Science Fair Toolbox: What to Bring

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"Ahh, help! My display board doesn't look as good as it should!" how many times have all of us thought this before! Fortunately, display board problems can be fixed at most stages of the process, even at the very last second. To make sure that your project display survives (and so do you), bring this Science Fair Toolbox with you to every fair:

1. Bring lots and lots of tape! Double-sided tape for putting up information on your board (not as messy as using glue sticks), duct tape for packing up your project, etc. And don't forget to take a picture of your giant tape ball when you're done =).
2. Talking about packing up, bring scissors and an X-acto knife to unpack, as well as to cut out papers for your board. If you're traveling on an airplane, remember that these need to be checked into your luggage!
3. A fine marker (i.e. Sharpie) in the colour of the text on your board, and pencil crayons (or paint) in the colour of the background of your board will come in handy for fixing minor scratches that might happen in travel.
4. Construction paper in a similar colour to the background of your board in case you need to completely cover up some information that's already on your board (sadly, this happens). If you're already using construction paper or bristol board to make your board, pack extras of the same so your board looks as consistent as possible.
5. If there's a physical part to your display that's fragile or if you think this will help your board, grab a hot glue gun for instant fixes. Although it's probably not a good idea to use a hot glue gun to glue information to your board, because you might run into the safety rule of having paper stick out over than a few millimeters from the backboard.
6. Very, very important: bring backups of your display board, either printed or electronic. If your board is damaged when traveling (or setting up), paper backups can instantaneously replace your "first copy." If you're bringing electronic backups, remember to have them in a universal file format (PDF works best) so that you can open and print them from any computer. It might be useful to have the original files if you need to make last-minute changes to the information on your board, but don't rely on finding a computer that can do that for you and make sure to double check all the information for your display before you leave home.
7. Bring a clear sign holder that you can display along with your board, just in case you forgot to put something very important on your board itself (a significant diagram, or your references, for example). This can be a lifesaver!
8. If you're using anything electronic in your display, such as lights or a laptop, bring an extension cord. Although a plug will be provided for your project if you request one, there's no guarantee of how close to your project that plug will be.
9. Of course, bring a water bottle (or a few). Comes in very useful not only while judging, but also while setting up and taking down your project.
10. Take lots of copies of your report, with contact information on the front page: this is your science fair business card. You can give copies to any interested judge or fellow participants, people are more likely to remember you by your project and not only by your name.
11. Grab something that plays music straight into your ears (so it doesn't bother your neighbours). You can listen to music while you're not being judged so that you don't listen to other people's presentations and get more nervous.
12. Finally, bring a notepad and a pencil (eraser, pen, highlighter). This will come in extremely useful if you need to explain something to your judge that requires a picture, or if you want to take down or give out contact information. Oh, and you can play tic-tac-toe with your neighbours if you really get bored.

Most importantly, bring your sense of humour. This event is a competition but it is also an opportunity to meet some very awesome people. Thus, we highly encourage you to bring your sense of humour along with all the useful stuff listed above!