Make it with everyday materials! A collection of fun summer vacation craft ideas

smart ball

[Summer Vacation Craft] A “Smart Ball” you can make with 100-yen shop items—perfect for your child’s summer homework or independent research project!

Smart Ball is a playful craft that lets you build your very own game while getting excited about the motion of a rolling marble.

Cut lumber to fit a perforated board to create a frame.

Add an incline beneath the board so the marble rolls more easily.

For the launcher, use nails and rubber bands to make a pull-and-release mechanism that shoots the marble.

Attach a plastic sheet on top of the board to enhance the sound and feel as the marble rolls.

Place small pegs called dowels to add unpredictability to the marble’s path.

With creative targets and decorations, you’ll have a one-of-a-kind original Smart Ball game.

It’s a fun way to nurture creativity and observation skills as you play.

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Cardboard 3D craft

Elementary school art project ideas: hands-on 3D creations using single-face corrugated cardboard

Three-dimensional creations using single-faced corrugated cardboard make the most of the material’s qualities depending on the direction and shape of your cuts.

If you cut along the direction of the flutes, the cardboard bends easily; by changing the cutting direction, you can form pillar-like shapes.

Cut long strips and coil them or make rods to combine into towers, arches, or animal bodies—shape them freely.

Connecting multiple parts in three dimensions results in sturdy works.

Painting the surface or adding patterns enhances the finish.

Sculptures born from everyday materials convey the depth of making and the freedom of imagination.

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Cardboard garbage collection truck

[Cardboard Craft] Even the pros are amazed! Elementary school students recreate garbage trucks out of cardboard! Various refuse collection vehicles reproduced, including models by ShinMaywa Industries, Fuji Vehicle, and Morita Econos No. 197

Let me introduce cardboard garbage collection trucks.

There are different types of garbage trucks, and their movements and installed parts vary.

All of the trucks being introduced are made using cardboard.

By paying attention to details—such as changing the shape of the emergency stop switch section, recreating the tail lamps with plastic sheets, and writing the manufacturer’s name—you can complete a garbage truck that looks just like the real thing.

Understanding the movements and features of each type of garbage truck also makes it easier to imagine the materials you’ll need to prepare.

Be sure to try making a garbage truck in your own style.

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A Castle of Light Made with Corrugated Plastic and LEDs

Elementary 3rd–4th Grade Art Project Idea: A Craft Using Corrugated Plastic and LED Lights — “Castle of Light”

This craft uses plastic corrugated board (known as “Pladan” in Japanese) to create a fantastical castle of light, featuring enchanting lighting effects.

Use a utility knife to cut window shapes you like into the board—stars, hearts, moons—feel free to get creative.

Once you’ve cut them out, roll the sheet into a cylinder and secure it with tape, then place an LED light inside to finish.

When you switch on the light, it shines through the windows, casting mysterious shadows around the room and creating the atmosphere of a real castle.

One of its charms is how it looks different in daylight and at night.

If you design your own and build a piece with a story, it will open up a world of imagination.

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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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Let’s try making musical instruments from around the world

[Latin America & Education] Try it at Home: Let’s Make Musical Instruments from Around the World! [Rainstick]

Let’s make a rainstick, a musical instrument from around the world that sounds like falling rain.

Prepare toothpicks, an empty plastic wrap tube, rubber bands, beads, fabric scraps, nail clippers, a hole punch or awl, and glue.

Start by making spiral-shaped holes along the tube.

It can be slippery, so be careful while punching the holes.

Insert toothpicks into the holes.

Use the nail clippers to trim any parts of the toothpicks that stick out, then apply glue over them to secure.

Cover one end of the tube with fabric and fasten it with a rubber band.

Pour beads in from the other end, then cover that end with fabric and fasten it with a rubber band in the same way.

Decorate the tube, and you’re done.

It’s a rainstick that produces the sound of rain or waves—give it a try!

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Transformable miniature house

For a summer vacation craft! How to make a miniature house that can be freely transformed

Let me introduce a cute, transformable miniature house.

Using cardboard, choose the coverings for the ceiling, floor, and walls as you build each room.

The key is to keep in mind the kind of room you want to create while you work.

Try stacking rooms or changing the combinations to make a miniature house that’s uniquely yours.

By making the wall coverings with colored paper or using patterned paper for the miniature house, you can add originality and have even more fun.

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