For upper-grade boys! Simple yet awesome craft project [Don’t call it lazy]
I want to make something for my summer break craft project that makes people say “Wow!” but I’d like to avoid anything too difficult.
Great news for upper-elementary school boys! In this article, we introduce intriguing craft projects with clever mechanisms you can build using everyday materials.
Even creations that look complex—like a fountain where water seems to flow upward or a spinning top that floats in midair—are actually surprisingly easy to make.
Once you finish, you can submit your project with an explanation of how it works and use it as a science project, too.
Go ahead and try these fun crafts that apply principles of physics!
- For summer vacation homework! Simple and amazing crafts for elementary school students that you’ll want to make after seeing them
- [For Upper Elementary Students] Simple but Awesome! A Collection of Summer Vacation Craft Ideas
- Craft ideas using plastic bottle caps [for boys]
- Simple yet amazing crafts: craft ideas that elementary school students will want to make
- DIY science projects that elementary school boys will love: ideas you can make with everyday materials
- [For Adults] Simple yet Impressive Crafts: A Stylish, Eye-Catching Collection
- Elementary School Students: Simple One-Day Science Project and Craft Ideas
- Recommended for upper elementary grades! Exciting indoor recreation and games
- Elementary school kids will be hooked! A collection of fun craft ideas using disposable chopsticks
- Adults will be hooked! A collection of craft ideas using toilet paper rolls
- [Middle School Students] Easy One-Day Science Projects and Crafts Ideas
- Recommended for high school students! A collection of easy one-day science project ideas
- [For Upper Grades] Simple Magic Tricks for Elementary School Students: Astonishing and Impressive Magic
Easy-to-make moving toy crafts (11–20)
handheld vacuum cleaner
Let’s try making a DIY handheld vacuum cleaner that uses a plastic bottle! The materials include a plastic bottle, a motor, corrugated plastic board, thick paper/cardboard, an insert cup holder, soundproofing tape, and more.
Place the motor, corrugated plastic, and fan-shaped cutouts of thick paper inside the cup holder to create the suction mechanism, then combine it with a plastic bottle with the bottom cut off.
Finally, connect the motor wires to a battery box, insert the batteries, and you’re done.
Try testing its suction power by picking up things like eraser shavings and paper scraps!
Handmade handheld fan
Let’s handcraft a handy fan whose propeller spins vigorously when you pull a string! The materials are toilet paper rolls and thick paper, kite string, a straw, ice cream sticks, a bamboo skewer, and beads.
Combine two ice cream sticks with a bamboo skewer to create the base of the propeller, then attach it—together with a circular piece cut from thick paper—to a pillar made by joining two toilet paper rolls.
Next, tie the kite string to the bamboo skewer and add the straw and beads, then attach cellophane cut into a fan shape to the ice cream stick section to finish.
Handmade toy from an empty snack box
Make it with an empty snack box! Here’s how to create a pom‑pom shooting game! First, prepare an empty box that once held something like Choco Pie.
Reinforce the back by attaching a wooden stick so the lid can stay open.
Next, glue wooden sticks to the top and bottom of a wooden clip and wrap a rubber band around it.
Attach a plastic bottle cap to one end, and fix the other end to the back of the box.
Finally, stick a few small paper cups inside the box wherever you like, and you’re done.
Set a cotton ball in the bottle cap and launch it with a pop—have fun playing!
Cool rubber band gun
Let me introduce a strong and cool rubber band gun.
Prepare 17 bendable straws, a clothespin, tape, and scissors, and let’s make it.
Take two straws and tape their bendable sections together to secure them.
Attach one clothespin to the gap of the joined straws to create the base.
When bundling straws, secure them tightly so the stacked pieces don’t shift.
Stack eight straws by grouping them in sets of four, extend the bendable sections, and build the structure.
When attaching parts together, make sure the straws are firmly fixed so they don’t slip.
Once it’s finished, hook on a rubber band and give it a try!
Running Robot
An exciting craft! Let me share an idea for a running robot.
Some of you might want to do a craft project but can’t think of a good idea, right? This time, let’s make a running robot that uses a windshield wiper mechanism.
You’ll need a rectangular plastic bottle, bamboo skewers, straws, thick paper, cardboard, plastic bottle caps, rubber bands, and so on.
It’s a great idea that lets you learn how a wiper mechanism works through crafting! Give it a try!
yo-yo
Let’s try making a handmade yo-yo using plastic bottle caps you have at home.
You’ll need four caps, a screw about 2 cm long, some modeling clay, and a braided cord.
First, make a hole in the center of two caps.
Place the flat sides facing each other and connect them with the screw.
Leave a small gap between the flat sides and wind the string around the screw in that gap.
Next, pack modeling clay into the hollow side of the cap where the screw sticks out, then cover the clay with the remaining caps and secure them with tape.
Your mini-sized yo-yo is complete!
Practical craft ideas made with everyday materials (1–10)
drink bar
Wouldn’t you want to show off to your friends if you had one of those drink bars you often see at family restaurants right at home? Let’s make a simple yet stylish and cool drink bar! It’s also highly recommended as a summer vacation craft project, so give it a try with your child and have fun together.
By drilling a hole in a plastic bottle cap with a screwdriver and attaching a valve, you can twist the valve to dispense the drink just like a real drink bar.
The main body is made of cardboard, so kids can easily assemble it too! It would be great to customize the design to your liking, wouldn’t it?
