Crafts you can make with 100-yen shop items! A collection of fun project ideas that elementary school kids will love

Fukuwarai (a traditional Japanese “lucky laugh” face-making game)

Here’s an idea for making an Anpanman fukuwarai out of felt.

Fukuwarai is typically a New Year’s game, but by changing the motif it’s perfect for everyday play too! Cut out the base face and parts for your favorite characters—like Anpanman, Baikinman, or Dokin-chan—from felt.

Once it’s ready, put on a blindfold, feel each piece with your hands to guess what it is, and place it on the face! You can find felt in a variety of colors at 100-yen shops, so be sure to check them out.

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sasashina

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Coin Drop

Perfect for independent research: A coin drop piggy bank made with 100-yen shop items. #handmadeToy #easyCraft #atHomePlay #simpleCraft #independentResearch #summerVacationCraft Summer vacation craft

Handmake a coin game where every coin you insert becomes yours, using materials from a 100-yen shop! Prepare a transparent drawer case, corrugated plastic board, and tape.

First, remove the drawers, stack them to create steps, and tape them together.

Set the bottom drawer in its normal orientation so it collects the coins, and set the second and third drawers upside down so coins can slide down.

Then, make an outer box from the corrugated plastic sized to fit the drawers, insert the drawers, and you’re done!

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yuri

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Cool rubber band gun

[Rubber Band Gun] How to Make the Latest, Super Cool Pistol! [Easy Summer Vacation Craft]

Let me introduce a strong and cool rubber band gun.

Prepare 17 bendable straws, a clothespin, tape, and scissors, and let’s make it.

Take two straws and tape their bendable sections together to secure them.

Attach one clothespin to the gap of the joined straws to create the base.

When bundling straws, secure them tightly so the stacked pieces don’t shift.

Stack eight straws by grouping them in sets of four, extend the bendable sections, and build the structure.

When attaching parts together, make sure the straws are firmly fixed so they don’t slip.

Once it’s finished, hook on a rubber band and give it a try!

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mayumi

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pull-back car

A toy that runs on rubber power! 'Corrugated Plastic Pull-Back Car' [Easy Craft] #HandmadeToy #Craft #SummerVacationCraft

This craft lets you experience the fun of a car you built yourself zooming forward powered by rubber bands.

Cut corrugated plastic (plastic cardboard) to match the size of the car body.

For the wheels, use bottle caps: make a hole in the center, then pass a bamboo skewer through to create the axle.

If you firmly attach this to the body with hot glue, it will start to look like a real car.

Hook a rubber band onto the rear axle and wind it by turning the axle forward, and you’re ready to go.

When you let go, the car surges ahead under the power of the rubber band.

You can freely design and color the body, so you can get particular about the appearance too.

Using everyday materials and a simple mechanism, it’s a hands-on project that’s both fun to build and a great way to learn, delivering dynamic motion.

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mutō

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Cardboard guitar that makes sound

Let's Make a Sound-Making Guitar! [Cardboard Craft]

Let’s introduce a fun-to-make cardboard guitar.

Prepare one cardboard box, five rubber bands, a food tray, packing tape, glue, scissors, and a cutting mat, then let’s get started.

Draw a rough outline of a guitar on the opened cardboard and cut out each part along the lines.

Make slits along the long side of the food tray; the depth of the slits will change the sound it produces.

Thread the rubber bands through the slit area.

Attach the food tray to the hole in the guitar body part using packing tape.

Glue the neck and head together.

Then glue the neck and head onto the guitar body to complete it.

Paint it and add decorations to finish your own original guitar!

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mayumi

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A whistle you can blow with a straw

[Instrument Craft] Let's Make a Straw Flute You Can Play Tunes With (Handmade Toy / Upcycled Craft) [Easy Craft / Playable Craft] A Handmade Instrument You Can Make Music With

Here’s how to make a whistle out of a straw.

Cut two slits at one end of a straw and trim it so the width forms a rectangle.

Cut the other end of the straw and fit it over the rectangular end, then secure it with cellophane tape.

Adjust the tape so the width becomes a square.

Cut another straw to about 5 centimeters and flatten one end.

Place the flattened end over the side where you can see the square gap, and secure it with cellophane tape.

The key is to test-blow it and check the sound before taping everything down firmly.

Change the lengths of the straws to create different pitches, fix them in place, and you’re done.

Kids are sure to get excited about a whistle made from everyday materials!

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Nakajima Junko

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Boomerang made from paper cups

Throw and catch! A boomerang with paper cups? A fun toy for 1st and 2nd graders. “Paper Cup Boomerang” (takes about 10 minutes to make) #craft #handmadetoy #papercup

Let me introduce a unique boomerang that might boost kids’ reflexes.

This boomerang is made from paper cups, but it’s apparently hard to catch when it returns—so it could help train reflexes.

Fix and connect the bottoms of two paper cups with cellophane tape.

Insert a bent paper clip into the joined section.

Set the paper-cup boomerang onto a launcher made from a chopstick with a rubber band fixed to it, and then just launch it.

It takes some technique to throw and catch, but mastering it might be part of the fun.

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Nakajima Junko

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A soccer game you can make with straws

[Summer Vacation Crafts] Easy! Playable Crafts (For Elementary School Students) [Soccer] [Handmade Toy] Independent Research

How about making a simple toy out of straws so you can enjoy soccer at home? It’s a fun, engaging game you can play together with friends or family! Another great point is that you can make it using familiar materials like an empty box and some straws.

Use the empty box to create the field and the straws to build the goals.

Attach straws to the player pieces you cut out from the box, and control them as you play.

It could be even more exciting to model the players after your favorite stars! This toy is sure to help kids develop dexterity and concentration.

We’ve shared detailed instructions in a video, so check it out and give it a try!

fishing rod with a reel

[Easy Kids' Craft] A Realistic Fishing Game with a Reel Using 100-Yen Store Items! (For Independent Research/Home Play)

A handmade fishing rod with a reel is perfect for kids who love fishing and fish! Glue a pair of chopsticks to the side of a paper cup and attach a straw to the end.

Make the reel by using two additional paper cups and stack them onto the main paper cup.

Then thread a string through the straw and secure it to the reel, and you’re done.

For bait, attach a magnet to a piece of paper with a drawing of krill or similar, and prepare fish pieces with paper and paper clips attached—then you can enjoy a fishing game! Since you’ll be moving it around to play, make sure to firmly secure all the parts.

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yuri

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Scrap-wood Archery

[Crazy Archery Using Scrap Materials] #AtHomePlay #EasyActivities #ParentChildPlay #Crafts #ScrapMaterialPlay

Make and play with everyday materials! Here are some ideas for upcycled archery.

You’ll need: a paper tube, an awl, a straw, rubber bands, paper cups, tissue paper, and scissors.

First, use the awl to make a hole in the paper tube.

Cut off the accordion part of the straw, then ball up some tissue paper and attach it to the tip.

Cut a notch at the back of the straw where you can hook a rubber band, and you’re done! Stack paper cups to make a target.

Insert the straw into the hole in the paper tube, hook the rubber band, and launch.

Try experimenting with different ways to shoot!