Science fair projects with paper, tape and toys

What to expect

Paper planes, parachutes, rockets, bridges, a toy car on a ramp and a ball on different floors: these are the motion projects, and nearly all of them cost nothing. They're also the easiest to do three times, because you can fold a new plane or drop the ball again in seconds.

They need a measuring tape and a bit of floor. Mark the start line with masking tape so every try starts in the same place, which is the most common thing judges ask about.

Counted from the projects on this page: 36 about how things move, 5 about growing and weather; 41 using paper, tape and toys. 35 are free with what most houses have, and the rest cost about $3 or about $1 or about $4. Testing takes from 1 to 14 days. 3 have a step a grown-up does, marked on the page.