[Middle School Students] Easy One-Day Science Projects and Crafts Ideas
Have you already decided on your summer vacation independent research project? It’s easy to panic when you feel you have to do it but don’t have much time.
For junior high school students like that, here are some simple research and craft ideas you can complete in a day.
Once you gather the necessary materials, you can start right away! For example, there are experiments using everyday items and fun crafts you can make.
If you enjoy it, you’ll finish in no time.
After the experiment, write up your summary and reflections in a report.
That’s the most important part of the project.
Start thinking about it early so you can enjoy your summer vacation!
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[Middle School] Easy One-Day Science Project and Craft Ideas (71–80)
Make a cloud in a plastic bottle
Let’s try an experiment to create a cloud inside a plastic bottle.
Prepare a carbonated beverage plastic bottle, some water, and a carbonation-removal pump cap sold at hardware stores.
Put a little water into the bottle, close it with the pump cap, and press the pump about 30 times.
While warming the bottle with both hands, mix the water and the pumped-in air to make a high-temperature saturated state.
Then open the cap: the rapid change in air pressure will cause a cloud to form inside the bottle.
It’s a simple experiment, so feel free to give it a try.
Cook home-style dishes from countries around the world
How about a tasty independent research project? In this project, you’ll explore home-cooked dishes from countries around the world.
Of course you’ll look into how they’re made and the ingredients, but it’s also important to think about what the dishes reveal about each country’s climate and culture.
Home cooking is extremely helpful for understanding a country’s people and their daily lives.
Someday, when you travel, the knowledge from your project will help bring you closer to that country.
Let’s try mixing water and oil
This is an experiment to see what happens when you mix water and oil.
First, make colored water by adding food coloring to a glass of water.
In a separate glass, pour in some oil, then carefully pour the colored water on top.
Strangely, the colored water you added last will settle at the bottom of the glass, and the oil will form a layer on top.
Even if you stir it with a stick, they won’t mix at all.
It’s a fun experiment that overturns the common belief that liquids mix with each other.
Give it a try! The non-mixing liquid you make can also be put into a bottle to create a playful decorative piece.
Making slime
Making slime is super easy and can be done in a day.
You can quickly gather the materials at a hardware store or pharmacy.
After that, just measure the amounts and mix them together.
The video shows the basic way to make slime, but if you look it up, you’ll find lots of variations—what you might call “arranged recipes.” Try finding one that suits you.
An easy place to start is an arrangement where you mix in glitter sold at 100-yen shops.
Boomerang making
A boomerang that spins through the air and returns to your hand can be bought in plastic, but you can also make one yourself out of paper.
One feature of boomerangs is that they come in a variety of shapes, so figuring out which shapes are more likely to come back to you is itself part of the experiment.
In the video, a three-bladed boomerang made of paper is created, but it’s the kind of experiment that invites you to explore other possibilities while using it as a reference.
Since proper throwing technique is also important, it might be a good idea to practice with a ready-made boomerang before giving it a try.
Baking Soda and Vinegar Experiment
A highly recommended project for anyone looking for a classic, science-focused independent study is the “baking soda and vinegar experiment.” If you’re in middle school, you’ve probably produced various gases in science class.
For example, oxygen is generated by mixing manganese dioxide and hydrogen peroxide.
In the experiment introduced here, mixing baking soda and vinegar produces carbon dioxide.
There are many ways to present it, such as inflating a balloon or a glove with the generated carbon dioxide.
The “baking soda × vinegar” experiment is also a versatile idea that can be adapted into a project like “making different gases using everyday materials.”
3 simple coasters
How about making coasters as a summer vacation craft? Here, we’ll introduce three methods.
The first is a coaster made by arranging tiles on top of paper clay.
The second is a coaster made by lining up beads and melting them in the microwave.
The third is a summery coaster that expresses a seasonal scene by placing shells, sequins, and stickers in resin.
They’re all easy to make, so give them a try.
You can buy most of the materials at 100-yen shops.