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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)

Paper cup fireworks

[Online Kindergarten] Paper Cup Fireworks: Parent-Child Craft at Home <Official from Kodomo Challenge>
Paper cup fireworks

Fireworks burst out of a paper cup! How about enjoying a bright, summery craft? First, prepare some copy paper and draw any patterns you like.

Crayons or pens with vivid colors are recommended.

Next, cut the paper in half, accordion-fold each piece, then fold them in half again.

Make a hole in the center of the bottom of a paper cup and insert a chopstick.

Finally, attach the accordion-folded pieces to both sides of the chopstick, and fix their ends to both sides of the cup to finish.

You’ll love the satisfying pop as the fireworks open! It’s easy to make, so give it a try.

A toy that uses a lid

@n.annlee321

Usable... lid!!!TranslationHaagen-Dazs hand-made toy 100-yen shop DIY#KindergartenMom#Kindergartentranslation#ElementarySchoolMom

♬ Double Double FIGHT! – Intro ver. – CANDY TUNE

Haagen-Dazs is hugely popular for its ice cream.

How about turning the lid—something you’d usually throw away—into a cute science project? In this video, they put sequins inside to make a shaker-style lid, and they also poke in pipe-cleaner flowers to create a little trinket box.

With a bit of creativity, you can use lids from other ice creams to make all kinds of toys.

For example, how about making menko (slap-battle cards)? The weight and thickness seem just right.

With bottle-milk caps, you could make character medals.

If you coat them with gold or silver paper, you’ll get super cool-looking medals.

Cute herbarium

[100-Yen DIY] Easy, Cute Herbarium – Perfect for a Summer Vacation Craft! Daiso Arrangement
Cute herbarium

Why not try making a herbarium, a popular interior decoration? Prepare a container, your favorite flowers and beads, and baby oil.

First, place the flowers and beads into the container, being careful not to overfill it.

Also, if anything tends to float when put in liquid, soak it in the liquid beforehand.

Once you’ve added all the parts, slowly pour in the baby oil, close the container lid, and it’s done.

You can also focus on choosing a stylish container and decorate it with stickers or washi tape to make it extra cute.

Torokira Keychain

Easy craft: glossy jelly keychains! Simple handmade project with 100-yen shop materials. Perfect for at-home time, summer vacation, and free craft or science projects. Great for beginners too. [100-yen DIY]
Torokira Keychain

Do you know those cute accessories with a little doll floating in a tiny plastic bag? You often see them as prizes at festival raffles, but actually, you can make them yourself.

You only need items mostly from a 100-yen shop—like a soft card holder, beads and glitter, liquid laundry starch, and masking tape—so it’s a budget-friendly craft project.

Add cutouts of your favorite character or idol to the decorations, and it instantly becomes merch for your fave! You’ll want to make them for everyone!

Let’s try mixing water and oil

[Independent Research by a Former Tutor and Cram School Instructor Mom] Let’s Try Mixing Water and Oil!
Let's try mixing water and oil

This is an experiment to see what happens when you mix water and oil.

First, make colored water by adding food coloring to a glass of water.

In a separate glass, pour in some oil, then carefully pour the colored water on top.

Strangely, the colored water you added last will settle at the bottom of the glass, and the oil will form a layer on top.

Even if you stir it with a stick, they won’t mix at all.

It’s a fun experiment that overturns the common belief that liquids mix with each other.

Give it a try! The non-mixing liquid you make can also be put into a bottle to create a playful decorative piece.

Transparent cute coaster

I tried making cute clear coasters! Perfect for a parent-child craft project over summer vacation, too!
Transparent cute coaster

Summer is supposed to be hot, but don’t you feel like the summers lately are getting hotter every year? When it’s hot, we crave cold drinks—so why not make coasters to brighten up your drink time and turn it into a summer science project? You’ll be using two-part resin and other chemicals, so be sure to have an adult or an older sibling help you when handling them.

Aside from working with the chemicals, it’s basically just decorating coasters, so even small children can join in! We’re looking forward to seeing your cool, refreshing coasters!

Handmade toy from a cheese box

https://www.tiktok.com/@n.annlee321/video/7503846465555401992

Here’s how to make a banana tart toy that can be used both as a trinket box and for pretend play.

All you need is a round empty cheese box and some felt.

First, use a hot glue gun to apply evenly spaced vertical lines around the side of the box lid.

Once dry, attach brown felt with double-sided tape to create the distinctive tart base.

Cover the top’s packaging surface with white felt, then prepare three long, thin strips of white felt and braid them; glue the braid along the edge.

Arrange felt bananas on top, paint the bottom part of the box brown, and you’re done.