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

Water freezes the instant you touch it.

Fun science experiment: water freezes the instant you touch it — crystallize it in an instant

This is an experiment using sodium acetate where water freezes the instant you touch it.

Dissolve sodium acetate in water, heat it, and then cool it in the refrigerator.

After that, put a little of the remaining sodium acetate on your fingertip and lightly touch the solution—watching it freeze in a chain reaction is really fascinating.

It’s a good idea to take photos of the freezing process.

About an hour is plenty of time.

This experiment is more suitable for upper elementary school students.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Let’s make an original map

www2.nhk.or.jp

Explore your town and make your very own map! Walk around with your parents and add your observations and discoveries to the map as you go.

It might be fun to pick a theme, too.

For example, you could look for houses with the same family name as yours, or mark the locations of mailboxes.

You might uncover lots of new things about the place you live every day.

Since you’ll be walking around outside in the hot summer, don’t forget to stay hydrated! Give it a try with the whole family!

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Hamada Takuya

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64-shot cardboard chopstick rubber band gun

Cardboard craft: Easy “64-shot rubber band gun” how-to guide. (Made with rubber bands, cardboard, chopsticks, and a plastic bottle)

A must-see for anyone who wants to push the limits of rubber band gun rapid fire! With this cardboard-based gun, you can fire an incredible 64 shots in a row! All you need is cardboard, a plastic bottle, chopsticks, rubber bands, kite string, plus a motor, batteries, and vinyl wire.

It’s a proper build with a built-in motor, so the difficulty is high—but that just makes the satisfaction of completing it even greater! Perfect for a summer vacation project or a stay-at-home activity during a long break—give it a try when you have time to take it slow.

Just be prepared: picking up all the rubber bands after 64 shots might be a bit of a challenge…

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yuri

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DIY speakers

Surpass BOSE! I tried making DIY speakers with a Pringles can!

How about making a speaker that you can plug your smartphone or portable music player into? Building a speaker might sound difficult, but to put it simply, all you need to do is make a hole for your phone—it’s that easy! Use an empty cylindrical container, like one from a snack.

Cut a hole with a utility knife big enough to fit your phone, and loosely stuff some toilet paper inside—then you’re done.

You can add a base so it stands firmly, and decorate the tube to create a cool, one-of-a-kind speaker!

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utatane

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Handmade telescope

[Handmade Telescope] Perfect for summer vacation crafts and independent research! Let's make a telescope using a magnifying glass and reading glasses.

Bring distant things close enough to feel like you can reach out and touch them! Let’s try making a cool-looking telescope.

You’ll use two magnifying glasses, a pair of reading glasses, and a cylindrical container like the kind used for snacks.

The basic method is: attach the two magnifying glasses together and mount them on the viewing end of the tube, then take a single lens from the reading glasses and attach it to the far end.

That’s all it takes to make a real telescope.

Both the magnifying glasses and the reading glasses can be the inexpensive kinds sold at 100-yen shops.

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Araki Jakkan

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Fizzy Ramune Experiment

http://www.lemon8-app.com

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.

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mutō

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Stone painting

Summer Vacation Craft Series ♡ Part 3: Easy Stone Painting (Stone Art) [Koujoucho] DIY

During summer vacation, there are times when you go out with your family to rivers or mountains, right? When you do, why not try picking up stones and making art with them? Of course, stones you’ve collected from around your neighborhood are fine, too.

First, paint the stones you’ve prepared with white acrylic paint.

This small extra step will help your work turn out beautifully.

Then, use acrylic paints to create animals, plants, and more by adding color.

If you also use items like pipe cleaners or empty cans, you can make pieces that look very realistic.

Please use this as a reference and give it a try!

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Nakajima Junko

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