[Milk Carton Crafts] Fun ideas for elementary school kids. Perfect for summer vacation homework!
There are probably plenty of elementary school kids wondering, “What should I make for this summer vacation?” So here are some milk-carton craft ideas that are perfect for summer homework! Milk cartons are something every household has, so they’re very easy to use as a material.
In addition to classics like piggy banks and vehicles, you can make toys that you can play with for a long time.
From moving cars to cute dollhouses, there are lots of different ideas.
Be sure to have fun creating wonderful crafts with milk cartons!
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[Milk Carton Crafts] Fun Ideas for Elementary School Students. Perfect for Summer Vacation Homework! (51–60)
Target game made from a milk carton
Let’s make a target at home with things you already have! Here’s an idea for a target game using a milk carton.
Milk cartons are a great material because, with a bit of creativity, you can turn them into all kinds of homemade toys.
This time, we’ll make a shuriken (throwing star) target using a milk carton.
You’ll need a milk carton, scissors, and a motif made from drawings or construction paper.
Just cut the milk carton and set the pieces down, and they transform into a target! It’s also fun that you can attach your favorite illustrations or motifs.
Pinwheel hat made from a milk carton
A windmill attached to a hat! Here’s an idea for a windmill hat made from a milk carton.
You’ll need a milk carton, scissors, a bamboo skewer, duct tape, and a straw.
Wear the hat made from the milk carton and run—the windmill’s propeller will spin.
It’s a unique idea, perfect for kids who love running and being active.
It’s also fun to customize the design by drawing illustrations of cats, dogs, or monkeys.
Give it a try and have fun making and playing with it!
Jack-in-the-box made from a milk carton
Let’s make a perfect jack-in-the-box for birthday parties and celebrations, and have some thrilling fun with five-year-olds! First, flatten a milk carton and cut it into 5 cm-wide strips.
Decorating the cut pieces with hologram stickers will enhance the look.
Make small slits above and below around the center and hook a rubber band into them.
Fold it the other way, and you’ve created a mechanism that springs up with the power of the rubber band! Make several of these to match the size of your box.
Prepare some confetti as well and set everything in the box.
You can also add a message or a small gift.
When the lid is opened, the springy pieces and confetti pop out—this jack-in-the-box is a surefire hit that’s exciting every time you open it!
A lantern made by cutting slits into a milk carton
Let’s try making a lantern using a milk carton.
This lantern has such a striking shape that you might not even realize it started as a milk carton.
First, open up the carton; leave two panels as they are, and trim the other two panels slightly.
Use a permanent marker to add vertical patterns, then make slits perpendicular to those patterns.
Wrap it around in a circle and fasten it with a stapler.
Punch holes with a hole punch, thread a string through, and it’s done.
By getting creative with colors and designs for the patterns, you can make lots of colorful lanterns.
milk carton car
Here’s an idea for a milk carton car that you can actually ride and enjoy.
This project uses a plant stand with casters and milk cartons to make a vehicle.
Once the base is complete, cover it with felt and decorate it.
The visual design is up to you, but it’s a good idea to use popular characters as motifs.
You could also model it after an Anpanman car.
By the way, the plant stand with casters can be purchased at a 100-yen shop.
It’s a very cost-effective idea, don’t you think?
vending machine
Believe it or not, you can hand-make a vending machine that dispenses properly with the push of a button! It’s a great craft for summer vacation projects, using milk cartons.
Since it doesn’t use rubber bands or springs, kids can try it easily.
Use a tissue box to make the internal mechanism and a milk carton for the vending machine body.
For the canned drinks, roll up milk cartons cut into strips.
You can even design your own can labels! Your friends will definitely be amazed and ask, “How did you make this?”—it’s a surefire crowd-pleaser.
Pinwheel piggy bank
Introducing a pinwheel piggy bank where the pinwheel inside spins when you insert a coin.
Prepare two milk cartons, a lid from a 6-piece cheese pack, a utility knife, a bamboo skewer, and a straw.
For the piggy bank base, make holes for the coin slot, a door, and the hole for the pinwheel’s bamboo skewer in one milk carton.
Next, for the blades, cut off the bottom third of the second milk carton with the utility knife to create the lower section.
Then cut off about the top third of the remaining carton, score folds on the four sides to make it easier to bend, and fold it.
Thread a bamboo skewer through and staple to secure—this completes the inner blades.
Insert the bamboo skewer through the base and fix the blades in place.
Cut the 6-piece cheese lid into a pinwheel shape, attach it to a straw, and secure it.
Your pinwheel piggy bank is complete!
Cube puzzle
If you’re making something for slightly older kids, cube puzzles are a great choice.
Use the bottom half of milk cartons to make cubes, line them up, and turn them into a puzzle.
The pictures can be anything—favorite characters, numbers—whatever works! You can start with as few as four cubes for a smaller version, so the size is completely flexible.
Try adjusting it to suit the child’s age.
soccer ball
The ball used for playing soccer is usually made of fabric, but how about making a soccer ball out of milk cartons? Cut out 20 hexagons from milk cartons and 12 pentagons from black colored paper.
Connect the pieces, stuff the inside with newspaper or similar so it doesn’t get crushed, and you’re done! You’ll be using a lot of box cutters, so be careful not to get injured.
Paku-Paku Shark
Even making a kinetic piece is fun, and that excited “Will it really move?” feeling sparks your imagination, doesn’t it? This Chompy Shark is a quick craft you can play with, and you can make it using materials you already have at home.
Cut the bottom of a milk carton into an L-shape.
The piece you cut out will become the chomping mouth.
Poke holes and insert a bamboo skewer, place a wheel made from the bottom of a plastic bottle inside the carton, and assemble the mouth section—then when you move the milk carton back and forth, the mouth opens and closes.
Depending on how you decorate the milk carton, you could create all sorts of animals!
