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Elementary School Students: Simple One-Day Science Project and Craft Ideas

For elementary school summer break projects and crafts, we recommend starting with something your child is already interested in.

When it’s something they like, they can enjoy working on it.

Here, we introduce simple ideas for elementary school students! These are experiments and crafts you can do in a single day.

The materials are things you already have at home or can get quickly, so even if you’re short on time, no worries.

Perfect for those who are “stuck on a theme” or “looking for an easy and fun project”! Find your favorite and give it a try.

[Elementary School Students] Simple One-Day Ideas for Independent Research and Crafts (111–120)

Target-throwing game with disposable chopsticks and clothespins

Let me introduce a target-shooting game that launches with a burst of energy using chopsticks and a clothespin.

Prepare two chopsticks, a clothespin, tape, and a plastic bottle cap to make it.

For the launcher, clip the clothespin’s metal spring onto a chopstick, then tape the clothespin’s handle and the chopstick together to form the base.

Cut a slit in the plastic bottle cap and fasten it to the chopstick with a rubber band.

Make a target out of a milk carton and draw point values on it.

Set a marble-sized ball on the finished launcher and try aiming at the target.

Have fun seeing how many points you can score!

Disposable chopstick holder

Simple! A chopstick storage box: just keep stacking disposable chopsticks. Great for a summer vacation craft!
Disposable chopstick holder

Here’s a chopstick accessory holder that’s perfect for a summer vacation craft.

Prepare 12 pairs of disposable chopsticks, glue, and colored construction paper.

Split the chopsticks in half, then use scissors to cut all the way around the midpoint to make them half-length pieces.

With 12 pairs, you’ll get 48 sticks.

Cut the colored paper into a square, apply glue to the left and right sides, and attach chopsticks; then flip it over, rotate it, and glue chopsticks onto the sides that don’t have them yet.

Apply glue where the chopsticks overlap and stack the sticks one by one.

Make sure they stack up straight.

Let it dry thoroughly, and it’s done!

How to make a chopstick tree

[Christmas Craft] Easy with chopsticks and yarn! How to make a Chopstick Tree [Ashitaba Channel]
How to make a chopstick tree

Here’s how to make a chopstick tree that lets you enjoy a cozy nighttime atmosphere when you light it up.

Prepare chopsticks, yarn, glue, and decorations like beads, then get started.

First, build the tree’s frame with chopsticks.

Wrap yarn evenly around the base.

For a summery feel, you could use colors like light blue or pale green.

Once you decorate it with summer-themed items such as watermelon or fish-shaped wind chimes, your chopstick tree is complete.

It’s sure to captivate elementary school kids, too.

Try changing the seasonal theme as you make it—you might discover something new each time.

Chopstick grabber

[Craft] Chopstick Grabber (Magic Hand)
Chopstick grabber

Let me introduce a chopstick grabber that’s fun to make and fun to play with.

Prepare eight wooden chopsticks, double-sided tape, plastic bottle caps, and rubber bands.

Stack four chopsticks in a crisscross pattern and secure the center with a rubber band.

Make another set the same way.

Combine the two finished sets and bind them with rubber bands where the chopsticks overlap to hold them together.

Finally, attach two plastic bottle caps to the tip, and it’s done.

Try moving the handle and have fun playing with it!

Handmade maracas

Handmade maracas! You can easily make an instrument with paper cups and straws♪
Handmade maracas

This craft is inspired by maracas made with paper cups that produce a cheerful rattling sound when lightly shaken.

The steps are simple: put beads or finely cut pieces of straw into a paper cup, then cover it with another paper cup as a lid.

What you put inside is important—consider how different fillings change the sound as you make it.

Decorating the outside is also a key point; aim for fun decorations that match the light, lively sound of the maracas.

Paper slingshot made from origami and chopstick sleeves

Paper Pachinko: An Easy Way to Make One with Origami and Chopsticks — Kids Can Make It Too
Paper slingshot made from origami and chopstick sleeves

A slingshot is a Y-shaped gadget used to launch pebbles or paper far into the distance.

At first glance it might seem like just a toy, but similar hunting tools have existed all over the world since ancient times.

The need to propel objects far is what gave rise to that shape.

Let’s try making such a slingshot using chopsticks.

The key to building a sturdy slingshot is reinforcing the space between the Y-shape with a toothpick.

There aren’t any particularly difficult steps, so even younger elementary school children should be able to make it.

You can switch up what you launch—paper, stones, clay, slime, and more—and turn it into a science project-style exploration.

“Wankoppu,” which sounds like a dog’s bark

Real!? A cup that makes a sound like a dog barking: 'Wancup' #crafts #handmadeToys #easyCrafts
“Wankoppu,” which sounds like a dog’s bark

This is a craft project: a dog mascot made from a paper cup that emits a sound like a real dog when you pull a chopstick attached to its tail.

The key is how to attach the pipe cleaner tail.

Attach a clip to the end of the pipe cleaner, thread it through a hole made in the paper cup, and secure it so that impacts resonate through the cup.

Once this part is complete, decorate the rest using a small paper cup, origami paper, and so on to create the dog’s appearance.

Then, by pinching the pipe cleaner in the gap between the chopsticks and pulling, the pipe cleaner’s vibrations are transmitted to the paper cup, producing a sound that resembles a dog’s bark.