[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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- Crafts parents and kids can enjoy together. Recommended craft ideas to keep children entertained.
[Indoor Activities] A Collection of Craft Ideas Recommended for Elementary School Students (31–40)
Candy Magnet
Let’s make a magnet that looks like a candy with twisted ends.
The materials and steps are very simple, so it’s highly recommended.
First, prepare strong magnets from a 100-yen shop, a plastic bottle cap, and a fabric scrap with a pattern you like.
Start by gluing the magnet to the back of the bottle cap.
Next, cut the fabric scrap to 14 cm by 10 cm, then fold back and glue three sides, leaving just one of the short sides unfolded.
Once the glue is dry, wrap the bottle cap with the fabric and secure it with glue.
Finally, to create the candy shape, gather and stitch the fabric at both ends with thread.
You’re done! Try making lots in different colors and patterns.
Balloon pistol
You can play a fun target game using the power of a balloon! Use decorative pom-poms as the balls.
First, cut a balloon around the middle and attach it to a paper towel roll core.
Secure it with a rubber band so it won’t come off, and it’s ready! Put the decorative balls inside, pull back the balloon, and launch the balls to play.
Make the targets out of milk cartons.
It’s also recommended to decorate the launcher and shape it like a cool pistol using cardboard or any decorations you like.
Have fun with your own original ideas!
Balloon pistol
You can play a fun target game using the power of a balloon! Use decorative pom-poms as the balls.
First, cut a balloon around the middle and attach it to a paper towel roll core.
Secure it with a rubber band so it won’t come off, and it’s ready! Put the decorative balls inside, pull back the balloon, and launch the balls to play.
Make the targets out of milk cartons.
It’s also recommended to decorate the launcher and shape it like a cool pistol using cardboard or any decorations you like.
Have fun with your own original ideas!
stained glass wind chime
It looks even more beautiful in the sunlight! Let me share an idea for a stained-glass-style wind chime.
On hot summer days, just having a wind chime with a cool, refreshing look can make you feel pleasantly refreshed.
This time, let’s make a stained-glass wind chime using transparent origami.
You’ll need transparent origami paper, a plastic cup, an empty capsule, double-sided tape, an awl, string, and so on.
The step where you cut the transparent origami into your favorite shapes and stick them on to create a design seems like something you could enjoy doing with kids.
Let’s make a cardboard pochette
Here’s an introduction to making a pochette using cardboard.
Do you have cardboard boxes at home from parcel deliveries or from purchases at the supermarket? If you have some on hand, you can make a pochette simply by cutting it into shape, folding it, and assembling it.
Cardboard has lines where the inside is hollow.
The key is to keep those lines in mind when you cut.
If you want to create curves in your cardboard parts, cut across those lines.
Doing so will expand your creative possibilities.
Designing the pochette itself is sure to be an enjoyable time, too.
Handmade shaker coaster
Introducing original handmade “shaker” coasters that capture the feel of the seasons.
Gather styrofoam board, background design paper, a clear file, plastic sheet, double-sided tape, beads or seashells, and sand, and let’s get started.
First, decide what kind of coaster you want to make.
Cut the styrofoam board to create the coaster base.
Attach the base pieces together for the bottom section.
Apply masking tape around the edges, add seashells and sand inside, then seal it with the lid using double-sided tape—and you’re done! Give it a try!
Cute mini-sized craft
Mini crafts made with easily available materials from 100-yen shops, such as origami paper, straws, and stickers.
You can whip up small items like keychains, mini bags, paper flowers, and wind chimes in no time.
They’re perfect for decorating your room or for small gifts to friends.
With a little creativity and ingenuity, you can make all kinds of accessories, so why not use the ideas introduced here as inspiration to create your own original pieces? Turning your own ideas into tangible form can be a very rewarding experience.
A beanbag-toss game using ping-pong balls
Here’s a fun and engaging game using ping-pong balls: a ball-toss challenge.
Gather chopsticks, clothespins, tape, and paper cups to make it.
When building the launcher, be mindful of the angle as you fix the chopsticks in place with tape.
Secure them firmly with tape and test to make sure it works properly as you build.
Attach a pair of plastic bottle caps to the back end of the chopsticks, and it’s complete.
You can decorate it however you like.
Stick paper cups on the wall to create goals, then try shooting from the launcher and have fun playing!
10 Musical Instruments Made from Plastic Bottles
Musical instruments can produce all kinds of sounds and are fascinating, but many people may feel hesitant to buy a lot when they’re not sure how much they’ll actually use them.
Here, we’ll introduce many instruments you can make using plastic bottles.
For example, castanets made by attaching plastic bottle caps to cardboard, a whistle made by punching a hole in a cap and inserting a straw, and even instruments with different pitches just by letting the air out of a plastic bottle.
There are also plastic bottle drums and a “petphone,” made by connecting plastic bottles cut to various lengths.
Use these as references and give it a try!
Marble Rolling Tower
How about a stylish marble run, a Marble Rolling Tower, made from toilet paper cores and colored construction paper? First, stack three toilet paper cores vertically to make one long tube.
Next, let’s create the tracks where the marbles will roll using colored construction paper.
Prepare a rectangular sheet of colored paper, cut it lengthwise in half, then fold the half sheet in half two times.
Unfold the second fold, and along the crease you just made, cut a series of deep, fine slits from one edge to the other.
Once that’s done, fold it into a long, thin triangle to form the track.
Finally, attach the track diagonally to the tube like a slide, and glue a piece of cardboard to the very bottom of the tube as a base—done! Try making it with different colors of paper.
