[Indoor Activities] A Collection of Craft Ideas Recommended for Elementary School Students
These days, DIY has firmly taken root as a go-to hobby.
When you visit a home improvement store or a 100-yen shop, you’ll even find dedicated sections for it.
Plenty of households probably already have the materials and tools on hand.
In this article, we’ve rounded up craft ideas recommended for elementary school students who are interested in making things!
We’ll introduce everything from board games everyone can play together to practical ideas you can keep using at home after you’ve made them.
Find the project that suits you best and give it a try!
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- Toys you can make from cardboard crafts! Authentic ideas you can build and play with
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- Crafts parents and kids can enjoy together. Recommended craft ideas to keep children entertained.
[Indoor Activities] A Collection of Recommended Craft Ideas for Elementary School Students (221–230)
Melamine sponge sandwich craft
@picoton_craft Making sandwiches with a sponge♪Simple craft#Parent-Child CraftingworkLife with childrenSandwich
♬ Original song – Picoton / Crafts Class – Picoton 🐥 Easy 100-yen shop craft
How about making a delicious-looking sandwich out of a melamine sponge that you’ll just want to take on a picnic? It’s very easy to make! First, prepare a large, thick melamine sponge and cut it into a triangle, imagining the shape of a sandwich.
Use a craft knife to make a slit so you can insert the fillings.
Next, create the fillings—such as ham, lettuce, or spaghetti—using construction paper or yarn.
If you use colorful materials for the fillings, the result will look extra cute.
Finally, tuck the fillings into the sponge sandwich, and you’re done! Try making different fillings and have fun playing with them.
Funny Hundred Faces

This “Funny Hundred Faces” activity is perfect for people who love drawing and have time to take it slow.
It’s a foldable where you open up a square-folded paper and the expression changes bit by bit.
Draw several different faces—smiling, crying, angry, and more.
You can use your teacher’s or friends’ faces as models, or your favorite animals like rabbits or cats.
If you make it with a big sheet of paper, it could even work as a simple mask.
Since the main focus is on drawing illustrations, have fun while you create it!
Cute crafts in the kitchen

Do you know the book “Cute Crafts in the Kitchen for Elementary School Students,” published by Gakken? It’s packed with fun craft ideas, including many that would be perfect for summer vacation projects and crafts.
Let me introduce one from the book: the “Paper Dome Cup.” The simple process is to coat a water balloon with glue, wrap it with Japanese paper or tissue paper, and once it’s dry, pop the balloon.
It doesn’t take much time, so it’s recommended even for those who are short on time.
A soccer game you can make with straws

How about making a simple toy out of straws so you can enjoy soccer at home? It’s a fun, engaging game you can play together with friends or family! Another great point is that you can make it using familiar materials like an empty box and some straws.
Use the empty box to create the field and the straws to build the goals.
Attach straws to the player pieces you cut out from the box, and control them as you play.
It could be even more exciting to model the players after your favorite stars! This toy is sure to help kids develop dexterity and concentration.
We’ve shared detailed instructions in a video, so check it out and give it a try!
A whistle you can blow with a straw

Here’s how to make a whistle out of a straw.
Cut two slits at one end of a straw and trim it so the width forms a rectangle.
Cut the other end of the straw and fit it over the rectangular end, then secure it with cellophane tape.
Adjust the tape so the width becomes a square.
Cut another straw to about 5 centimeters and flatten one end.
Place the flattened end over the side where you can see the square gap, and secure it with cellophane tape.
The key is to test-blow it and check the sound before taping everything down firmly.
Change the lengths of the straws to create different pitches, fix them in place, and you’re done.
Kids are sure to get excited about a whistle made from everyday materials!
Make a bow and arrow with straws!

A piece you worked hard to make yourself becomes twice as fun if you can play with it afterward, right? So this time, we’re introducing a bow and arrow you can make with straws.
You can use either thick boba straws or regular straws.
Besides the straws, you’ll just need common household items like a toilet paper roll and rubber bands, so it’s easy to prepare.
The projectile that the bow shoots is made from the toilet paper roll and rubber bands.
Make the bow using a straw and a spherical Styrofoam ball.
Once it’s finished, just aim and shoot at targets made from paper plates or balloons.
Kids will enjoy crafting it with the excitement of being able to play with it after it’s done.
[Indoor Play] A Collection of Craft Ideas Recommended for Elementary School Kids (231–240)
straw wrapper

Kids will be thrilled to work on making sound-producing instruments.
Here’s how to make a trumpet using a straw and construction paper.
Prepare a half-circle of construction paper about 25 to 30 centimeters across.
Roll the paper into a cone shape.
Cut both sides of the tip of the straw to create a pointed edge, then insert that pointed tip into the cut end of the paper cone.
Secure the construction paper and the straw with cellophane tape, and you’re done.
When playing, pinch the tip of the straw flat and blow.
It’s a simple craft, but it can produce a unique sound.


