[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 (51–60)
Shaka-shaka accessory pouch
Just looking at it is soothing! Here are some ideas for a “shaka-shaka” trinket case.
Some kids might want to make their own favorite cute container.
This time, let’s make a shaka-shaka trinket case using materials you can find at a 100-yen shop.
You’ll need a clear round gift box, beads and charms, tape, and washi tape.
Put the beads and charms into the lid of the gift box, then secure it to the bottom part of the container with tape—and you’re done! Adding decorative washi tape to the container itself will make it even more festive.
A bento made with sweets
At first glance, it looks like a cute, ordinary bento—but what if it were made entirely of sweets? Why not try making a bento like that? For the “rice,” use traditional puffed rice snacks.
You could pretend colorful round chocolate candies are green peas, and turn salami sticks into little octopus sausages.
Many snacks we casually eat can look like bento side dishes with just a bit of creative cutting.
Have fun, like playing house, and make a cute, sweet bento!
drink bar
Wouldn’t you want to show off to your friends if you had a drink bar like the ones you see at family restaurants right at home? Let’s make a stylish and cool drink bar with a simple structure! It’s also highly recommended as a summer vacation craft project, so give it a try with your child and have fun together.
By making 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 uses cardboard, so even kids can easily assemble it! It would be great to customize the design to your liking, too.
A wind chime made of thread
Let’s try making a wind chime using water balloons and lace thread! It’s a great summer craft, so why not give it a try? Inflate a balloon to your preferred size and tie the end twice—that’s the key.
Next, wrap the thread around the entire balloon.
If you don’t have lace thread, embroidery thread works as a substitute.
Then, brush wood glue onto the thread so it soaks in, let it dry, and pop the balloon.
Finally, trim off the excess to shape it like a wind chime’s shade, thread a string through, and attach a paper strip, and you’re done! It takes a bit of effort, but you’ll end up with a unique, one-of-a-kind wind chime.
[For Upper Elementary Students] Simple but Amazing! Summer Vacation Craft Ideas (61–70)
For demon-slaying only! Bean-throwing rubber band gun
Oni-busting only! Here’s how to make a bean-throwing rubber band popper.
Prepare chopsticks, roasted soybeans (fukumame), construction paper, tape, scissors, and rubber bands.
Roll the construction paper into a tube, then secure the tube with rubber bands by clamping it between a pair of chopsticks folded in half.
The key is to wrap the rubber bands tightly so they don’t loosen.
Be careful not to cut your hand on the ends of the chopsticks.
When launching, dent the tip of the paper tube, hook on a rubber band, set it, and play.
When playing, don’t aim at people and make sure to play safely.
How to make melon cream soda
Melon soda isn’t just refreshing in taste—the vibrant green color alone gives off a sense of fun.
Focusing on that look, this project shows how to make a colorful mascot using simple materials.
The main materials are jelly-like modeling clay and crushed stones; by combining them well, you can recreate the sparkle of melon soda.
Fill a cup with jelly clay and crushed stones, then place white clay on top to resemble ice cream, and finish with decorations like a cherry and a straw.
Think about angles and proportions as you work to make it look as realistic as possible.
Easy! A chopstick rubber band gun that can even use hair ties
This rubber band gun made from disposable chopsticks is very simple—you just bundle the chopsticks together and fasten them with rubber bands.
First, stack four chopsticks and secure them in two places with rubber bands.
To catch the rubber band that will serve as the projectile, leave the top and bottom sticks of the four sticking out a bit longer.
Attach a clothespin together with the topmost rubber band at the rear.
The rubber band projectile is gripped by both the clothespin and the chopsticks; when you pull the clothespin, the band shoots out.
Try using a hair tie as the projectile—it won’t hurt much even if it hits you.
