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 lower grades (31–40)
Let’s try making ice cream.
This is an experiment that both kids and adults can enjoy, where you can make the perfect summer ice cream at home! You can make ice cream with milk, sugar, salt, vanilla essence, and ice.
Check out the video for instructions! It seems that using more milk will give it a softer finish.
Kendama making
As an independent research project, “making something by recycling instead of throwing things away” is one recommended theme.
You can make a kendama using the small yogurt drink containers sold at supermarkets and convenience stores.
It might be nice to paint them or decorate them with masking tape.
Try experimenting with different string lengths to find the one that makes kendama tricks easiest to perform.
Palm-sized ocean diorama
Let’s try making a diorama that captures a summer scene.
It’s palm-sized, so you won’t have trouble finding a place for it, and it’s easy to bring to school.
Prepare a container you like, apply glue to the bottom, and lay down paper clay.
Use sand, powdered pastels, and resin to create the beach and the sea.
Add stones and moss, place parts made from paper clay, and you’re done.
You can depict any landscape you like, so try making it while recalling the fun things you did during summer vacation.
3 simple coasters
How about making coasters as a summer vacation craft? Here, we’ll introduce three methods.
The first is a coaster made by arranging tiles on top of paper clay.
The second is a coaster made by lining up beads and melting them in the microwave.
The third is a summery coaster that expresses a seasonal scene by placing shells, sequins, and stickers in resin.
They’re all easy to make, so give them a try.
You can buy most of the materials at 100-yen shops.
Butterfly flower hair clip
Let’s make adorable butterfly and flower clips.
In the video, the butterfly part uses store-bought pieces, but you can also cut your own from sturdy materials like construction paper.
First, decorate the butterfly freely with colored pencils or beads.
Then simply use a hot glue gun to attach the butterfly to a clip, and you’re done! You can make the flowers the same way: punch out lots of flower shapes from origami or construction paper, layer them, and glue them to a clip.
They’re perfect not only for holding books and notebooks, but also as cute interior decorations.
These bright, cheerful accessories will liven up your mood—give them a try!
For lower grades (41–50)
I tried making a Super Ball.
Super balls are attractive for their colorful appearance and exceptional bounciness.
Because they absorb impact and rebound strongly, many of you probably remember bouncing them high when you were kids.
How about making your own super ball by hand? This time, we’ll use a store-bought kit, so there’s no need to gather materials individually—you can easily make one by following the included instructions.
Since the process involves using hot water and fine metallic powder, be sure to work together with an adult.
Create a one-of-a-kind original ball and have fun playing with it over summer vacation!
Filtration device
When you turn on a tap at home, at school, or in many other places, clean water comes out, right? In fact, behind the scenes there are people who purify that water and provide it to us.
This activity involves making a device that lets you experience the process of cleaning water.
If it goes well, you can turn dirty water into clean water—but don’t put it in your mouth!