Recommended for elementary school students! Science fair topics & craft ideas

Bath bomb making

[100-Yen Shop] Super Easy Bath Bomb Recipe [DIY]

A pleasantly scented bath bomb that dissolves in the tub and fizzes with bubbly foam.

Let’s try making one by hand! You’ll need baking soda, citric acid, and an essential oil for fragrance.

You can easily pick up baking soda and citric acid at a 100-yen shop.

Mix them thoroughly in a bag or bowl, press the mixture into a mold, and let it harden for about a day—that’s it! It could be fun to make them in cute shapes or a variety of designs.

Nicely wrapping them up as a gift would surely make someone happy.

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Let’s make fizzy ramune

[Independent Research] How to Make Fizzy Ramune Candy [Cooking]

This is an experiment where you try making ramune yourself—a candy that spreads a fun fizzy sensation in your mouth.

You’ll need powdered sugar, cornstarch, baking soda, citric acid, lemon juice, and water, plus food coloring if you want to add color.

It’s easy to make by simply mixing each ingredient in order, but if you use too much of certain ingredients, it might not set properly, so it’s important to keep trying and not give up.

It’s a fun experiment just to make, but it could also be interesting to look into why that fizzy sensation is created.

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a lively, bouncing fish

[Easy Kids Craft] Flippity-Flopping with 100-Yen Store Magnets! Jumping Fish Craft! (Summer Project/Home Play)

How about making a fish with a unique, lively bouncing motion? First, draw a fishing rod, splashing water, and a fish on separate sheets of paper.

Since you’ll be placing the fish on top of the splash and fishing rod illustrations later, draw those to suit the size of the fish.

Next, cut and attach pieces of magnetic sheet to the center of the water splash and to both ends on the back of the fish illustration.

Finally, attach double-sided tape to the center of the back of the fish and stick it on top of the fishing rod illustration to finish.

Place the water splash illustration at the bottom, then move it up, down, left, and right to enjoy the fish reacting to the magnets.

The key is to keep the characteristics of the magnet’s N and S poles in mind as you make it.

Let’s make paper from ingredients

[Research] Making paper from various ingredients [Experiment]

The paper we use in everyday life is made by flattening plant fibers into thin sheets.

This experiment tests whether paper can be made from dietary fibers in food, since they are also fibers.

Take ingredients that contain dietary fiber, such as vegetables, blend them into a paste, squeeze out the moisture while shaping them into a flat sheet, and then dry it.

Let’s see if it holds together like paper once dried.

It could be interesting to try various ingredients and compare the finished products.

This experiment also helps you understand how paper is made.

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Let’s separate the colors of ink

[Simple Experiments & Independent Research] Break Down Ink Colors! Try Paper Chromatography

The water-based pens we casually use every day get their color from ink made by combining several different colors.

This experiment lets us break down the ink’s color to see which colors are mixed together.

All you need is a water-based pen, a coffee filter, a pair of chopsticks, and a cup of water.

Cut the coffee filter into a rectangle and draw a line on it with the pen.

Then clamp the filter with the chopsticks, dip the edge of the paper into the water, and observe.

It’s a simple procedure and a fun experiment that helps you understand how ink is made.

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Let’s make mayonnaise!

[Independent Study Summer Break] Challenge: Make Mayonnaise! The Secret of Eggs!

Just mix three ingredients! Make homemade mayonnaise and learn about the properties of water, oil, and eggs.

First, thoroughly mix the egg yolk with 2 teaspoons of vinegar to emulsify.

Finally, add 6 tablespoons of oil little by little while mixing.

Use an electric whisk or similar tool to whip it well.

Finish by seasoning to taste with sugar and salt and pepper.

If you’re doing this as a science project, note that mixing vinegar and oil first will separate into two layers, so it’s interesting to focus on that property and dig deeper into how lecithin works and the mechanism of emulsification.

This could be a great chance to try making various other seasonings too!

supercooled water

Supercooled Water Experiment (Supercooling Experiment)

Let’s make supercooled water! As the name suggests, supercooled water is, simply put, water that has been chilled extremely—water that hasn’t yet solidified into ice.

Try setting your refrigerator to a sub-zero temperature or building a cooling apparatus with an empty container to make it.

When you pour the supercooled water onto a dish, something curious happens: it comes out as a liquid, yet it rapidly builds up into mound-like, crystalline shapes—not quite water and not quite ice.

Try experimenting with different types of water—mineral water, tap water, and purified water—to see how they behave.

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