How to Find a Science Fair Project

Beginning in about fourth or fifth grade, students must participate in a science fair. As a parent, you can point your child in the right direction when it comes to choosing a science fair project to do. Once you tap into what interests your child and develop a hypothesis that the child really wants to learn the answer to, you can sit back and watch them learn.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Determine what area of science they are interested in. If she's always loved bugs and critters, look for ideas in a biology or life science area. If your child seems to enjoy psychology or behavioral experiments, point them in that direction.

2. Seek out projects for their age level and ability. A fourth grade science fair project will be vastly different from a sixth or seventh grader. Make sure that the child has a background knowledge in the subject, however slight, before moving ahead.

3. Take advantage of several well-done websites geared to sharing successful science fair project ideas (see Resources). While your child will not want to exactly copy a project she finds, it can be a good springboard for developing a hypothesis of her own and even modifying an existing project for her.

4. Resist the urge to step in and do the project for them. Because the point of a science fair project is to let children exercise their analytical thinking skills and learn to discover for themselves, it's important that mom or dad don't step in and take over. Help when asked, but stay largely out of it.

Resources

• Science fair project ideas
• More ideas for the school science fair

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