Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 5)

Rubber Band Car Challenge

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

In this engineering challenge, you will build a car powered by nothing but a rubber band. The farther the car goes, and the fewer materials you use to build it, the higher your score. The 2024 Science Buddies Engineering Challenge is over, but you can check out this page to see our other past engineering challenges and what this year's challenge will be! Teachers, lesson plan versions of this challenge are also available. Read more

Build a Robot Hand

STEM Activity

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350 reviews

Do you know anyone who has had a hand or an arm injured in an accident? What if you could build them a robotic hand to help them accomplish everyday tasks like writing, picking up a glass, or opening a door? This activity will show you how to build a simple robotic hand using common household materials. Read more

Build a Rubber Band-Powered Car

STEM Activity

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583 reviews

Admit it, you've probably launched a rubber band at least once—pulled one end back, and let it go flying. Did you ever suspect that rubber bands could also be a fun way to learn about physics and engineering? Find out in this project where you'll build a rubber band-powered car. Read more

Make Your Own Harmonica!

STEM Activity

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295 reviews

Can you name the bestselling musical instrument in the world? If you said harmonica, you are right! The harmonica was said to be patented in 1821 by Christian Buschmann, a 16-year-old German boy. Since then, it has become the top-selling instrument in the world and a household item in many places. Luckily, creating beautiful noise is not just an art—it is also a science! In this activity, you will design and explore your own harmonica-like instrument made from household items. Time to… Read more

DIY Mini Drone

STEM Activity

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295 reviews

Quadcopters, also called drones, are a fun and popular toy. Explore the world of drones as you build your own mini drone using popsicle sticks in this fun activity. See this page for a complete list of our mini drone projects. You may wish to do the projects in order. Read more

Make A Candy DNA Model

STEM Activity

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290 reviews

Ever wondered how DNA, the genetic blueprint of a life-form, can encode and pass on the information on how to grow and maintain that life-form? Just like a cookbook contains a complete recipe for a dish, DNA stores the recipe for the life of an organism. Although each human has a unique DNA sequence, the DNA in all of us is about 99.9% identical! In this activity, you will use pieces of candy to make a model for a short section of DNA—enough to get a sense of what DNA is like and how it… Read more

Make a Cotton Ball Launcher

STEM Activity

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479 reviews

Have you ever stretched and launched a rubber band at someone? Put that energy to good use and build a rubber band-powered cotton ball launcher in this fun activity! Read more

Walking Water

STEM Activity

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222 reviews

Imagine this challenge: You have two glasses of water—one empty and one full. You want to pour half of the full glass into the empty one. The twist? You aren't allowed to pick up either glass! Can you get the water to "walk" between the glasses using nothing but a paper towel? Try this activity to find out! Read more

Ball Launcher Challenge

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Try your hand at this engineering challenge. Can you build a "launcher" device to launch a ball as far as possible and a "receiver" to catch it? Building a receiver provides an extra twist to a traditional catapult project. Add to the challenge by using a limited set of materials to build your machine and calculate a score based on your throw distance and materials used. Read more

Explore Glow-in-the-Dark Water!

STEM Activity

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208 reviews

Have you ever been fascinated by things that glow in the dark? It can be a lot of fun to play with bracelets, wands, and other toys that are glow-in-the-dark, like some stickers and creepy, crawly, plastic insects! Have you ever wanted to make something at home that glows? It turns out that it is not that hard to do — all you need is tonic water and a black light! Some common household chemicals can also affect this beverage's glow. In this science activity, you will make tonic water glow… Read more

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