[For Upper Elementary Students] Simple but Awesome! A Collection of Summer Vacation Craft Ideas
Summer vacation crafts—especially for older elementary students—can feel like a dilemma: “Simple projects aren’t satisfying,” but “overly difficult ones are a problem,” too, right? The truth is, by getting creative with materials and tools, you can make projects that look and function like the real deal.
Here, we’re sharing craft ideas—like coin banks, motor-based projects, and food replicas—that will make your friends say, “Wow!” They’re simple to build, yet fun to use even after they’re finished.
Use these as inspiration and add your own twists to create an original masterpiece!
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[For Upper Elementary Students] Simple but Amazing! Summer Vacation Craft Ideas (81–90)
Tapioca drink with tape
How about making a tapioca (bubble tea) drink using transparent gel tape, which is also popular as a craft item? It’s a perfect craft idea especially for kids who love stylish designs.
Its charm lies in the realistic look, resulting in a finish that resembles a food sample.
The method is simple: use laundry starch (liquid laundry glue) and borax to create milk tea slime, and use gel tape to make a milk carton–shaped container.
Then add black deodorizing beads to represent tapioca pearls and square acrylic pieces to represent ice, along with the milk tea slime.
It’s a fun craft with a texture you’ll want to keep touching forever.
Pom-pom Rug Mat
Let’s make a pom-pom rug mat that looks like something you’d find at an interior shop! You can easily make pom-poms of the same size by using two empty toilet paper rolls.
Make lots of pom-poms and tie them one by one onto a non-slip mat, and you’re done! You can buy both the yarn and the non-slip mat at a 100-yen shop.
Depending on the size of the mat, you’ll need plenty of pom-poms.
The process of attaching them can be a bit of work, but let’s do our best for the adorable final result.
It would definitely be cute in a round or heart shape, too!
Puru-Koro Soap
It’s like a jewel! Let me show you how to make cute, jiggly soap.
You’ll need liquid hand soap, gelatin, hot water, and food coloring.
Dissolve the gelatin in hot water, then mix in the liquid hand soap.
The trick is to stir slowly so it doesn’t foam.
Add food coloring, pour into a flat container, and chill in the refrigerator for 1–2 hours.
Then just cut it into your favorite shapes and you’re done! It looks adorable and might make handwashing more fun.
Just be careful to prevent small children from accidentally swallowing it.
How to make a chopstick gun
In addition to chopsticks and rubber bands, this chopstick gun uses cardboard and duct tape to combine into a pistol-like appearance.
The basic firing mechanism is assembled from chopsticks and rubber bands, and then a grip and decorations are attached using cardboard and tape.
Since you’ll end up covering the whole thing with tape so it looks like a pistol, it’s important to build a sturdy base beforehand.
Let’s also pay attention to how we decorate it to make it look as realistic as possible.
Handheld fan made from scrap materials
Combine materials around you to make a handheld fan that creates a fun breeze.
Drill a small hole in a popsicle stick and pass a skewer through the center to form the base for the blades.
Prepare a straw to serve as the shaft, then attach a round-cut piece of cardstock and brightly colored origami paper to complete the blade section.
Make a hole in the center of the shaft as well, assemble everything so it spins, thread it through the straw, and insert it into the handle.
Wrap thread around it, pull, and pass it through a bead—the moment you pull, the blades will spin.
With a bit of ingenuity, you can change the look and the strength of the wind and enjoy the freedom of creativity.
It’s an idea that lets you repurpose scrap materials to create a one-of-a-kind project.
pull-back car
This craft lets you experience the fun of a car you built yourself zooming forward powered by rubber bands.
Cut corrugated plastic (plastic cardboard) to match the size of the car body.
For the wheels, use bottle caps: make a hole in the center, then pass a bamboo skewer through to create the axle.
If you firmly attach this to the body with hot glue, it will start to look like a real car.
Hook a rubber band onto the rear axle and wind it by turning the axle forward, and you’re ready to go.
When you let go, the car surges ahead under the power of the rubber band.
You can freely design and color the body, so you can get particular about the appearance too.
Using everyday materials and a simple mechanism, it’s a hands-on project that’s both fun to build and a great way to learn, delivering dynamic motion.
[For Upper Elementary Students] Simple but Amazing! Summer Vacation Craft Ideas (91–100)
A turtle that runs on rubber power!
Moving toys are appealing no matter how old you are, and they’re especially popular with lower-grade elementary school kids.
This is a paper cup turtle craft that zooms forward using rubber-band power hidden in its shell.
First, cut slits halfway down a paper cup and fold them in to make the legs.
The remaining part becomes the body.
For the face, stick round stickers on as eyes to make it cute.
Take a used AA battery, wrap a rubber band around it, attach kite string with cellophane tape, and set the mechanism inside the turtle’s shell.
Even though it’s a turtle, it moves surprisingly fast and with big motions—so much fun!
