Recommended for elementary school students! Science fair topics & craft ideas
Speaking of summer vacation, choosing a topic for the independent research project can often be tough.
Science experiments and crafts are both fun! If your child is good at crafts, we recommend crafts because they can enjoy the process as they go.
When they get absorbed in it, they might even finish in just a few days.
Here, we’ll introduce a variety of ideas for independent research and crafts! If you’re struggling to pick a theme, please use these as a reference.
To create fun summer memories, make a one-of-a-kind project of your own!
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- Elementary School Students: Simple One-Day Science Project and Craft Ideas
- DIY science projects that elementary school boys will love: ideas you can make with everyday materials
- [For Upper Elementary Students] Simple but Awesome! A Collection of Summer Vacation Craft Ideas
- For upper-grade boys! Simple yet awesome craft project [Don’t call it lazy]
- Fun crafts using straws
- Recommended for lower elementary school students! A collection of plastic bottle craft ideas made with everyday materials.
- Simple and cute summer project crafts! A collection of ideas for girls that will make you want to create
- [Middle School Students] Easy One-Day Science Projects and Crafts Ideas
- Toys you can make from cardboard crafts! Authentic ideas you can build and play with
- Simple but awesome! Craft ideas for upper-grade girls
- Crafts parents and kids can enjoy together. Recommended craft ideas to keep children entertained.
For lower grades (71–80)
Simple kaleidoscope
Let’s make a kaleidoscope that shows rainbow colors.
Prepare three mirrors for a kaleidoscope and glue them together into a triangular prism with the mirror sides facing inward.
Place this inside a toilet paper tube, and seal one end with black construction paper that you’ve pierced with numerous holes using a pin.
Seal the other end with black construction paper that has a diffraction (rainbow) film attached at the center.
Finally, decorate the outside of the toilet paper tube with masking tape or similar, and you’re done! It’s very easy, so please give it a try.
It’s not a kaleidoscope with changing patterns, but the rainbow colors are truly beautiful.
Kaleidoscope in an ice cup
A kaleidoscope where you can enjoy geometric, mysterious pattern changes.
Let’s make such a kaleidoscope using an ice cream cup.
First, use nail polish remover to erase the letters and designs from two ice cream cup lids.
Next, cut aluminum foil to your preferred length, fold it three times to make a long, narrow rectangle, then cut it into shorter pieces, roll each into a tube, and secure with tape.
Make many small tubes and pack them tightly into the ice cream cup without gaps.
Then put on a lid and sprinkle beads or pieces of translucent origami paper cut into small shapes on top.
Finally, place the other lid on top and tape it in place to finish.
Point it toward the sunlight and spin it around to play.
marble microscope
Place a marble on top of printed text and look through the marble.
By using marbles of different sizes, you may be able to understand how lens magnification changes.
It’s also a great independent study project for learning about how microscopes work, which you’ll use in the upper grades.
For lower grades (81–90)
sowing
Plant various seeds in pots and planters and observe their germination.
After observing, draw pictures and record the daily changes! Be careful, as the planting season differs depending on the plant.
You can buy seeds at a home improvement store or florist, or reuse seeds from fruit.
strap
Here’s a how-to for making adorable cat charms that cat lovers won’t be able to resist.
Use a cat-shaped chocolate mold you can find at 100-yen shops, and give it a try.
Press paper clay into the mold, let it dry, then paint it and add patterns and facial features.
Try drawing your favorite cats, like calico or black cats.
Adding a tail on the back makes it even cuter.
It’s perfect as a summer vacation project if you make it with your child.
You can also turn it straight into a keychain, so give it a go!
Let’s make a tornado bottle
The tornado bottle is a perfect science project for boys who don’t just want to make something, but also want to write a proper report.
You can try many variations, so it’s recommended for anyone who wants to dive deep into tornadoes.
First, prepare a 500 mL plastic bottle.
Fill it up to about four-fifths with water, then add around 10 drops of dish soap.
Close the cap and secure it with tape, and you’re done.
If you’re just making it, 10 minutes is plenty.
Hold the bottle upside down and spin it quickly to create a tornado.
You’ll see differences in the tornado depending on how long and how strongly you spin it.
Observe carefully! It’s quick to make, so it’s suitable even for upper elementary grades.
Skeleton Egg
Here’s how to make a “skeleton egg.” Wash the egg and gently dry it, being careful not to crack it.
Place the egg in a glass and pour in vinegar until the egg is fully submerged, then cover the top with a piece of paper towel.
Leave it for about two days.
You’ll end up with a skeleton egg that’s a size larger and jiggly! If you poke the softened egg with a toothpick, it will pop and burst.
This experiment explores the action of acids, and it’s relatively safe and hard to mess up, so it’s a great science project for younger elementary school children.
