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[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!

[For Upper Elementary Students] Simple but Amazing! Summer Vacation Craft Ideas (91–100)

Sea memo stand

Summer vacation craft! Make an ocean-themed memo stand with your child ♪ Easy, hassle-free resin ♪ Let’s pack in your memories, too!
Sea memo stand

Some families may go swimming at the beach during summer vacation, right? When we think of the hot summer, many children surely picture the sea.

So why not make a memo stand using resin with an ocean theme? Prepare parts to embed in the resin, such as seashells, sea creatures, and clear or blue stones.

Of course, it’s also nice to include shells you picked up at the beach.

Place your favorite parts and the memo stand into a container, then pour in the resin.

After that, leave it undisturbed for the specified time.

At this stage, the key is to prevent dust and debris from getting in—for example, by placing the piece in a box.

If you include seashells you collected at the beach, you can create a lovely piece that captures your summer memories.

Eyeball Tile Coaster

[100-Yen Shop DIY] Summer Vacation Craft Accessory: Simple and Stylish Googly-Eye Tile Coaster
Eyeball Tile Coaster

Here’s an idea where you use cork coasters sold at 100-yen shops as a base and decorate them with stickers and more.

Lately, tile stickers that were popular in the Heisei era have been making a comeback, and you can find a variety of patterns at 100-yen shops as well.

Decorations using remake sheets—those you stick on furniture or walls—are also recommended.

With a bit of creativity, the possibilities are endless, so go ahead and make coasters full of originality!

[For Upper Elementary Students] Simple but Awesome! Summer Vacation Craft Ideas (101–110)

Accessory box made from an empty box

Summer Vacation Craft Series ♡ Part 4: Making an Accessory Box from Empty Boxes [Koujoucho] DIY
Accessory box made from an empty box

Some children who love fashion may have lots of charms for rings or clothes, right? Since they can easily get lost, it’s handy to have a box that can store them all together.

Here’s an accessory box that’s practical too.

You can make it with an empty box you already have at home.

Add thickness by attaching pieces cut from a quilted surface to the lid and the sides of the box.

The soft, cushioned thickness gives it a luxurious feel, turning it into a proper jewelry box.

If you roll up some felt fabric and place it inside the box, you can store rings neatly.

The finished product won’t look like it was made from an empty box, so give it a try for inspiration!

Mini violin made of clay

It was pretty tough when I tried making a mini violin out of clay.
Mini violin made of clay

There are many kinds of musical instruments with different shapes, and those differences heighten our expectations about what kinds of sounds they can produce.

Focusing on the shapes of instruments, this activity has you use paper clay to make a violin shape.

A real violin has a unique form made by combining pieces of wood, so let’s carefully reproduce the details, such as the indented areas.

Once the overall shape is refined, paint it and attach separate parts like the strings to finish it as a realistic-looking violin.

Let’s make a tomato with paper clay

Let's make a tomato out of paper clay for a summer vacation craft (Part 1)
Let's make a tomato with paper clay

Let’s make one of the classic vegetables—tomatoes—using paper clay.

Knead red paint into the paper clay, shape it into a ball, then stick it onto a stand with a wire post.

Paint it further in red, and layer yellow at the top center to capture a tomato’s coloring.

Knead green paint into another piece of paper clay to make the calyx, attach it to the red fruit, and adjust the size and shape.

Add green coloring, and finally paint the stand to finish.

Mounting the tomato on a stand makes it easier to paint and to submit as a finished piece.

Cute lantern made with disposable chopsticks

https://www.tiktok.com/@mami_toys/video/7141827992879172866

Let me introduce a cute lantern you can make with disposable chopsticks—fun to display and enjoy.

Prepare chopsticks, glue, and washi paper.

Cut the chopsticks and build the lantern’s frame.

The key is to keep an eye on the balance so the frame doesn’t shift out of place.

Attach washi paper from the back to create the lantern’s window sections.

Finally, glue the frames together to finish.

It’s also recommended to use your favorite colors for the window sections.

The light that leaks through the gaps between the chopsticks looks absolutely beautiful.

Disposable Chopsticks Chomping Crocodile

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Simple Crafts Series: Chopstick Chomping Crocodile. “Habi,” the official Child Development Support and After-School Day Service that supports the growth of children with developmental concerns. <Posts around 7 p.m. on Tue/Thu/Sat> The official account of Wellbe for Employment Support is here → @Wellbe Employment Support [Official]#NeurodevelopmentalDisordersParenting# developmental support (ryōiku)Habi

♬ All the Fun We Had Together – Official Sound Studio

Let me introduce the Chopstick Chomping Crocodile—its moving face is super fun! Get some chopsticks, rubber bands, and origami, and let’s make it.

First, split two pairs of chopsticks.

Align each pair lengthwise and secure them with rubber bands.

Once you have two secured sticks, attach them together top and bottom with rubber bands so they can open and close.

Finally, glue or tape a face and mouth to the tips of the chopsticks, and you’re done.

Give it a try for some chomp-chomp fun! Since the method is simple, it could also be fun to swap the crocodile for another animal.