I gained plenty of science first by doing some landings at Mun with surface sample + goo + materials bay. + you also gain a lot if you just to a fly-by, return and then recover. Reach Minmus, make a goo observation when you enter its gravity well, then reverse burn until you have a kinda low orbit (50km about), observe the goo at space near Minmus, make an EVA report, crew report, materials bay experiment, get back to Kerbin, recover your ship.