Real World Statistics Projects Students Can Try at Home

Statistics is everywhere around us, shaping the way we understand the world. One of the best ways to develop statistical skills (and allow kids and teens to enjoy their learning!) is to explore data in real life. The summer holidays is the perfect time to try out some of these project ideas with your child!

1. Sports Performance Analysis

If you’re a football, cricket, or tennis fan, then you already have access to an inordinate amount of sports data. Try tracking your favourite team or player over a few matches. Record goals scored, possession percentages, or even number of fouls committed. You can compare what you find against their previous stats online.

Skills developed: Data collection, averages, percentage change, and trend analysis.

Extension idea: Compare home vs. away performance, does location affect the results?

2. Social Media Trends

For those who spend more time on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube, try tracking the number of views, likes, or comments on your own posts or a different account over a week. What affects engagement? Timing of the post? Type of post? Length of video?

Skills developed: Data collection, percentage change, data tabulation

Extension idea: Compare two similar accounts to see which strategy is more effective.

3. Snack Size Showdown

Buy a multipack of crisps, biscuits, or chocolate bars and measure the weight of each individual packet. Are they all the same as the “average” weight printed on the packaging?

Skills developed: Sampling, measures of spread (range, interquartile range), comparing data sets.

Extension idea: Use the government packaged goods page to check if your packets are within the legal limits for it's weight category: https://www.gov.uk/weights-measures-and-packaging-the-law/packaged-goods

4. Family Habits Survey

Design a short questionnaire to find out something about your household or friends, for example, “How many hours of TV do you watch in a week?” or “What’s your favourite takeaway?”. Try and represent your findings in an appropriate graph or chart!

Skills developed: Questionnaire design, avoiding bias, representing data.

Extension idea: Compare your results by characteristics, for example is there a difference between adults vs children?

Have fun!

The key to building statistical confidence is working with data that means something to you. When students collect and analyse their own information, they begin to see statistics as something relevant in their every day lives and future careers.

These projects also mirror the types of investigations students encounter in GCSE Statistics exam questions. Plus, they’re adaptable, teachers can use them in class, parents can try them at home, and students can work on them independently.

So this summer choose a project, and start exploring the world!