colors blend slightly between the layers also gives it a lovely look.
Plus, by placing items you like—such as colored sand, seashells, or dried flowers—into the glass before pouring in the gel candle, you can create a more stylish and original piece.
Give it a try and make one with your own sense of style.
Original T-shirts made with stencil printing
How about making your own T-shirt over summer vacation? We’ll use a technique called stenciling to create an original T-shirt.
You place a cutout of letters or illustrations on the fabric and paint over it with ink or other pigments.
Since you’ll wear the T-shirt, you’ll likely wash it too.
When stenciling on T-shirts or fabric, be sure to use fabric ink that won’t wash out.
While this can be a summer vacation homework project, it can also become a fun summer memory.
You might even make matching T-shirts for the whole family.
There are stencil T-shirt kits available online, so why not give them a try?
Stone painting
During summer vacation, there are times when you go out with your family to rivers or mountains, right? When you do, why not try picking up stones and making art with them? Of course, stones you’ve collected from around your neighborhood are fine, too.
First, paint the stones you’ve prepared with white acrylic paint.
This small extra step will help your work turn out beautifully.
Then, use acrylic paints to create animals, plants, and more by adding color.
If you also use items like pipe cleaners or empty cans, you can make pieces that look very realistic.
Please use this as a reference and give it a try!
Bird call making
As a craft project perfect for children who love nature observation, I recommend making a bird call.
Prepare a hand-sized wooden branch and drill a small hole in the center.
Screw in a metal part called an eye nut, and when you twist it so the wood and metal rub against each other, it produces a sound like birdsong.
Real birds may sometimes respond to this sound, so trying it out in a park after making it is part of the fun.
The volume and pitch change depending on the type of wood and the depth of the hole, so by experimenting and recording the differences, you can enhance the quality of the project as an independent study.
It’s a hands-on idea that lets kids connect with nature while sparking curiosity about how sound works.
