Recommended Independent Research Projects for 5th Graders [Elementary School Students]
Among summer vacation assignments, the most challenging one is often the independent research project.
Many elementary school students probably struggle each year with what topic to tackle.
So in this article, we’ll introduce independent research ideas especially recommended for fifth graders.
We’ve picked ideas mainly related to what fifth graders actually learn in science, social studies, and home economics.
You can choose a field that interests you from what you learned in the first term at school, or it’s also a good idea to work on something related to a topic that caught your attention while reading the textbook.
Now, let’s dive into the recommended ideas!
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Recommended Independent Research Projects for 5th Graders [Elementary School] (31–40)
Surprisingly addictive study of shapes
Here’s a great recommendation for anyone looking for an independent research project that blends learning with fun! How about studying shapes? Shapes are everywhere in daily life—origami, buildings, even sweets—so they feel familiar, and engaging with them in a playful way can help overcome anxiety about math and build confidence.
In your research, it’s important to narrow down your theme and explore it in depth, and to actually see, touch, and experience things firsthand.
Use the videos as a reference, find a topic that interests you, and give it a try!
Fizzy Ramune Experiment
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.
Independent study at the play park
A play park where children can fully immerse themselves in nature is perfect for a hands-on independent study project.
It’s packed with activities that are hard to experience in everyday life, such as tree climbing, chopping firewood, and making campfires.
Rather than just spending a day playing and calling it done, you can turn it into a solid research project by recording what activities you did, what you enjoyed, and what ingenuity you used, together with photos or drawings.
It’s important to summarize in your own words what you learned and felt through play.
Learning how to use tools, paying attention to safety, and understanding how to interact with nature can also be part of the project.
This is an action-observation style idea that lets you deepen your experience by engaging all five senses.
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 VacationIndependent Research#HandmadeButterHomework#tiktoksummerbreak#meijiMeiji 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.
Milk Carton Rolling Tower
@silk_haru3mama [Summer Vacation Craft/Independent Study] I made a rolling ball tower out of a milk carton 🌻#Summer VacationSummer Vacation Independent ResearchSummer Vacation Crafttranslation#HandmadeToysworkIndependent ResearchScrap Material CraftingSimple 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.
Recommended Independent Research Ideas for 5th Graders [Elementary School Students] (41–50)
A piggy bank that helps you save while having fun
Let’s use Daiso’s 3-tier drawer case to make a fun, game-like piggy bank over summer break.
First, flip the second and third drawers upside down and reassemble them so the flat sides face the front.
Next, cut corrugated plastic (plastic cardboard) into any shapes you like and attach it to the outside of the drawers to create a design that looks great.
Inside, apply double-sided tape so coins pause partway and drop slowly as they travel down.
With a piggy bank you made yourself, saving money becomes fun and easier to turn into a habit.
It’s a unique, practical idea that can change your everyday life through creativity and ingenuity.
Making Konpeito (traditional Japanese sugar candy)
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.