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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DIY science projects that elementary school boys will love! Ideas you can make with everyday materials (21–30)
10-yen game
How about making a 10-yen game where you flick a 10-yen coin to reach the goal? The materials are an MDF board, ice cream sticks, a hard card case, and rubber bands.
Since this craft uses a hot glue gun, handle it with care.
Glue ice cream sticks onto the MDF board to create left and right lanes for the 10-yen coin to pass through.
For the launcher, attach a striker made from ice cream sticks and hook on rubber bands.
Once the lanes are ready, add illustrations and cover the board with a hard card case to finish! Try making it with any design you like.
Cardboard robot arm powered by water pressure
Let’s try making a robot arm powered by water pressure.
Since it uses hydraulics, it requires no electricity or batteries.
What you’ll need: syringes, cardboard, a hot glue gun, colored water, tubing, zip ties, and bamboo skewers, plus tools like pliers and a utility knife.
Make holes in the cardboard base, insert the bamboo skewers, assemble the parts, and attach them with the hot glue gun.
Combine the syringes and tubing, and you’ll have a hydraulic robot arm that can lift light objects.
Because it’s a robot with many parts and fine tasks, this is a good independent study project for upper elementary school students.
Rubber Band Pull-Back Car
You often see pull-back cars among children’s toys—when you pull them backward, they drive forward.
In this science project, we’ll make a pull-back car using a rubber band mechanism.
Materials include cardboard, plastic bottle caps, bamboo skewers, rubber bands, and more.
The cardboard will be the car body, the caps will be the tires, and the bamboo skewers will serve as the axles.
One day is plenty of time for the work itself, but since you’ll need to understand the plans and cut the cardboard, it’s best for upper elementary students if working alone, or for middle elementary students if working with a parent.
You can make it feel even more like a science project by changing the type of rubber band and comparing results!
Optical illusions and crafts
Do you know about optical illusions? The human brain processes information coming through the eyes by fitting it to our past experiences and common sense, but optical illusions can make the world we see differ from the real one.
In this video, we use illusions to create devices that make balls and other objects move in impossible ways.
Because your eyes are being tricked, the movement of the balls looks very strange.
It’s suitable for upper elementary school students and above, and depending on the project, it looks like you could make one in a day.
Let’s make a crane game
The crane game you can’t help playing at the arcade—now you can enjoy it at home! Let’s make your own DIY crane game as a science project.
Prepare a cardboard box, a tension rod longer than the box’s width, a large clear file folder, yarn, a magnet, paper clips, a safety pin, and some small prizes.
Use the cardboard to build the outer casing and the arm.
Then make the arm mechanism with the tension rod, magnet, and yarn.
Attach a safety pin to each prize, and use the magnet to latch onto the pin and lift it.
It’s a bit elaborate, but with an adult’s help, even lower elementary school students can do this project.
Magic hand
A grabber arm is a simple toy, but picking up different things with it is surprisingly fun—and it’s one of those items that can really excite boys, isn’t it? This idea is easy to make using disposable chopsticks and plastic bottle caps, so give it a try.
Prepare eight pairs of chopsticks, stack them in two groups of four, and bundle each group with rubber bands.
Shift each stick alternately to the left and right to form crosses; then overlap the ends of the two groups to make a small cross and secure it with rubber bands.
Finally, attach two plastic bottle caps to the tip opposite the handle using double-sided tape—and you’re done!
slime
Let’s experiment with and summarize the curious, gooey properties of slime—and then make your own! You’ll mix a borax solution in water with PVA glue and a water-based paint in your favorite color.
After that, compile your observations on the slime’s movement and properties into a report.
Since this involves handling chemicals, care is required; this is best suited for an upper elementary school science project.