Top 5 Tips from a Science Fair Judge

Well, it’s Science Fair season – again – and I know some feel more like Phil Conners in the movie “Groundhog’s Day” when this time of year comes around. So, of course I had to dig out what I looked like when I was going through my Science Fair season in the 90’s.

Yes, I’m holding notes. Yes, I’m wearing a rain jacket but don’t let my 90’s fashion fool you – like Phil Conners, I really couldn’t stand science fair. Here’s why:

My science fair days began in the dirt when I was 10 years old. I jumped at the chance when my brother asked if I wanted to ride in his truck and help him collect soil samples from around the counties where we lived for his project. I thought, “what could be more fun than digging in the dirt for science?” When his project placed and went to the International Science and Engineering Fair – I knew it had to be because of my excellent soil sampling skills.😏

But after that science adventure I had an itch, and not just any kind of itch. One that travelled overnight up my fingers, onto my hands and skinny little arms, up my neck and face, puffing up my eyes and resulting in a welp-y rash that landed me in a doctors office with a severe case of poison ivy. (Most likely in the soil I had been sampling all over south Texas!)

We still joke about how puffy I was and how I was literally itching over science fair.

But years later when it was my turn to do a high school science fair project I struggled hard to select a topic, do an experiment, follow the scientific method, and line up the labels on the board. I’ll blame it on the severe poison ivy attack but…I couldn’t honestly, I couldn’t stand doing science fair.

But you know what I did love? I loved presenting my topic to the judges because I love telling a good story – go figure.😅

So, now as a mom with a kid in science fair what did I jump at the chance of doing? I signed up to judge Science Fair and I’ve got to tell you – I LOVE it.

Now, I’ve learned a thing or two on this side of Science Fair that I wish I could have told my younger self way back then when I sported my 90’s hairdo and I wanted to share them with you.

Here are my top 5 tips from this Science Fair judge:

5. Be insanely interested in a topic – what are the problems you’ve seen in your own life? Did a classmate cheat and use AI to do an assignment and made a better grade than you? Do you wonder how to make water boil faster? Do you wonder why bees no longer come to your garden? Your science fair topic may literally be hiding in your own backyard waiting to be found.

4. Follow the scientific method – I know, I know – boring! But, there really is a reason for this method because it keeps your creativity and data organized. Think of it as the plot to your science story.

3. Collect as much data as you can – one of the best projects I’ve seen judging junior high science fair was boiling water. Boiling water can’t be that interesting right? Yes it can be…especially if the student is insanely interested in it and wants to find out more with data.

2. Think about the future – one of the questions I ask as a judge is what would you do next year if you continued your project. I’ve got to know you are thinking beyond getting the grade in science class.

1. Tell a good story – Pull your judges in with a good story on what made you interested in your topic and why you wanted to study it. Sometimes the story is what wins the grand prize!

So, don’t go through Science Fair season like it’s Groundhog’s Day – again. Perhaps it come around again and again so that eventually you find the perfect project that is just right for you! Here are a few ideas from this blog to help inspire your next science fair project! Best of luck!

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