DIY science projects that elementary school boys will love: ideas you can make with everyday materials

Fishing game with a realistic reel

[Easy Kids' Craft] A Realistic Fishing Game with a Reel Using 100-Yen Store Items! (For Independent Research/Home Play)

Here’s a craft idea for a fishing rod with a reel that I’d recommend for boys who love fishing.

Materials: three paper cups, a chopstick, a straw, string, and a magnet.

First, connect the chopstick and the straw to make the rod, and glue one paper cup to the chopstick to serve as the reel.

Cut one of the remaining paper cups about 2 cm down from the rim, then insert the cut piece into the last paper cup.

Stack this onto the paper cup that’s glued to the chopstick.

Thread the string through the straw, tape one end of the string to the paper cup, and attach a magnet and a paper bait to the other end.

You’re done! Coloring it or decorating it with stickers will make it even nicer.

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sasashina

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Well-spinning paper cup top

[Playable Craft] How to Make a Simple, Well-Spinning Top (Paper Cup & Plastic Bottle Cap) [Easy Crafting with Recycled Materials] Fun at Home

This is a spinning top made with a paper cup that spins well and is fun to watch because of its colorful look.

All you need are a paper cup and two plastic bottle caps.

First, cut slits into the paper cup and spread them out like propeller blades, then attach an axle made by combining the two caps.

That’s enough to complete the basic shape, but it’s recommended to decorate the “propellers” with an eye toward how it will look while spinning.

The impression changes depending on whether you spread the propellers before decorating or decorate first and then cut the slits, so try out various patterns.

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kappamaki

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smart ball

[Summer Vacation Craft] A “Smart Ball” you can make with 100-yen shop items—perfect for your child’s summer homework or independent research project!

Smart ball: you score points when the ball you hit drops into a hole.

Believe it or not, you can make this entirely with materials from a 100-yen shop! Prepare a perforated board, square wooden rods, wooden dowels, rubber bands, nails, and marbles.

Attach a frame around the perforated board using the square rods, then create a channel for the striker to slide through.

Make the striker itself from the square rods as well.

Use nails and rubber bands to fix the striker to the board, then glue a plastic sheet—cut to a 2 cm width—along the inside of the upper part of the board.

Insert dowels into the holes, and hook rubber bands wherever you like, and it’s done.

Test it with a marble to make sure it shoots properly.

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Colorful Koropika Mud Dumpling

We had fun making colorful mud dumplings (dorodango) :)

If they’re boys, don’t you think many kids like making mud balls? This science project is a “Colorful Shiny Mud Ball” you can create using a special kit! When you make a mud ball, you usually harden it to some extent and then sprinkle fine powder on it to polish it, right? With this kit, you also apply colored powder at the end, so you can make a very colorful mud ball.

It’s suitable from first grade in elementary school, and a few hours are plenty for the work! Since it feels like play, it’s recommended even for kids who think, “Ugh, independent research is such a hassle!” You could also try varying the number of times you dust with powder or the length of the resting time and summarize the results!

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levitating spinning top

[Independent Research] How to Make a Levitating Spinning Top (Easiest Method) – How to Build a Magnetic Levitating Top / Summer Vacation Craft

The project involves creating a mysterious top that keeps spinning in midair, combining both experimentation and craftsmanship.

It uses magnetic repulsion, so the challenging parts are finding strong magnets and adjusting the top to the precise point where the magnetic force is just right.

Although sourcing the magnets is difficult, the other tools are easy to obtain, such as bamboo chopsticks and masking tape.

As the video shows, it takes time to complete, and persistence in repeatedly making adjustments is crucial for success.

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kappamaki

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Working Vehicles on a Milk Carton

[Wakuwaku-san’s Craft Workshop] Let’s make working vehicles out of milk cartons!

Here’s an idea for making working vehicles using milk cartons.

In this example, we’re making a dump truck and a wheel loader—both are vehicles that boys especially love! Basically, you cut the milk carton with scissors, then glue the pieces together to form the body.

For the moving mechanisms, attach straws so that pulling the straw makes the parts move.

Decorate the body with construction paper and add the tires, and you’ve got a playable toy vehicle! It’s an easy craft to make, so give it a try!

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sasashina

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Automatic sorting piggy bank

I tried making a coin-sorting piggy bank! Summer project: how to make it

Making a piggy bank is a classic summer vacation craft, but an idea that takes it a step further is an automatic coin-sorting bank.

When you put money in, it automatically separates coins like 50-yen, 100-yen, and 500-yen pieces by type.

It uses the fact that coins differ in size.

Before you look up how to make one online, though, I recommend first thinking on your own about how to sort them well.

Trying out different ideas—“What about this? Maybe that?”—will be a valuable learning experience.

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Araki Jakkan

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