You can buy more than crafts at the local craft stores. Most craft stores carry tri-fold science fair display boards and foam board. Shoppers will also find science kits to create a solar system, DNA model and chemistry elements. The shelves are stocked with experiment kits for volcanoes, polymer projects and geode kits. Craft stores also carry Styrofoam balls, glue, flower pots and other materials that can be used to complete a science project.
Discount department stores, such as Target, K-Mart and Wal-mart, carry the basic materials needed to complete a science fair display. Poster board, foam board and tri-fold display units are available in many department stores. Adhesive lettering, colored paper and stencils are also available. Objects needed for experiments, such as ping-pong balls, hairdryers, plants and fertilizer, are stocked on the shelves. Alcohol and various types of gases that can be used in science fair experiments are also stocked in most of these discount department stores.
Fabric stores, such as Joann's Fabric and Hancock Fabric, also sell items that can be used at a science fair. Shoppers can find the traditional tri-fold science boards, both letter and number stencils and adhesive lettering there. Kits, like Styrofoam solar system kits, are also sold there, along with different forms of fiberfill and foam that can be used in experiments concerning insulation. Materials of various hues can be used in experiments about heat absorption.
Electronic stores carry the equipment needed to complete experiments involving electricity. These stores carry kits that contain the materials to create circuit experiments, build transistor radios and create robots and electronic circuit books. Science fair participants can also find individual components needed to build projects from scratch or to complete experiments like potato batteries. Various sizes of batteries are stocked on electronic store shelves, from tiny hearing aids to D-cell batteries. Wires and tiny light bulbs are also available.