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)
Let’s make food samples
You’ve probably seen the food samples displayed in restaurant showcases.
Try making a ramen food sample that even kids can create! First, prepare an old rice bowl or ramen bowl.
Fill it with paper clay to raise the bottom.
Next, tear off pieces of paper clay and roll them into thin strands to make noodles.
Make four or five strands about 20 cm long.
Also craft toppings like chashu pork, menma, and egg.
Use epoxy resin—a resin material that hardens when mixed—to make the soup.
You can buy it at 100-yen shops, and if it’s difficult, ask your parents to help.
Finally, arrange everything in the bowl, and you’re done!
Let’s make a dinosaur out of aluminum foil!
Many boys may have developed an admiration for dinosaurs from museum exhibits or movies.
This craft project suggests making those dinosaurs out of aluminum foil.
The steps are simple: compress and shape the foil into the desired form.
It would be wonderful to recreate a detailed skeletal specimen, but if that’s difficult, try aiming for the overall silhouette while referring to an illustrated guide or encyclopedia.
By compressing the foil firmly, you can even mimic the dinosaur’s skin texture—making this a craft where you can pursue quality as far as you like.
Hands-on summer project crafts that elementary school boys will love! Ideas you can make with everyday materials (171–180)
Glow-in-the-dark gummy
How about trying to make gummies that glow under a black light? You only need three things: powdered gelatin, sugar, and a carbonated energy drink.
Pour the energy drink into a measuring cup and let the carbonation dissipate, then mix in the sugar and powdered gelatin and microwave it.
Pour the liquid into a silicone ice tray or similar mold and chill it in the fridge, and you’re done! They may look like ordinary gummies, but they emit a faint glow under a black light.
That’s because vitamin B2 in the drink reacts to black light.
It could be fun to make gummies with different beverages and list which ones glow and which don’t!
Pill Bug Maze
Here’s an intriguing idea for a pill bug maze.
The concept is to place pill bugs in a cardboard maze and let them walk through it.
The pill bugs should advance through the maze following a pattern: right, left, right, left.
This actually stems from a behavior known as the alternation of turn response.
Try thinking about or researching why they possess such a habit.
By the way, earthworms can be used for the same experiment.
It might be fun to try both as a set.
handheld vacuum cleaner
A practical DIY idea: a plastic bottle handheld vacuum! It’s recommended for anyone who wants to try electronic projects.
Attach a cup holder fitted with a motor and propeller to a plastic bottle with the bottom cut off.
Use soundproofing tape to secure it firmly.
After that, connect the motor and a battery-powered switch with wires, and you’re done.
To ensure it actually sucks properly, precision in making the propeller is crucial.
Carefully check ruler markings and build it to the exact dimensions!
Blacklight Experiment
A blacklight experiment, which lets you enjoy a treasure-hunt-like atmosphere, is also perfect for an independent research project.
In a blacklight experiment, you find substances that glow under a blacklight and investigate them.
Common glow-in-the-dark items include Pine Ame candies, tonic water, and spinach.
Once prepared, put them into test tubes and shine the blacklight on them again.
You should be able to clearly see the colors change.
This is also a great opportunity to learn about ultraviolet light and fluorescent substances.
One-Handed Spinning Top
Speaking of bunbun-goma (whirligigs), the usual kind is a paper disc with a string threaded through it that you spin by pulling with both hands.
But this bunbun-goma can be played with one hand.
You can make it with common household items: two wooden chopsticks, cardstock, a straw, kite string, and rubber bands.
Cut the chopsticks, then firmly fasten the piece that the spinner passes through and the base piece together with rubber bands.
Cut two circles from the cardstock, glue them together to make the spinner, and thread the string and straw through the center.
Thread the straw onto the chopstick, and it’s done.
If the straw moves around, insert a toothpick to adjust it so it stays in place.
