[Indoor Activities] A Collection of Craft Ideas Recommended for Elementary School Students

Paper Cup UFO Catcher

How to make a UFO catcher with paper cups? Crafting tips from a nursery teacher (for 5-year-olds)

The “Paper Cup UFO Catcher” is a popular DIY recreation idea you can enjoy with elementary school kids.

Cut eight slits into a paper cup to make tentacle-like arms, then insert a straw through the center to move it.

Place another paper cup over the top and move it up and down—this opens and closes the arms.

The moment it grabs the target is super exciting! It’s easy to make with everyday materials, yet the movement feels authentic and makes it really fun to play.

Figuring out the controls is part of the charm, and it gets even more exciting when friends compete.

It’s a recommended activity that combines the joy of crafting with the sense of achievement from a game.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

kojifumi

Report a problem

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.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

kojifumi

Report a problem

Strawberry roll cake squishy

@nadf11

Whipped cream deco for handmade squishies 🍰#HandmadeSqueeze#Whip Deco#SweetsDecoSilicone whip#Making Squeeze Toys

Merry Go Nyand – mg ⧓

A cute-looking strawberry roll cake squishy that’s perfect for a school science project.

Start by making the roll cake, then decorate it adorably with pink silicone whip! Experiment with color choices that make it look real and explore differences in texture as your theme.

It’s not only cute to look at, but also super squishy and soothing to the touch.

To make it even cuter, try adding strawberries, cookies, and pink pearls.

Displaying photos or the actual piece will surely convey the fun to anyone who sees it.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

Nanaka

Report a problem

Kaleidoscope in an ice cup

[Elementary School Summer Crafts / Independent Research] 🌻 Kaleidoscope with Ice Cream Cups

A kaleidoscope where you can enjoy geometric, mysterious pattern changes.

Let’s make such a kaleidoscope using an ice cream cup.

First, use nail polish remover to erase the letters and designs from two ice cream cup lids.

Next, cut aluminum foil to your preferred length, fold it three times to make a long, narrow rectangle, then cut it into shorter pieces, roll each into a tube, and secure with tape.

Make many small tubes and pack them tightly into the ice cream cup without gaps.

Then put on a lid and sprinkle beads or pieces of translucent origami paper cut into small shapes on top.

Finally, place the other lid on top and tape it in place to finish.

Point it toward the sunlight and spin it around to play.

Palm-sized ocean diorama

[Elementary School Grade 2 Summer Craft] All 100-Yen Shop Materials! Palm-Sized ♪ How to Make an Ocean Diorama

Let’s try making a diorama that captures a summer scene.

It’s palm-sized, so you won’t have trouble finding a place for it, and it’s easy to bring to school.

Prepare a container you like, apply glue to the bottom, and lay down paper clay.

Use sand, powdered pastels, and resin to create the beach and the sea.

Add stones and moss, place parts made from paper clay, and you’re done.

You can depict any landscape you like, so try making it while recalling the fun things you did during summer vacation.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

sasashina

Report a problem

3 simple coasters

[For Summer Vacation Crafts 🍉] 3 Easy Coasters ✨❣️ #easy #summerVacationCrafts #summerHomework

How about making coasters as a summer vacation craft? Here, we’ll introduce three methods.

The first is a coaster made by arranging tiles on top of paper clay.

The second is a coaster made by lining up beads and melting them in the microwave.

The third is a summery coaster that expresses a seasonal scene by placing shells, sequins, and stickers in resin.

They’re all easy to make, so give them a try.

You can buy most of the materials at 100-yen shops.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

sasashina

Report a problem

Mordor

Seria’s fluffy chenille stems [How to Make a Mold Doll] Fuzzy chenille bear

This guide shows you how to make soft, cute dolls using pipe cleaners with fluffy fibers attached.

Even though they’re fuzzy, the core is still a pipe cleaner, so you can freely change the shape by bending and twisting to add curves.

Once you shape it like a framework, combine other pipe cleaners there to complete the overall base.

While deciding what pose the doll will take, adjust the angles, then assemble the small parts to create its expression as well.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

kappamaki

Report a problem

Flower Hand-cranked Spinning Top

@n.annlee321

A hand-spun top that you spin with your palm ☺️✨Summer Vacation Craft#tiktok classroomLife with children#HandmadeToys

♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey

Let’s make a hand-spun top that you spin vigorously with your hand, designed with a cute, flower-inspired look.

We’ll use a disposable chopstick as the top’s axle, and wrap long, folded strips of paper around it to form the shape of the top.

Everyone should clearly imagine their favorite flower and think about which colors of paper will best match that flower.

Wrapping the paper tightly is the key to making the whole piece sturdy and ensuring it spins well.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

kappamaki

Report a problem

Cute shaved ice piggy bank

Here’s an idea for a shaved-ice coin bank made from a milk carton.

It’s adorable because a little face pops out when you put a coin in.

Prepare a small milk carton and peel off the outer printed layer so it’s white.

Cut the spout into a mountain shape.

Draw the syrup part with a pen, attach an iridescent (aurora) sheet, and create the slot for inserting coins.

Next, pierce a rotating cardboard piece with a bamboo skewer and fix it inside the milk carton.

Thread the face piece onto the part of the skewer that sticks out of the carton and glue it in place, then decorate the other end with beads.

Attach thick paper around it to hide the skewer, and close the spout to finish.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

sasashina

Report a problem

An hourglass made of straws

Let’s make a toy where short straws fall like an hourglass.

First, cut a wire to 40 cm and wrap it around a pencil to make a spring.

Prepare two small paper cups and make a hole in the center of each bottom; thread one cup onto one end of the spring and secure it.

Stretch the spring and thread short, cut pieces of straw onto it.

Then thread and secure the other paper cup on the opposite end.

To prevent the spring from expanding and contracting, bridge two chopsticks between the two cups and glue them in place, and you’re done! Decorate the paper cups and chopsticks with masking tape or stickers to make it cute.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

sasashina

Report a problem