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 (51–60)
Let’s try making a rainbow
Rainbows are dreamy, beautiful, and wonderful, aren’t they? Finding one by chance after the rain really lifts your spirits.
Here’s a simple science project where you can make a rainbow using just a CD and a flashlight.
It only takes about five minutes, so it’s perfect if you’re short on time and feeling the pressure.
You might also write up an explanation of why it works and perform just the demonstration in front of everyone.
It’s an experiment that elementary school students in the middle grades can enjoy.
Balloon pistol
You can play a fun target game using the power of a balloon! Use decorative pom-poms as the balls.
First, cut a balloon around the middle and attach it to a paper towel roll core.
Secure it with a rubber band so it won’t come off, and it’s ready! Put the decorative balls inside, pull back the balloon, and launch the balls to play.
Make the targets out of milk cartons.
It’s also recommended to decorate the launcher and shape it like a cool pistol using cardboard or any decorations you like.
Have fun with your own original ideas!
Balloon pistol
You can play a fun target game using the power of a balloon! Use decorative pom-poms as the balls.
First, cut a balloon around the middle and attach it to a paper towel roll core.
Secure it with a rubber band so it won’t come off, and it’s ready! Put the decorative balls inside, pull back the balloon, and launch the balls to play.
Make the targets out of milk cartons.
It’s also recommended to decorate the launcher and shape it like a cool pistol using cardboard or any decorations you like.
Have fun with your own original ideas!
Spinning piggy bank
@silk_haru3mama [Summer Vacation Craft] A Spinning Piggy Bank 🌻 “At-Home Crafts” book 📕 on sale now! (Available on Amazon, Rakuten, and bookstores nationwide) Purchase via the link in my profile 🔗 ⇨ @silk_haru3mama ————————————— Thank you for watching∗︎*ﾟ I’m Silk, and I share easy crafts and at-home play ideas that make you think, “I can do this!”✩︎⡱ This year, I’ll be introducing various ideas perfect for summer vacation crafts again 🌻 This time, I came up with a fun piggy bank whose blades spin every time you put in a coin! The direction of the spin changes with each coin, so you’ll want to keep putting more in 🤭 Give it a try if you like ♡ We’re using an empty seaweed container, so you can easily take the money out from the bottom lid 👍🏻 Materials • 2 empty seaweed containers (cylinders, 10 cm diameter, 11 cm tall) • 1 milk carton • 2 bamboo skewers • 1 straw • Colored vinyl tape • Clear tape • Awl • Scissors • Ruler How to make it *A more detailed tutorial will be posted on YouTube. You can get to YouTube from the link in my profile, so check it out there too. 1) Cut out the bottom of the seaweed container with a utility knife. 2) Make a hole from the lid side at a height of 6 cm that’s wider than the bamboo skewer. 3) Cut off the bottom of the milk carton, open it flat, then cut two strips 4 cm wide and four strips 2 cm wide. 4) Fold the 4 cm strips into a cross as shown in the video and secure with clear tape. 5) Cut the four looped tips of the cross, then fold about 5 mm from the edge outward to open them up. Wrap the entire piece with colored vinyl tape (large blade). 6) Fold the 2 cm strips into a cross in the same way, and wrap vinyl tape around the four root sections. Cut off the outer parts that were not taped (small blade). 7) Cut the straw into four 5 mm pieces. 8) Thread a bamboo skewer through the hole in the seaweed container, then slide on: straw → small blade → large blade → small blade → straw. 9) Make another unit the same way, stack the two containers so the lids are at the top and bottom, and tape them together. Trim the protruding bamboo skewer, leaving about 1–1.5 cm. 10) Cut a coin slot about 3 cm wide into the top lid, and you’re done!! I’d be happy if you check out my craft book too!! ↓↓↓ About the “At-Home Crafts” book 📚 All crafts use recyclables, familiar materials, or items from 100-yen stores, so even busy caregivers or those who feel clumsy can think, “I can do this!” It’s full of easy-to-make, repeat-play handmade toys for kids ☺️ Whether you want to make a toy by hand, enjoy crafting with your child, or need ideas for an elementary school craft assignment, I hope it helps in many situations as your child grows. ———————————— “Build fine-motor skills and sensory growth! Parent and child will get hooked! At-Home Crafts for ages 3 to elementary school” 𖤘 Publisher: KADOKAWA 𖤘 Price: 1,500 yen (tax excluded) (1,650 yen incl. tax) *Available on Amazon, Rakuten, and bookstores nationwide ———————————— At-home play, educational toys, making#HandmadeToysSimple crafts for home play by lsilk, home crafts by ilsilk, summer vacation crafts and research
♬ Everyday/Cute Piano Solo(1512061) – Sumochi
Why not make a fun piggy bank where the coins spin as they go in? It’s a perfect idea for a summer vacation craft.
First, slice a milk carton into rings, press the corners to flatten the center space, and make four “blades” to form a propeller.
Decorate the edges with vinyl tape, and make two large propellers and four small ones in the same way.
Skewer a large propeller on a bamboo stick, then add two small propellers on each side to create a spinning mechanism.
Insert this into a clear tube, make a coin slot in the lid, put the lid on, and you’re done.
Hands-on science projects that elementary school boys will love! Ideas you can make with everyday materials (61–70)
leaf vein specimen
Plants have veins—like blood vessels in humans—that carry water drawn up from the ground to the tips of stems and leaves, and circulate the nutrients produced by photosynthesis.
How about turning those veins into a specimen? Heat a sodium hydroxide solution and place a leaf in it.
After about 20 minutes, take it out and gently brush the surface with a toothbrush; the leaf tissue will come off, leaving only the veins! You’ll likely think, “I can’t believe they’re spread out this much.” If you soak it with ink, it will look even more vivid!
Water that won’t spill even when turned upside down
This is a science magic trick perfect for a summer vacation project.
Water that won’t spill even when turned upside down.
Put a sieve over the mouth of a plastic bottle, then turn it upside down…
and the water in the bottle doesn’t spill.
Next, remove the sieve lid…
and the water spills out.
It’s highly recommended for lower elementary school students, as they can experience concepts like weight, gravity, and the mass of water.
Why doesn’t the water spill even though the sieve has lots of holes? Investigate and summarize what phenomena are involved!
Rubber band gun made from disposable chopsticks and clothespins
This is a chopstick rubber band gun whose trigger is a clothespin, launching rubber bands with impressive speed—its muzzle velocity is the main attraction.
The basic build is to fix one jaw of a clothespin to the end of a chopstick bundle, then create a notch at the tip to hook the rubber band.
How you bundle the chopsticks and how you secure the clothespin are both important; the firmer the attachment, the more stable it will be when the rubber band is stretched.
Its simple look—chopsticks extending from the clothespin—also makes it a great canvas for decorations to add your own personal touch.
