Recommended for elementary school students! A fun collection of craft ideas for first graders

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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Make a bow and arrow with straws!

Make a Bow and Arrow from Straws! Recycled Craft! (For 1st–2nd Grade Elementary Students, About 20 Minutes) #craft #handmade_toy

A piece you worked hard to make yourself becomes twice as fun if you can play with it afterward, right? So this time, we’re introducing a bow and arrow you can make with straws.

You can use either thick boba straws or regular straws.

Besides the straws, you’ll just need common household items like a toilet paper roll and rubber bands, so it’s easy to prepare.

The projectile that the bow shoots is made from the toilet paper roll and rubber bands.

Make the bow using a straw and a spherical Styrofoam ball.

Once it’s finished, just aim and shoot at targets made from paper plates or balloons.

Kids will enjoy crafting it with the excitement of being able to play with it after it’s done.

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Melamine sponge sandwich craft

@picoton_craft

Making sandwiches with a sponge♪Simple craft#Parent-Child CraftingworkLife with childrenSandwich

♬ Original song – Picoton / Crafts Class – Picoton 🐥 Easy 100-yen shop craft

How about making a delicious-looking sandwich out of a melamine sponge that you’ll just want to take on a picnic? It’s very easy to make! First, prepare a large, thick melamine sponge and cut it into a triangle, imagining the shape of a sandwich.

Use a craft knife to make a slit so you can insert the fillings.

Next, create the fillings—such as ham, lettuce, or spaghetti—using construction paper or yarn.

If you use colorful materials for the fillings, the result will look extra cute.

Finally, tuck the fillings into the sponge sandwich, and you’re done! Try making different fillings and have fun playing with them.

straw wrapper

Let's make a straw wrapper and paper whistle!

Kids will be thrilled to work on making sound-producing instruments.

Here’s how to make a trumpet using a straw and construction paper.

Prepare a half-circle of construction paper about 25 to 30 centimeters across.

Roll the paper into a cone shape.

Cut both sides of the tip of the straw to create a pointed edge, then insert that pointed tip into the cut end of the paper cone.

Secure the construction paper and the straw with cellophane tape, and you’re done.

When playing, pinch the tip of the straw flat and blow.

It’s a simple craft, but it can produce a unique sound.

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Funny Hundred Faces

[For Kids] Craft: “Funny Hundred Faces.” Easy to make and play with just paper and colored pencils. Art/craft/project ideas for elementary schools, kindergartens, and preschools. DIY activities usable in nursing homes and elder care. Introducing play tools you can make at home with your children.

This “Funny Hundred Faces” activity is perfect for people who love drawing and have time to take it slow.

It’s a foldable where you open up a square-folded paper and the expression changes bit by bit.

Draw several different faces—smiling, crying, angry, and more.

You can use your teacher’s or friends’ faces as models, or your favorite animals like rabbits or cats.

If you make it with a big sheet of paper, it could even work as a simple mask.

Since the main focus is on drawing illustrations, have fun while you create it!

A piggy bank with a wagging tail

How to Make a Tail-Wagging Piggy Bank [Paper Clay, Swan, Creative Piggy Bank]

When it comes to classic summer independent projects, a “piggy bank” is a staple.

The “Yucho Idea Piggy Bank Contest” held by Japan Post Bank is also well-known.

You might think, “Have all the ideas been used up by now?” but every year a lot of creative piggy banks appear.

So, here’s one to introduce: the “wagging-tail piggy bank.” The simple mechanism is that the weight of the coin you drop in makes the tail sway gently.

If you expand on this mechanism, you could adapt the idea to things like a fishing game or a dinosaur’s neck.

We recommend using air-dry paper clay, which you can paint once it dries!

Crafts you can play with

9 Playable Crafts for Elementary School Kids: Cardboard, Toilet Paper Rolls, and Straws – Easy 2021 DIYs for Moms, Dads, and Childcare Workers

In this Reiwa era, where digital devices have surrounded us since the day we were born, it’s nice to enjoy some analog play from time to time.

So here’s a summer craft you can make and play with right away: the “Wobbly Tree.” Glue a branching tree onto half of a toy capsule.

Hang rubber bands from the branches one by one, and the person who knocks the tree over loses.

If you substitute the toy capsule base with something else, you can make an even bigger tree.

There are also videos introducing other playable crafts, so if you’re interested, be sure to check them out.