[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 (21–30)
Recreating Disney park food!
Perfect for a summer vacation science project! Let’s make a “Little Green Men Squishy.” You know them as popular Disney characters.
These cute and unique Little Green Men can be turned into a squishy with a soft, bouncy feel.
It’s a hands-on craft where you can create a mysterious toy that looks just like the real thing and feels great to squeeze.
All you need are liquid foundation sponges from the 100-yen shop, fast-drying clear glue, and acrylic paint.
Finish a Disney park-style treat that looks real, and enjoy your summer vacation!
Handmade Happy Noodles
https://www.tiktok.com/@n.annlee321/video/7317570138859900162Looks just like the real thing! Let’s handcraft some happy noodles.
Flatten a cotton ball made from yellow embroidery thread to form a lump of noodles.
Also, wrap another embroidery thread around chopsticks and soak it in water mixed with liquid starch.
Once it dries and you remove it, it will turn into curly noodles, so make some of those too.
Use a small paper cup as the container and attach a package label you designed with a design app.
Put in the noodles and a packet of toppings, then stick on the lid to finish! You might even be able to use it as a keychain if you add some parts.
[For Upper Elementary Students] Simple but Amazing! Summer Vacation Craft Ideas (31–40)
Minecraft accessories
Let’s make some game character merchandise! Here are ideas for Minecraft-themed accessories.
Minecraft is a globally popular game, and it even had a movie released.
How about making accessories inspired by Minecraft characters this time? You’ll need a grass-like sheet material, wooden cubes, scissors, black felt, strong double-sided tape or glue, an awl, and accessory findings.
You can get all the materials at a 100-yen shop, so feel free to give it a try!
How to make a Disney kids’ lunch (bento)
A full-on adorable independent study on “How to Make a Disney Kids’ Lunch.” Think up and create your own Disney-style kids’ lunch that looks cute and exciting—like Mickey-shaped chicken rice, an omelet, fried shrimp, a hamburger patty, potato salad, and more! It’s an edible work of art, perfect for people who love cooking and design.
You can make everything with paper clay, so it’s super easy.
Even if you can’t easily go to Tokyo Disneyland, making this craft will let you feel like you’ve enjoyed a kids’ lunch there.
Corinth game
How about making a Corinth game that you could probably put together right now with materials you have at home? It’s a game where you build a base out of cardboard and launch marbles one by one to aim for high scores.
It’s played the same way as a Smart Ball game.
The launcher section requires a bit of delicate work, but once you get past that, there’s a lot of freedom—you can place the scoring areas however you like.
You can also make the base colorful or add characters.
I recommend it as a craft project that’s fun to play with even after you’ve finished making it.
Make it with disposable chopsticks! Sniper rifle
Simple yet profound, it features a mechanism as authentic as a sniper rifle! This is an idea for a cool chopstick rubber-band gun that you can make using just disposable chopsticks and rubber bands.
It’s so realistic to play with that adults are sure to get hooked.
It’s a craft that both adults and kids can enjoy, easy to make and fun to play with.
Create your own original toy gun and enjoy group battles together.
Be sure to prioritize safety, and you’ll love the excitement of both the crafting and the play.
Give it a try!
Making a motor
It’s sure to excite any boy! Let’s try making a motor.
This idea uses the commercially available teaching kit “The Effects of Electric Current T-BOX III.” It basically includes all the necessary materials, so just follow the instructions to assemble the motor.
Older elementary school children should be able to read the manual and will probably enjoy the assembly like building a plastic model.
Once you’re done, check to see if the motor spins.
You’ll be surprised at how fast it turns!