Elementary School Students: Simple One-Day Science Project and Craft Ideas
For elementary school summer break projects and crafts, we recommend starting with something your child is already interested in.
When it’s something they like, they can enjoy working on it.
Here, we introduce simple ideas for elementary school students! These are experiments and crafts you can do in a single day.
The materials are things you already have at home or can get quickly, so even if you’re short on time, no worries.
Perfect for those who are “stuck on a theme” or “looking for an easy and fun project”! Find your favorite and give it a try.
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[Elementary School] Simple One-Day Independent Research & Craft Ideas (1–10)
Let’s make gemstone soap
Here’s an introduction to making soaps with jewel-like shapes and colors that girls will love.
Gather the materials, tilt the mold and let it set as shown in the video, then cut it neatly and keep shaping it from the paper cup form to bring it closer and closer to a gemstone.
Once finished, you’ll have a semi-transparent, fancy gemstone soap.
Have a guardian handle the parts that require a utility knife to prevent injuries.
pinhole camera
Let’s try making a pinhole camera, one of the classics for independent study projects.
A pinhole camera is a camera that uses a tiny pinhole instead of a lens to form an image.
There are methods using a milk carton or a paper cup, and it’s surprisingly easy to make.
If you choose a pinhole camera for your project, it’s a good idea to observe how images are actually formed after making it, and then analyze why they appear that way and compile your findings into a report.
Let’s make a kokedama terrarium.
A great recommendation for grade-schoolers with refined tastes is “kokerium.” Like an aquarium, a kokerium is an interior decoration made using moss.
Recently, more and more people are making their own as stylish accessories for their rooms.
If an elementary school student makes one, there are many possible approaches—such as researching different types of moss for an independent study project or creating one as a fashionable craft.
[Elementary School] Simple One-Day Independent Research & Craft Ideas (11–20)
Cheesemaking
Here, we introduce four homemade cheese ideas: cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and processed cheese.
The main ingredient is whole milk (unadjusted), to which you add things like grain vinegar, salt, whey, or cornstarch to create cheeses with different textures and flavors.
You’ll make them by heating milk with other ingredients in a pot, but be sure to keep track of details like warming without boiling and the timing for adding ingredients before you start.
Since you’ll be working over heat, take care not to burn yourself.
Automatic-firing chopstick gun
How about trying a unique rubber band gun made of chopsticks with an automatic launcher? When you turn on the power, the screw part rotates, the hooked rubber band moves upward, and eventually slips off and fires—a simple mechanism.
If your child is interested in how batteries and motors work, or is good at assembling plastic models, they’ll likely be eager to take on making this kind of tricked-out chopstick rubber band gun.
If you first understand the simple method and how the rubber band is launched, you can enjoy each step of the process even more.
Easy handmade candle
Here’s how to make cute DIY candles using materials you can get at a 100-yen shop.
By using molds, you can create candles with a variety of patterns, and you’re free to choose the colors, so you can craft uniquely personalized candles just the way you like.
Once they’re finished, arrange them neatly, dim the lights, and light them up—you’ll have a charming, romantic, and stylish DIY project that’s easy to enjoy and so photogenic you’ll want to capture the moment, making for wonderful new memories.
Investigating how ice melts
This is a perfect experiment for a hot summer, using ice.
You don’t need any special materials, and it’s great that elementary school children can do it without adult help.
Prepare several ice cubes of the same size, plus items like paper towels, aluminum foil, an insulated bag, newspaper, bubble wrap, a towel, and paper plates.
Wrap the ice in each material and, at set times—after 30 minutes, 1 hour, and so on—observe how the ice melts over time.
Before you begin, make a prediction about the order in which they will melt, from fastest to slowest.
When you’re done, compare the results with your prediction and try to summarize why some kept the ice from melting as quickly.
Adding your own ideas to the summary makes it even better!
