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 (221–230)
Sound experiment
Learn how sound travels! Here are some ideas for sound experiments.
What comes to mind when you think of sound? You’re surrounded by all kinds of sounds, aren’t you? This time, let’s deepen our learning with the theme of sound.
In the video, it seems you can learn about what sound is and how people perceive it differently.
By studying the properties of sound, you might make new discoveries in your daily life! The experiments feature ones using test tubes and ones using different materials.
Give them a try!
A coin disappears!? A mysterious piggy bank
The charm of a piggy bank is that your money accumulates little by little—seeing it pile up and feeling it get heavier brings joy.
This is a curious piggy bank that deliberately takes away that charm: the coins you put in seem to disappear.
The piggy bank you’ll make is a simple one with a window so you can see inside, and it’s structured so that you can also see a decorative pattern within.
Before closing the lid with a coin slot, you install a mirror to divide the interior into two blocks, and that’s how you create the illusion of the coins vanishing.
It’s important to assemble it while carefully considering the placement of the interior patterns and the angle of the mirror so that nothing feels out of place.
Baskin-Robbins-style ice cream
Baskin-Robbins ice cream is said to be appealing for its wide variety of flavors, and its colorful appearance makes it look delicious, too.
This is about recreating that colorful ice cream using clay.
The process is simple: mix paint into the clay to color it, then cut the colored clay and combine the pieces to match the flavor you want to make.
Once you’ve shaped it into a ball, use a toothbrush or a toothpick to create a bumpy texture to make it look more like real ice cream.
Finally, put the ice cream pieces into a cup and you’re done—using a real cup is also recommended.
Does the lead of a mechanical pencil shine?
Adults often tell you that it’s dangerous to stick a mechanical pencil lead into an outlet.
Why is it dangerous? What happens if you do it? This experiment lets you learn the principle behind it.
Without actually inserting anything into a real outlet, you can safely perform the experiment using this method—perfect for an independent research project.
Cardboard armor crafting and related historical research
This is a science project using the trendy cardboard samurai armor and helmet.
You can build a realistic armor model for just under 3,000 yen, so it’s something you can enjoy making together with your father.
Then, if you summarize on poster paper what kind of person used that armor and helmet and how they influenced their era, it will become a very high-quality science project.
Why are tunnels round in shape?
The ability to withstand weight applied from above changes depending on the shape.
In fact, the circle might be a very strong shape.
Investigating many such things can be very interesting.
Also, how common is this shape in the natural world? Let’s look for it.
That, too, can be turned into an independent research project.
For upper grades (231–240)
Perseid meteor shower
Around August 13 each year, many meteors can be seen radiating from the direction of the constellation Perseus.
The idea is to go observe them and compile your observations into a report.
It would be good to record the time each meteor appeared, its direction, length, and brightness, and summarize these along with a star chart.
If possible, observe from a location with minimal light pollution and a wide, unobstructed view for better results.