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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- [For Upper Elementary Students] Simple but Awesome! A Collection of Summer Vacation Craft Ideas
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- 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 (111–120)
A boat that glides smoothly
Let’s try making a boat you can use in the bath or for water play.
The materials are a milk carton, a tray, a straw, and three rubber bands.
The tools you’ll need are scissors, cellophane tape, and a pen.
The key point of this craft is the propeller made with the milk carton, rubber bands, and straw—this will be the boat’s power source.
Once you’ve made the propeller, all you have to do is attach it to the tray, which serves as the body, so even lower-grade elementary school children can make it by themselves.
When it’s finished, wind the straw attached to the rubber bands, set it afloat on the water, and have fun playing with it.
Beaded ball hair tie
Let’s try making a hair tie embellished with beaded balls.
Since it’s an accessory based on a hair tie, it’s easy to incorporate into everyday fashion and a great way to add a personal touch.
The steps are very simple: string the beads together with fishing line (nylon thread), then attach the beaded strand to the hair tie, and you’re done.
Think about the colors and combinations of the beads to create a cute accessory.
You can also expand your design options by varying the bead sizes and the color of the hair tie itself.
Magic hand
A magic hand is a device where you use a mechanism to move a hand motif that’s larger than a real hand.
The unique mechanism gives it a slightly awkward motion, which is fun to watch on its own.
To make one, cut construction paper into the shape of a hand, leave openings at the finger joints and apply double-sided tape, then create the “bones” with short pieces of straw.
After that, thread string through the straws and you’re done—when you pull the strings, the fingers curl at the joints.
To make it easy to tell which string controls which finger, it’s recommended to use different-colored straws and match the color at the end of each string to the straw it runs through.
Melon cream soda
Melon cream soda is also appealing for its vibrant appearance—the green color topped with ice gives a refreshing feel, doesn’t it? This is about trying to recreate that beautiful, summery look of melon soda.
The steps are simple: put jelly clay into a plastic cup, insert a straw, and place a scoop of white clay “ice cream” on top.
Combine elements like jewel stones and glitter to make the most of the light and finish it with a sparkling look.
The closer it looks to the real thing, the more you might feel disappointed when you remember you can’t actually drink it.
Let’s look into the recycling mark
Are you usually mindful of recycling symbols? Many people may know they exist but don’t really understand them in detail.
This is a good opportunity to look into them.
In fact, there are various types of recycling symbols, and some differ by region.
Start by checking the recycling symbols on familiar items around you.
You can also look into how recycling works and why sorting is important.
Ice pops that don’t melt at room temperature
Ice cream that kids love.
In summer, we get more chances to eat it, right? That’s why I recommend making ice pops that don’t melt at room temperature.
As the name suggests, this is an idea for making mysterious ice pops that won’t melt even when it’s hot.
The reason they don’t melt is that the main ingredient is agar.
Agar has a high melting point, so it won’t easily melt in typical summer heat.
It can be fun to make ice pops with different flavors and appearances.
Enjoy eating them and make wonderful memories.
Handmade soap making
Do you know about making hand-kneaded soap? First, warm the soap base until it becomes clay-like, then add colorants to tint it.
This will make it almost like real modeling clay.
After that, just knead it into any shape you like, as if you were playing with clay.
Once you’ve shaped it, let it dry to finish.
With a bit of creativity, you can make any kind of soap—animals, stars, and more.
Choosing a summer-themed motif would also make it great for an independent research project.
By the way, if you want to add a scent, using essential oils is recommended.