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Science Fair Projects for Elementary

Why consider elementary science fair projects?

Science fairs aren’t just for older kids!

If you’re an elementary school student, you can have a blast doing your own project – and you can learn a whole lot in the process!

For grades K-3, a demonstration of scientific principles is usually okay, although many fairs require more experiment-based projects. Science Fair projects for this age range are great for developing their scientific with projects that include sorting and classifying, sustaining their attention for long periods, using deductive or inductive reasoning, and applying a concept to more general situations. For 4th-5th graders, a complete experiment that answers a question using the scientific method is usually required.

Before you start the experimenting part of your project, do some research about your topic! You can then use questions (like the ones below) to develop your own hypothesis – what you think will happen in your experiment, based on what you know (or want to find out) about science.

It’s okay if your experiment doesn’t turn out like you predicted – that’s part of the scientific method too!

Browse our Science Fair Supplies product category to look for more project ideas and find the supplies you need.

Life Science Project Ideas: Plants and Animals

Have you noticed how the seeds in different kinds of fruit (like an apple and an orange) look very different from each other? Try growing seeds from different fruit or vegetables that you’ve eaten, soaking them in water for one night and then planting them in a cup of dirt. Which seeds do you expect to grow best? After doing the experiment, which seeds really grow best? (Which seed turns into the tallest plant after a month?) Why do you think that might be?image of the sprout and grow kit box

Lots of factors affect plant growth. Try experimenting with soil type, light, temperature, water, and more. See if using water crystal beads in the soil affects watering and growth. Or grow two of the same plant—one in soil and one in water. Use a root viewer to experiment with root vegetables.

Other great science fair project ideas include:

  • Does calcium really make our bones stronger? What would happen if we didn’t get enough calcium? Science Fair Supplies
  • What’s the best way to wash our hands to keep us safe from germs? Use lotion and glitter or Glo Germ gel to simulate germs. Experiment to find out if warm or cold water works better, which kinds of soap work best, and how much time you should spend washing.
  • Have you ever watched ants carrying bits of food? What food from your kitchen do you think an ant or another insect would like best? What ‘bait’ will probably attract the greatest number of different insect species? Can you test the effect of temperature on ants?
  • Can bees recognize pictures? Perform a simple honeybee memory experiment to find out. Do bees remember patterns? What about location? Or do they find ‘nectar’ a different way altogether? Science Fair Supplies
  • Do a project to find out if temperature affects brine shrimp. Do ones in a warmer environment develop faster than ones in a colder place? Is tap water, spring water, or distilled water better for hatching the eggs?
  • How does the membrane and shell of an egg help protect a baby chick?
  • Test green leaves to find out what other pigments are present in them.

Chemistry Project Ideas: Crystals, pH, Slime, and Glue

pH Papers, 1-14 range, 80 packYour kitchen offers lots of chemistry ideas. How does cola or another soft drink compare in acidity with other common drinks or food? You can test acidity using pH paper. You can also use indophenol to test which fruits have the most vitamin C. Design a science fair project comparing and contrasting how long it takes ice to melt at room temperature compared to a warm stovetop or the refrigerator. Try thawing frozen fruit at the same time. Does it longer or the same amount of time to warm up as the ice? What if you add salt to the ice?

Here are some great chemistry science fair project ideas.

  • Water is sometimes called ‘the Universal Solvent” because it dissolves other substances so well. Compare how water dissolves salt or sugar compared to other liquids (like oil, corn syrup, or vinegar).
  • Experiment with surface tension by making bubbles. Can you make them in different shapes? Can you poke scissors through them without popping them?
  • Make crystals from sugar, salt, and baking soda. How do their crystal shapes compare? Does the rate of evaporation of the crystal growing medium (water, vinegar) affect the size of the crystals? Does the rate of how fast the crystals cool down affect the size of the crystals? Do impurities (such as iodized salt versus salt that is not iodized) affect the growth of the crystals?
  • What happens when saltwater from the ocean evaporates? Science Fair Supplies
  • Chemical energy can produce power! Try making a voltaic cell battery from food items (judges love these types of elementary science fair projects!). Which type of citrus fruit works best? What about vinegar? A potato?
  • Experiment with polymers by using milk proteins to make homemade glue. How does homemade glue compare with glue from the store? Can you develop a way to make homemade glue stronger?
  • Make your own slime using a slime science kit. Does more or less of an ingredient make the slime more stretchy? What about slippery or gooey? Science Fair Supplies
  • Why do apple slices turn brown? Can you stop this from happening by using lemon juice? What else could you use?
  • How does yeast make bread rise? What conditions make yeast react faster or slower?

Earth Science Project Ideas: Weather and Dirt

The sun causes water to evaporate into the air, where it forms clouds and comes back down as rain or snow. Can wind speed, humidity, or temperature have an effect on the rate of evaporation? (Do one of these weather experiments to find out more.)

Try these earth science science fair project ideas:

  • How good is soil at breaking things down? What can you find that is biodegradable? How can you test to see whether something is or not?
  • What holds more water, sand or soil? How does this affect what kinds of plants can grow in each?
  • Can you learn to predict the weather from the clouds? Try using a cloud chart to make your own forecast every day for a few weeks. How accurate was the cloud-forecast method?
  • How does a thermometer work? What kind of liquid works best to show changes in temperature?

Physical Science Project Ideas: Force and Energy

Can you use a magnet to find traces of iron in food, dollar bills, and other household materials? Are some magnets stronger than others?

What type of flooring creates the most or the least friction? Try carpet, wood, tile, linoleum, etc. Younger kids might test this by rolling a ball or toy truck over different surfaces. (Or use spring scales to measure the force of friction.) Use this to decide what kind of flooring is safest (least slippery) for someone wearing socks. Science Fair Supplies

Why does a balloon stick to the wall after you rub it against your hair? Experiment with a static electricity kit to find out how positive and negative charges in household items interact. What causes static electricity to increase? What are some ways to decrease static electricity, and which ways work best?

Here are some great physics science fair projects:

  • The sun gives off energy that can be used like a battery to power things. Connect a small electric motor to a small solar cell and figure out what conditions it runs best under. Do different types of artificial light (such as fluorescent and incandescent) power a solar cell better than others? What happens on a cloudy day? Small Electric Motor
  • Can salt conduct electricity? What about sugar? Do a project to test the conductivity of different materials using a battery and a light bulb or a buzzer.
  • Use a spectroscope to compare the spectra (which looks like a rainbow) of different types of light. Do different light sources contain different colors? How does daylight compare with a fluorescent light bulb? (Note: Never look directly at the sun!) Research to find more about the different elements that are in each light source.
  • Do an experiment with density of different liquids. Which is denser, oil, corn syrup, or water? If you add all three to the same glass, which liquid will float on top of the others? Compare how well some objects (e.g., raisin, paper clip) float in each of the three substances. You can also experiment with colored water (e.g., red for hot, blue for cold) to find out whether different temperatures affect water density.
  • Make electric playdough to build squishy circuits.

We hope this diverse list of elementary project ideas has been a helpful starting point this science fair season! Remember, too, that advanced science projects can often be simplified into elementary science fair projects.

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