Parents are encouraged to limit their help to the following things:
read and discuss the Science Festival rules with your child
help select a project which is age/grade-appropriate for your child
plan and manage project work times and clean-up times
take your child to the library or other places for research
help draw straight lines for a young child
listen to your child's oral explanation of the project
ensure your child's safety
assist in the formatting of acknowledgements and references
Parents should refrain from physically helping to prepare the project board, except in the case of Kindergarten and 1st graders. Children in grades 2 and higher are capable of preparing their project board independently with some simple parental guidance.
It is very important to remember that projects are judged on content, not beauty. A "scrapbook-perfect" project is no more likely to win a prize than a very crooked project obviously put together by a young child. Content/scientific discovery is what is important and judged.