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!
- For summer vacation homework! Simple and amazing crafts for elementary school students that you’ll want to make after seeing them
- 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
- 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 upper grades (11–20)
I tried making a sword.
Japanese swords are highly regarded overseas for their beauty.
They are especially appealing to people interested in Japanese culture, history, and the samurai spirit.
How about making a sword filled with Japanese tradition as an independent study project? By finding a workshop like the one in the video that produces various replica swords and creating one together under the guidance of a craftsman, you can have a truly authentic experience.
The finished piece has great presence, making it perfect for display! If you’re interested, definitely give it a try!
Surprisingly addictive study of shapes
Here’s a great recommendation for anyone looking for an independent research project that blends learning with fun! How about studying shapes? Shapes are everywhere in daily life—origami, buildings, even sweets—so they feel familiar, and engaging with them in a playful way can help overcome anxiety about math and build confidence.
In your research, it’s important to narrow down your theme and explore it in depth, and to actually see, touch, and experience things firsthand.
Use the videos as a reference, find a topic that interests you, and give it a try!
Survey on vehicle stopping rates
This independent research project is perfect for when you want to boost awareness of everyday traffic rules and safety.
The activity involves standing by a crosswalk and recording whether cars stop for you.
By checking with your own eyes, you can directly experience and better understand social and traffic rules as they are in real life.
Collecting data and summarizing it in graphs also helps develop analytical and communication skills.
It could be interesting to examine various perspectives, such as the type of car or the driver’s gender and age.
Please be careful to avoid heatstroke while conducting the survey.
bento crafting
@n.annlee321♬ Nerd Strut (Instrumental) – Gen Hoshino
Bento craft that looks just like the real thing through clever use of color and shape is an art form that lets you enjoy the fun of making food.
Layer tissue over yellow crepe paper, offset them, cut into quarters, and fluff it up to get a texture like rolled omelet.
Roll up red crepe paper and add a green calyx, and it turns out just like a cherry tomato.
Wrap tissue in white crepe paper, shape it into a triangle, then wrap with black origami paper, and you’ve got a proper onigiri.
Even though every component is made only of paper, the thoughtful colors and shapes make it look delicious.
By planning the placement of side dishes and the overall arrangement, it becomes a work that greatly boosts creativity and powers of observation.
Miniature house
It might be nice to try some DIY during the long summer vacation! A miniature house could be an easy project even for elementary schoolers and DIY beginners.
Cutting boards with a saw along the lines you’ve drawn or drilling holes with a power driver would feel fresh and exciting for kids! There may be many challenging tasks, but they’ll surely feel a sense of accomplishment when it’s finished.
If you have the time, adding a light with a tiny bulb or making small windows would be lovely.
It’s a theme that both children and their guardians can enjoy together.
Homemade butter making
By making butter yourself—something we often use in everyday meals—you may feel a closer connection to the butter you usually eat.
The steps are very simple: pour heavy cream into an empty plastic bottle and keep shaking it until it solidifies.
The key is to take your time and keep shaking; perseverance and not giving up are important.
You’ll get a real sense of how much effort it takes to make butter by hand, which can also deepen your appreciation and encourage you to use butter more carefully.
Along with documenting how demanding the process is, it’s also recommended to share your impressions of how the finished butter tastes.
For upper grades (21–30)
telescope
Believe it or not, you can make a telescope using only items from the 100-yen shop! Doing some stargazing with a handmade telescope sounds really exciting, doesn’t it? If you’re an elementary school student interested in making things or in astronomy, definitely give it a try! The key is to combine reading glasses and a magnifying glass for the telescope’s lenses.
It’s surprising that a potato chip tube is just the right size for the telescope body.
It’s fine to observe the Moon with your finished telescope, but be sure never to look at the Sun! Have fun making a telescope you can proudly show off to your friends and family.