DIY science projects that elementary school boys will love: ideas you can make with everyday materials
For a summer vacation independent research craft project, you’ll want ideas that really grab boys’ interest.
In this article, we introduce craft ideas that boys can get absorbed in—like making a capsule toy (gachapon) machine out of cardboard, creating genuine fishing gear with a reel, and handcrafting air hockey or a basketball game.
They all look impressive yet can be made with everyday materials.
How about creating fun summer memories by playing with your favorite project together with friends?
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Hands-on science projects that elementary school boys will love! Ideas you can make with everyday materials (161–170)
ukulele
Make your own ukulele, an instrument often played in Hawaiian music! It’s shaped like a small guitar, with four strings that produce a cute, tinkling sound.
Build the ukulele body by assembling cardboard into a 3D form.
Use chopsticks for the pegs where the strings hook on, and make the strings from cut rubber bands.
Tightening the rubber bands raises the pitch, and loosening them lowers it.
I said “shaped like a guitar,” but in reality any shape is fine—feel free to add your own originality there.
Ideally, let’s take it far enough that you can even play a whole song!
cardboard cooler
In a sweltering summer, there’s no reason not to make this—try a cardboard cooler! Take a piece of cardboard with holes, mount a battery-powered propeller on the back, and insert water-filled, frozen plastic bottles into the holes.
When you switch it on, the propeller spins and pushes air through, and cool air comes out the front.
It’s a simple mechanism: the warm air taken in gets cooled by the frozen bottles and is blown out—but it works really well.
You can buy kits online, but I think it’s also worth trying to build one from scratch.
hovercraft
How about making a plastic-bag hovercraft? Despite how it looks, the way it glides smoothly is really fun.
Punch a hole in the center of a plastic bag and seal the original opening with clear tape.
On the side opposite the hole, attach a handle using stiff paper and duct tape—and you’re done! When you move the handle up and down, air flows in through the hole and inflates the bag.
If you then push it forward in that state, it will glide along.
This happens because friction is reduced.
Be sure to also summarize ideas like “why this happens” and “what changes if you alter the size of the hole,” too!
Model of the solar system
An idea to express the mysteries of the universe right on your desk: try making a model of the solar system.
Arrange the planets in the order Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, and build them while considering their relative sizes and distances.
You can use a commercially available kit, or, if you’re really keen to get intricate, make everything from scratch.
There are websites that compile the planets’ sizes, ratios, and distances, so be sure to take advantage of those.
Craft the romance of space with your own hands!
dinosaur plastic model
There are many “independent research kits” for summer vacation on the market.
If the boy likes dinosaurs, have him try a dinosaur plastic model.
The highly detailed world of plastic models is perfect for an independent research project.
Simple ones can be assembled in a few hours.
Just assembling it might not be enough for a research project, so try creating some materials about dinosaurs as well.
Have you ever been to the Dinosaur Museum in Fukui Prefecture? If possible, it would be great to go there during summer vacation and submit a report about the trip.
Aim for a plastic model plus something extra!
wooden chair
A practical idea you can keep using even after summer vacation: try making a wooden chair! The materials and tools will vary depending on the size of the chair you’re making, but you can even find what you need at a 100-yen shop.
The biggest key to chair-making is measuring accurately.
If the lengths aren’t consistent when you cut the wood with a saw, or if the nail points differ between the left and right sides, that alone can cause failure.
How carefully you carry out those steps will dramatically change the quality.
cardboard sword
As an irresistibly exciting idea for a summer research project, let me introduce the Cardboard Sword.
This project involves creating a three-dimensional sword out of cardboard.
The appeal is that you can recreate swords from your favorite games or anime.
First, choose a design as your motif and make a template.
Then cut the cardboard, layer the pieces, and assemble the sword.
There are many tutorials online on how to make cardboard swords, so try working on it while using those as references.
It can also be fun to make other items using the same approach.
