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

Let’s make a bow and arrow

How to make a bow and arrow from a single plastic wrap core (Beginner)

Here’s how to make a bow and arrow from a plastic wrap core! First, poke a hole in the center of the core, then make four vertical cuts along the tube.

Bend the cut middle sections inward on both sides.

Next, use rubber bands and twine to make the bow.

Hook a rubber band onto the indented part of the bow to finish it.

Make the arrows using a bamboo skewer and paper.

Since bamboo skewers are light, be sure to wrap them with paper.

Once your arrows are ready, set up a target and try it out.

You might be surprised at how far they fly.

Make sure small children are careful.

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kepiko

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Sumikko Gurashi piggy bank

[Perfect for a Summer Vacation Project!] How to Make a Piggy Bank (Sumikko Gurashi)

I’ll introduce how to make a Sumikko Gurashi piggy bank out of origami.

Prepare two sheets of origami paper and one small sheet, then let’s get started.

Use the small origami paper to make the 5-yen coin part.

Fold the corners toward the center, then fold the surrounding corners as well.

It will form the shape of a 5-yen coin, so draw the details with a felt-tip pen.

For the base piggy bank, fold the origami toward the center to create creases.

Following the creases, tuck the paper inward to form a square box.

Make two identical boxes; on one of them, attach the 5-yen coin and draw the face.

The key point is to change the color of the origami depending on the character.

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mayumi

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Paper Plate Balance Game

A fun parent-child craft game! Can you balance marbles evenly on a wobbly paper plate? #crafts #handmadetoys #easycrafts

Let me introduce a guaranteed crowd-pleasing, handmade recreation activity you can make and play with elementary school kids: the Paper Plate Balance Game.

Paint a paper plate in four colors—red, yellow, blue, and green—and attach capsule toy containers or paper cups underneath to create an unstable balancing base.

The rules use two kinds of dice: one regular number die and a special die with “colors” and faces like “x2” and “x3.” Players take turns placing small counters (like marbles or flat game pieces) according to the color and number rolled.

If you upset the balance and make pieces fall, you lose.

It’s easy to make, and a fun idea game that nurtures dexterity, concentration, and creativity.

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kojifumi

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Cute mysterious bottle

A cute, mysterious bottle made with dollar-store materials! Perfect for summer vacation and independent research projects. Uses few materials and is fun to make. Easy handmade craft, dollar-store DIY, great for time at home, handmade project.

A mysterious bottle where two liquids won’t mix even when tilted.

It’s a fun idea that works great as interior decor or a small gift.

First, fill the bottle about halfway with baby oil.

Next, add colored water tinted with food coloring.

Put in glitter or holograms as you like, cap it, and decorate the bottle to make it cute—and you’re done! The method is very simple, so even younger elementary school children can enjoy making it.

Along with the craft, try summarizing both your own ideas and the correct explanation for why baby oil and water don’t mix.

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sasashina

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Puru-Koro Soap

Easy handmade: How to make squishy round soap! Portable soap for the COVID era. Handwashing, building a handwashing habit. Simple and fun handmade craft. Stay-at-home time, summer vacation, independent research, perfect for DIY!

It’s like a jewel! Let me show you how to make cute, jiggly soap.

You’ll need liquid hand soap, gelatin, hot water, and food coloring.

Dissolve the gelatin in hot water, then mix in the liquid hand soap.

The trick is to stir slowly so it doesn’t foam.

Add food coloring, pour into a flat container, and chill in the refrigerator for 1–2 hours.

Then just cut it into your favorite shapes and you’re done! It looks adorable and might make handwashing more fun.

Just be careful to prevent small children from accidentally swallowing it.

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sasashina

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Sparkling Kaleidoscope

Sparkling Kaleidoscope: Perfect for summer vacation crafts and independent research!

If you’re unsure what to make for your summer vacation craft project, why not try a sparkling kaleidoscope? You can make this kaleidoscope with recycled materials and items from the 100-yen shop.

Cut a hard plastic case and form it into a triangular prism, then place beads in the bottom and secure them.

On the opposite end, attach a piece of black construction paper with a peephole.

Glue a milk carton—lined on the inside with black construction paper—around the triangular prism, and decorate it as you like to finish.

While kaleidoscopes typically use mirrors, in this idea the hard plastic case serves that role.

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sasashina

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Making a Metal Slime

Summer Vacation Independent Research Idea, No. 3: Finish in One Day! How to Make a Metal Slime

Many elementary school students love the Dragon Quest series, which is hugely popular in video and smartphone games.

We also recommend making the series’ popular monster, the Metal Slime, as a craft project.

In this craft, you’ll use a metal called gallium, which melts at low temperatures.

By the way, gallium can make other metals brittle, so be careful not to spill it.

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Saitō Ayumu

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