Hands on Projects are basically anything that you use your hands well to put together. They can be lapbooks.
1. it's fun. :)
2. it gives a time to talk about what we're learning
3. it provides opportunity to think about how doing something may have been difficult or easy for the people involved.
4. science...what can I say.... we love science. :)
5. when living with a lad with an artistic slant, finding a way to add artistic type things just makes the learning go down smoother (and thus be better retained).