[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!
- Recommended for high school students! A collection of easy one-day science project ideas
- Stand out with your junior high school independent research! A collection of fun experiment and craft ideas
- DIY science projects that elementary school boys will love: ideas you can make with everyday materials
- [For Adults] Simple yet Impressive Crafts: A Stylish, Eye-Catching Collection
- Recommended for middle school students! A collection of quick science project ideas you can do in a short time.
- For upper-grade boys! Simple yet awesome craft project [Don’t call it lazy]
- Simple and cute summer project crafts! A collection of ideas for girls that will make you want to create
- Simple but awesome! Craft ideas for upper-grade girls
- Plastic bottles transformed! A collection of simple yet amazing craft ideas
- Adults will be hooked! A collection of craft ideas using toilet paper rolls
- [I don't want to be like everyone else!] Recommended independent research topics for high school students
- Simple yet amazing crafts: craft ideas that elementary school students will want to make
- Elementary School Students: Simple One-Day Science Project and Craft Ideas
[For Middle Schoolers] Simple One-Day Science Project & Craft Ideas (1–10)
Optical illusion art
Let’s draw trick art that looks as if it pops out in three dimensions.
We’ll use a technique called one-point perspective, drawing holes and pillars as cubes or rectangular prisms by using lines from the vanishing point as guides.
How you draw corner lines and apply shadows is also crucial, and imagining how the light hits the objects helps make the drawing look more three-dimensional.
It’s also important to be creative not only in how you draw but in how you present it—have viewers look from the vanishing point, or cut the paper so the pillar appears to protrude.
Pen Ink Analysis Experiment
An analysis of pen ink that focuses on how water-based pen ink bleeds when it comes into contact with water.
Cut a coffee filter, mark it with the pen you want to examine, hang it, and slowly dip it into water to observe how the ink spreads.
Even pens of the same color can bleed differently depending on the type, so it’s recommended to try various pens.
You might discover something new in everyday items, such as inks made by mixing colors or inks that bleed more easily.
spectrometer
Let’s build a spectroscope that clearly shows a gradient of light using simple materials: a CD and thick paper.
Place a small piece of a CD inside a box made from thick paper with a hole in it; by peeking through the hole, you can see the colors of light.
The key is to bring light into the box and reflect the captured light off the CD, so be mindful of the position of the hole and the angle of the CD.
Because it’s a simple craft where you just look into the box, it could be fun to put extra care into decorating the outside, too.
[For Middle Schoolers] Simple One-Day Science Projects and Crafts (11–20)
Make a pinhole camera and study its structure
For your summer vacation independent project, how about making a pinhole camera? You can easily make one with craft paper, black construction paper, tracing paper, and aluminum foil! First, draw the layouts for an inner box and an outer box on the craft paper and cut them out.
Cut the construction paper to the same shapes and glue it onto the craft paper.
Assemble the boxes so that the black paper faces inward.
Attach tracing paper to the inner box, then sandwich aluminum foil in the pinhole frame and glue it in place.
Make a small hole in the center and attach it to the outer box.
Stack the outer and inner boxes, and your camera is complete! When you look into the box, the world appears upside down—it’s really fun.
Try to use it in a bright place.
cottage cheese
This is a simple homemade cottage cheese you can make with milk.
Since you season it yourself, you can adjust the flavor to your liking.
Warm the milk, add lemon juice, and stir; once it begins to separate, turn off the heat, cover, and let it sit.
After 10 minutes, strain the curds through a paper towel to separate them from the whey—the basic cheese is done.
Add salt or other seasonings to taste and fine-tune it into your ideal cheese.
It’s great on its own or used in cooking.
Making air fresheners
Here’s how to make an air freshener using gel ice packs.
You know those ice packs that come with cakes or ice cream to keep them cold? Many people probably have a bunch sitting in their freezer.
Take this opportunity to put them to use! Line a glass with decorative stones, add the contents of a gel ice pack, and then drip in a few drops of essential oil—that’s it.
In fact, the material in gel ice packs is the same as the superabsorbent polymer used in diapers.
That’s why it absorbs odors so well.
storm glass
Storm glasses were originally tools used by sailors for weather forecasting, but recently they’ve become popular as interior decor that can predict the next day’s weather.
Even small ones sold as decor cost around 5,000 yen, so try making one yourself and use it as a science project.
You can make it by putting a mixture of ethanol, camphor, and purified water into a bottle.
