Recommended for elementary school students! Science fair topics & craft ideas
Speaking of summer vacation, choosing a topic for the independent research project can often be tough.
Science experiments and crafts are both fun! If your child is good at crafts, we recommend crafts because they can enjoy the process as they go.
When they get absorbed in it, they might even finish in just a few days.
Here, we’ll introduce a variety of ideas for independent research and crafts! If you’re struggling to pick a theme, please use these as a reference.
To create fun summer memories, make a one-of-a-kind project of your own!
- For summer vacation homework! Simple and amazing crafts for elementary school students that you’ll want to make after seeing them
- Simple yet amazing crafts: craft ideas that elementary school students will want to make
- Elementary School Students: Simple One-Day Science Project and Craft Ideas
- DIY science projects that elementary school boys will love: ideas you can make with everyday materials
- [For Upper Elementary Students] Simple but Awesome! A Collection of Summer Vacation Craft Ideas
- For upper-grade boys! Simple yet awesome craft project [Don’t call it lazy]
- Fun crafts using straws
- Recommended for lower elementary school students! A collection of plastic bottle craft ideas made with everyday materials.
- Simple and cute summer project crafts! A collection of ideas for girls that will make you want to create
- [Middle School Students] Easy One-Day Science Projects and Crafts Ideas
- Toys you can make from cardboard crafts! Authentic ideas you can build and play with
- Simple but awesome! Craft ideas for upper-grade girls
- Crafts parents and kids can enjoy together. Recommended craft ideas to keep children entertained.
For lower grades (91–100)
Cute shaved ice piggy bank
https://www.tiktok.com/@n.annlee321/video/7264136172731944194Here’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.
Bead and pipe cleaner ideas
@n.annlee321 ▼For details on materials, click here▼ 📕My book has been reprinted—thank you so much! 😭🙏🥺❤️ The link is in my profile 🥰 🔎 “New Handmade Toys” (Available on Amazon, Rakuten, and in bookstores!) Learn through play! Simple, fun ideas 💡 ☆*:.。.┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈.。.:*☆ I share fun activities you can enjoy with kids☺️ I’m An 🌸 Bracelets made with beads and pipe cleaners ✨ Make them short and they work as cable ties too♪ (I use them all the time) You can decorate jars, use them as headbands for stuffed animals… so many ways to use them!!! Pipe cleaners keep beads from slipping, so they’re easy for kids to handle! Threading beads onto the wire helps kids focus and improves fine motor skills 😊 I tried different ways to finish the ends, and the method in the video is the simplest and cleanest! The tightly coiled pipe cleaner looks like a pom‑pom—so cute, right? 😆💕 You can enjoy arranging bead patterns and adjusting the length ✨ I used 30 cm pipe cleaners. Beads around 8 mm to 1 cm are easy for kids to handle! Pipe cleaners also fit through 6 mm beads, so choose what you like 🙌 Pipe cleaners will basically fit through anything except ultra‑tiny beads! ☆*:.。.┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈.。.:*☆ Thanks so much for watching 😆 I’m a mom of a 4‑ and 7‑year‑old who love making and playing (Toy Consultant & Picture Book Instructor). I share crafts, play ideas, and handmade picture books—fun things to enjoy with kids ♡ I’d be happy if we can be friends!#HandmadeToyswork#I love craftsChildcare#LifeWithKidsLife with children#AtHomePlay#EducationalPlayEducationalFinger Dexterity Education#tiktok classroom
♬ Talking Box (Dirty Pop Remix) – WurtS
Thread beads onto pipe cleaners to make all kinds of little accessories.
First curl one end of the pipe cleaner, then thread on a bead.
Insert the curled tip into the bead’s hole, pull the other side to lock it in place, and after that just add your favorite beads and form a loop.
Make it larger for a bracelet, or use flower-shaped beads to create a flower crown for a doll.
You can also use them for cable ties, tiny bottle decorations, and many other situations.
Because you’re using pipe cleaners, the beads don’t slip off easily after threading, making this an easy activity for toddlers and lower-grade elementary school children.
A box for doing hair styling
@n.annlee321 Perfect for practicing ribbon bows, braids, and using hair ties 🥰🎀#HandmadeToys#100-yen-shop#100-yen shop DIYParentingChildcareChildcareEducational#EducationalToysbraidRibbon bow
♬ Shimokita – Gaiyu
Why not make a hairstyling box using a large empty box, felt, and yarn? It’s a great craft for kids who love tying or braiding doll hair.
First, cut out parts like the face, eyes, and mouth from felt, and stick them onto the box lid.
As if making a pom-pom, wrap yarn around cardboard, tie it at one point, then cut the looped ends.
Punch holes in the top of the face area on the box, thread the tied yarn through, and attach the “hair” around the face.
Make the side sections and bangs separately.
Also, secure the side hair at the upper left and right sides of the face.
Finally, decorate as you like with ribbons and more, and you’re done! Use the yarn as hair and enjoy styling it.
Handmade croissant craft
https://www.tiktok.com/@n.annlee321/video/7404764006663130385Croissants, whose toasty aroma practically comes through just by looking at them, are a popular bread across generations.
Let’s recreate that delicious croissant appearance using materials you can get at a 100-yen shop.
For the base, cut a puzzle mat into three different sizes, then glue them together while creating steps.
Once the base is complete, apply double-sided tape across the entire surface and wrap brown yarn around it to mimic the look of a croissant.
Since the layered dough and variations in browning are part of a croissant’s appeal, experiment with how you wrap the yarn and also use paint to reproduce these details effectively.
Surprising Craft

An unexpected surprise! Here’s a craft project full of excitement that sparks curiosity.
At first glance, it looks like an ordinary envelope, but when you open it—“brrrriip!”—it makes a ripping sound! The method is simple, making it perfect for a summer vacation project.
First, prepare a bag handle, rubber bands, and a ring like the kind used for word-card binders.
Attach rubber bands to both sides of the ring, then tie them to the handle—and you’re done.
Wind the ring up and place it inside the envelope.
Feel free to draw on or decorate the envelope as you like.
The mechanism is that the ring spins when the envelope is opened, creating the sound.
It’s easy, so make a bunch and have fun playing with them!
Melamine sponge sandwich craft
https://www.tiktok.com/@picoton_craft/video/7212556003580185857How 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!



