Summer is here and we are absolutely LOVING it! This is the perfect time for kids to let their creative juices flow and make some artful memories. Are your kids are too young for summer camp? Check out these fun and easy craft ideas that will keep their little hands busy all summer long!
This is a LONG list, I hope you find something you want to try!
As parents, abuelas or tías, we strive to keep our kids entertained. What better way than by doing some easy summer crafts together – and incorporating culture? Not only does it give us a chance to bond with our little ones, but it also helps them develop their fine motor skills and imagination.
Awesome ideas easy summer crafts for kids
Grab some supplies, and let’s get crafting, shall we??
Below is your list of summer activities and awesome summer crafts that will be sure to bust that summer boredom that likes to sneak up on us!
Sidewalk chalk art
Isn’t this amazing? You can buy the chalk at the store and work some magic on your front walkway, patio, whatever you wish!
DIY Painted Rocks
Painted rocks are a classic summer craft project that never gets old. All you need are some rocks, paint, and a few brushes. Let your kids’ imaginations run wild as they paint their rocks with fun designs and patterns.
IDEAS:
Aztec or Pre-Colombian motifs
Country flags repping your heritage
Favorite phrases in Spanish. A great way to practice!
You can even turn this into a scavenger hunt by hiding the rocks around your backyard or local park for other kids to find.
In our community, this is what we do and the kids (and adults!) have a blast finding these painted rocks with pretty pictures or inspiring words or messages on them!
Whatever your kids want to paint on these rocks, let them! That is the best part of this easy and fun summer craft idea! Just be sure to put another painted rock in its place so others can find your rocks too! Everyone loves a painted rock (or 3!).
We really like the hide-and-seek rock painting kit! This kit comes with everything you need to paint 10 rocks! That way, you don’t have to go looking for the perfect rocks to paint on. This is a great kit! This craft project is great for younger and older kids. And it is easy peasy!
TieDye all the things
Tie-dye is THE ultimate summer craft, Right? Pick up a package of dye, some cotton T-shirts and rubber bands and get ready to let the colors shine!
-Tie-dye patterns and projects
-DIY Tie Dye Heart Pillowcases – Rainbow Style!
Summer paper plate crafts
Paper plate crafts are cheap and great crafts to make! There are so many paper plate crafts you can make but today we will talk about how to make a paper plate Frida-inspired craft. Paper crafts are cheap and fun to make. This is a perfect way to celebrate the sunny days of summer!
All you need are some paper plates, yellow paint, scissors, green construction paper (for the leaves and stem), Elmer’s glue, and brushes to make this perfect summer craft!
-Check out Box of Ideas for how to make this cool Frida plate!
This video is by TheBrosCrafts – check out their channel, so many cool ideas for kids!
This popsicle stick birdhouse is a fun and easy craft that will have your kids feeling like real builders. For this little project, you will need some popsicle sticks, glue, and a few other supplies. Your kids can paint the sticks before assembling the birdhouse, or they can decorate it with stickers or markers.
Hang it up in your backyard, add some bird seed, and watch as the birds come to visit. Your kids will love seeing the birds that visit their birdhouse they crafted all on their own! It will make them feel proud that they made something so useful!
Cigar Box Birdhouse
We crafted a cigar birdhouse using a cigar box! Thank heavens you don’t need to smoke cigars to create this awesome birdhouse because you can get a cigar box at almost any second-hand store or at a local cigar or smoke shop.
These turned out really cute! These do require a bit more work like sanding and some drilling, so be sure to be available to do this for your child if this is the route they want to go! Otherwise, this might be best for big kids to do.
Ice Cream Cone Garland (And Other Garlands)!
Video by Janani Murugesan. Soooo adorable! Nothing says summer like ice cream, and this ice cream craft garland is a fun project that your kids will love. All you need are some colorful paper, scissors, ribbon or twine, and glue.
Some other garland craft ideas I made:
Can you tell I LOVE to make garlands? Garland can be used all year round on anything.
Crafts for outdoor play
Summer is the perfect time for kids to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. Your children can not only get all the wiggles out while playing outside, but they will also be using their little brains to create these fun summer crafts! Yay!
Here are a few fun and easy crafts that will keep your kids entertained while they play outside.
DIY Bubble Wands
I adore this idea by Canvas and Clay. One of the simplest and most fun outdoor crafts for kids is making your own bubble wands! All you need is some wire, wire cutters, pretty beads that will fit onto the wire, homemade bubble solution, and a bit of creativity (I am sure you all have that!).
How to make a bubble wand:
*Start by cutting a length of wire (adults help with this part!), and then you will bend it into a loop.
*Then, string some beads onto the wire to create a handle. You can use any type of bead you like, but larger beads work best and look the prettiest! Make sure to bend the bottom part of the wand so that the beads don’t fall off! That wouldn’t be good!
Once you have your bubble wand, mix up a batch of homemade bubble solution and let your kids blow bubbles to their heart’s content!
Making bubble solution is simple to do! Here is how you do it:
*One cup of water
*2 tablespoons of light Karo syrup or two tablespoons of glycerin. (If you don’t have either of those things you can also use 2 tablespoons of sugar!)
*4 tablespoons of dishwashing soap/liquid (we like to use Dawn dish soap)
*Stir everything together thoroughly, until it is all dissolved.
Nature scavenger hunt
If you’re looking for a fun way to get your kids out into nature, try a scavenger hunt! Create a list of items for your kids to find, such as leaves, rocks, and flowers.
You can also add some fun challenges to the scavenger hunt, such as finding a certain number of items in a certain amount of time. This is a great way to keep your kids engaged and excited as they explore the great outdoors together!
Some fun scavenger hunt printables that are free to print out and use:
-Nature Scavenger Hunt
-Exploring Nature With the Five Senses Scavenger Hunt
-The Ultimate Natures Scavenger Hunt For Kids
Water Balloon Pinata
OMG. This is so perfect for summer! Add this party game ot any birthday party or family fiesta. For a fun and refreshing outdoor activity on those hot summer days, try making a water balloon pinata! Fill some balloons with water and hang them from a tree branch or clothesline.
Then, blindfold your kids and let them take turns trying to break the balloons with a stick or bat. Getting wet while having some fun in the sun is one of the best parts of summer, right?? What you will need to create a water balloon pinata:
*A package of water balloons (they usually come with a garden hose attachment that makes filling the balloons so much easier!)
*Water hose (duh!)
*String or ribbon (to tie up the water balloons!)
*Bat or tree branch (to hit the balloons with)
Make sure you find a tree or a spot in your yard to tie the water balloons onto. Make sure it is not too high! Make it low enough so even the little kids can play. Fill in as many water balloons as you want (the more the better!!).
When the water balloons are all secure to the tree or whatever it is you are attaching them to, you are ready to have some fun! Grab the bat or stick and get in line to hit the water balloons! So much fun with this perfect summer activity the entire family can enjoy!
Easy summer crafts for rainy days
I’m in Arizona and we have a crazy monsoon season every August. So if you also live in an area that may rain in the summer, this is for all of us! When we’re stuck inside on a rainy day, it can be tough to keep kids entertained. But fear not! We’ve got some easy and fun crafts that will keep your little ones busy and happy during those long rainy summer days inside!
Indoor Camping Activity
Turn your living room into a campsite with this fun activity!
Idea #1: Set up chairs and cover with sheets and string lights. A nice little escape from reality. You can join your little one to read a book, play a board game or draw.
Idea #2: Cardboard box campsite! All you need are some cardboard boxes, scissors, markers and pens, construction paper, glue, blankets, and pillows.
Cut out trees, rocks, and a campfire from the construction paper, and glue them onto the cardboard boxes. Then, set up the boxes in a circle and let your kids use their imaginations to play camping games and tell stories around the “fire.”
For the fire, they can add a flashlight with a brown blanket around the flashlight to make it look like a campfire!
Don’t you DARE forget the Croissant S’mores!!
Easy summer crafts for kids: Rainbow sun catcher craft
Joann Stores used embroidery hoops to make these contact paper suncatchers!
Brighten up a gloomy day with this colorful craft! It is time to make a beautiful, and colorful rainbow suncatcher to brighten up our moods! Hey, a little bit of color can really bring up your mood!
Supplies you will need:
*Scissors
*Contact paper (different colors)
*A string or ribbon to hang it up with!
How To Make A Rainbow Suncatcher Craft:
*Cut out a large circle from a piece of contact paper
*Cut out smaller circles in various colors
*Let your kids stick the smaller circles onto the contact paper in a rainbow pattern. *Once they’re done, stick another piece of contact paper on top to seal in the colors. Hang the suncatcher in a window and watch the rainbow shine through!
DIY Wind Chimes
Make some music with this easy wind chime craft! Collect some sticks, seashells, and other small objects from around your house or yard. Tie them onto a piece of string or twine, and then tie the string onto a larger stick.
Hang the wind chime outside on a rainy day and listen to the soothing sounds of the rain and the chimes together.
How to make a DIY wind chime
To make a homemade wind chime you will need the following things:
*Sticks
*Seashells or other small objects that when they hit together make noise!
*String or ribbon
Here are a few other different wind chimes you can make:
Crafts for family bonding
Looking for some fun and easy summer crafts to do with your kids? Here are some great ideas for crafts that will not only keep your kids entertained but also help you bond as a family, which is SO important to do!
Family Handprint Art
One of our favorite crafts is creating family handprint art. All you need is some paint, paper, and your hands! Have each family member paint their hand and press it onto the paper to create a unique piece of art. You can even add some personal touches by writing each family member’s name next to their handprint.
DIY Memory Jar
Another great craft idea is to create a DIY memory jar. Simply find a jar (or a box) and have each family member write down a favorite memory from the summer on a slip of paper. Then, fold up the papers and place them in the jar.
At the end of the summer, you can open the jar and read all of the memories together as a family as you are longing for those hot summer lazy days again!
Some other fun memory crafts:
-Quinceañera Scrapbook & Memory Tins
Backyard movie night using a sheet
HGTV delivers an easy idea you’ll want to try! Last, but absolutely not least, is the outdoor family movie night!!! This is our favorite of all to do together as a family on those warm summer nights! Grab some blankets, your favorite pillow, and some yummy snacks, and meet me outside on the lawn!!
Bond as a family while enjoying a fun summer flick. Simply cast a movie from a device onto a giant sheet, and enjoy a movie under the stars. You can even make it a craft activity by having your kids help create the decorations for the outdoor theater! So fun!
Movie or show ideas:
Encanto (make Mirabel’s skirt!)
Selena
Coco (Free: Coco Digital Download)
Dora and the Lost City of Gold (check out my craft!)
Outdoor puppet show
Okay – one more fantastic idea that you can do together as a family during the summer! Create a Stage and Props for an outdoor puppet show! Now that would be SO dang fun! Video link
Of course, this would take some extensive planning on your part as the adult, but it can be done and would be so so so fun! You would have to craft the wood box that the puppets would be performing in and find hand puppets to use in your puppet show! You can easily make hand puppets!
Just use an old sock, add some googly eyes, add some hair (doll hair or dad’s beard hair would work!), and any other fun details you want your puppet to have like glasses, a hat, etc! Super easy to make and is totally worth the extra work to build a wooden box for the puppet show to perform in.
These are just a few of the many fun and easy summer crafts (and activities!) you can do with your kids. I hope you enjoyed this blog post and got some fantastic ideas for some fun activities and themed crafts for summertime! There are so many fun things to make and do during the summer.
I would make a summer bucket list of all the things you want to do with your children and cross them off each day you do something from this blog post! Hang it on the fridge so the kids can get excited about what comes next!
Do you have anything you want to add to my list of summer crafts and activities? If you do, please leave me a comment below!
More easy summer crafts for kids
-Free pan dulce word search & pan dulce coloring packet
