60 Summer Crafts for Kids That Will Keep Them Busy All Season Long
Summer is the perfect time to get crafty!
Be it a rainy afternoon, a backyard get-together, or just a lazy day at home with nagging kids and their “I’m bored” syndrome, don’t worry – this list has you covered.
We have rounded up 60 of the best summer crafts for kids in this post.
From ocean-themed creations and nature activities to ice cream treats and sunshine decorations, there is something here for every age, every skill level, and every kind of summer day.
So grab your scissors, gather your supplies, and let’s make something amazing!
Make a gorgeous tissue paper suncatcher and watch the colours light up your window!
This beautiful craft from our blog, The Purple Yarn comes with a free printable template in three shapes – flower, tree, and sun – and is easy enough for kids of all ages to enjoy. Hang it on a bright window and let the sunshine do the rest!
What’s more summery than an ice cream popsicle?
Kids color, cut, and decorate their own paper popsicle sticks with colorful paper confetti in this super fun craft from our blog again, The Purple Yarn.
A free printable template is included, making it perfect for preschoolers and a great way to keep little hands busy all summer long!
3. Upcycled CD and Ribbon Jellyfish Craft
Give those old CDs a new life by turning them into adorable jellyfish! This clever upcycling craft from Fireflies and Mud Pies uses tissue paper, ribbon, and googly eyes to create the cutest little ocean creatures.
A great summer boredom buster that’s easy enough for young kids and fun for the whole family.
Kids tear up pieces of gray paper and fill in a shark outline to create this super cool ocean craft from Rock Your Homeschool!
It’s a great fine motor activity that comes with free printable shark templates in five different shapes.
Perfect for Shark Week, a beach theme, or just a fun summer afternoon!
Paint a paper plate to look like a juicy watermelon slice, attach a craft stick, and you’ve got yourself a fun little fan for hot summer days!
This adorable craft from Crafts by Amanda is easy, budget-friendly, and great for camps, classrooms, or a lazy afternoon at home.
Kids will love waving around something they made themselves!
Paint a paper plate, stamp on colorful scales using a cardboard tube, add a tail fin and googly eyes, and you’ve got the most adorable little fish!
This creative craft from The Soccer Mom Blog is a fun rainy day activity that kids can fully customize with their own colors.
The cardboard tube stamping technique makes it extra special and unique every time!
Trace both hands, put them together, and watch them turn into the cutest little crab!
This clever handprint craft from Little Ladoo uses a free printable template to add claws and googly eyes to your child’s very own handprints.
A wonderful beach-themed keepsake that little ones will be so proud of!
Glue craft sticks together, paint on a cheerful yellow and gold diamond pattern, add googly eyes, rosy cheeks, and felt leaves, and you’ve got the most adorable pineapple ever!
This tropical craft from Creative Cynchronicity uses mostly dollar store supplies and is a brilliant beginner project for kids.
This one is extra fun because the dolphin actually moves!
Using two paper plates and a popsicle stick, kids create an ocean scene and then slide their dolphin up and down through the waves like it’s really diving.
This interactive craft from Crafts By Ria comes with a free printable template and even lets kids stick their own photo on top of the dolphin for a personalised touch!
Kids trace their own hand to create the flowing hair of a beautiful paper mermaid in this sweet craft from Simple Everyday Mom!
Using a free printable template, they assemble the mermaid’s face, tail, and top, then place their handprint right in the center as the hair. It’s quick, easy, and makes the most adorable little keepsake!
Using cardboard, lemons, and some paint, create the most adorable lemonade glass!
This clever craft from Rock Your Homeschool also makes a great greeting card or wall decoration. Kids will love that they used an actual lemon to make the art!
Color and cut out a jellyfish head, then attach colorful paper chain tentacles that wiggle and bounce!
This gorgeous craft from Crafts By Ria also doubles as a hanging decoration when you add a loop of yarn at the top.
It’s a wonderful scissor skills and fine motor activity that kids will want to make over and over again in different colors!
Make an adorable paper plate octopus with colorful paper chain tentacles that actually wiggle!
This fun craft from The Soccer Mom Blog is easy enough for little kids with some help and a great independent project for older ones too.
All you need is a paper plate, cardstock, paint, and googly eyes.
This genius craft from The Best Ideas for Kids comes with a free printable sail template and is a perfect activity for the pool, a water bin, or even the bathtub.
One pool noodle makes a whole bunch of boats, so it’s great for groups too!
This bright and cheerful popsicle craft from In The Playroom is easy enough for young kids and comes with a free printable template too.
A perfect low-mess indoor activity for hot summer days!
Kids will love wearing something they made themselves with this adorable watermelon necklace craft from Coloring Camp!
It comes with a free printable template and is a great creative activity for hot days indoors.
Turn a pool noodle into the most adorable little fish using pipe cleaners and googly eyes!
This creative craft from Cultivating Brilliant Minds is a great way to reuse old pool noodles and makes a whole colorful school of underwater friends.
Turn a plain paper bag into a snappy shark puppet with fins, teeth, and googly eyes!
This fun and easy craft from The Ladybirds’ Adventures is perfect for Shark Week or any summer ocean theme, and kids can use it for puppet play once it’s done.
Create your very own underwater world on a paper plate with sand, seashells, sponge coral, and a little shell fish with googly eyes!
This beautiful and creative craft from Fun Money Mom is a great way to make memories with those beach finds before they end up forgotten in a bag.
Make a bright and cheerful paper sun using yellow paper in different shades.
This is a simple summer craft that’s fun for toddlers all the way up! This easy project from Taming Little Monsters is a great way to sneak in a little sun safety chat while getting creative together.
What a unique and beautiful summer craft!
Kids fold yellow paper strips in a zig-zag pattern to fill in a mango template, creating a gorgeous textured effect that looks stunning on display.
This beautiful craft from Little Ladoo comes with a free printable template and is great for fine motor skills, too.
22. Handprint Paper Plate Sun Craft
This adorable handprint keepsake from Family Focus Blog is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers and looks gorgeous hung on a door or wall.
A bright and cheerful paper plate wreath decorated with summer-themed printable art – the perfect summer craft for kids who want something pretty to hang up!
This easy, mess-free project from Two Pink Peonies comes with a free downloadable printable and works for all ages.
Freeze colored water into ice cube paint sticks and let kids create the most unique art as the ice melts across the paper!
This cool and refreshing summer craft from Fox Farm Home is wonderfully low-prep and great for toddlers and preschoolers – especially fun to do outside on a warm day.
This adorable watermelon character comes complete with googly eyes, a big smile, and bendy pipe cleaner arms and legs that kids can pose in silly ways!
This fun summer craft from Simple Everyday Mom comes with a free printable template and is perfect for preschoolers and kindergarteners.
A sneaky way to mix learning and crafting!
Kids color, cut, and assemble an adorable turtle whose shell is shaped like the letter T in this cute craft from Crafts By Ria.
With its ocean animal theme, it fits right into a summer lineup and comes with a free printable template.
Kids fill a kite template with tiny colorful paper squares to create a stunning mosaic effect!
This creative craft from This Tiny Blue House comes with a free printable template and is a great way to build fine motor skills and explore color patterns.
The bright, cheerful result looks gorgeous on any wall or bulletin board.
Paint smooth rocks to look like strawberries, lemons, carrots, eggs and more for the cutest pretend play food set!
This brilliant nature-inspired summer craft from Fox Farm Home is a great outdoor activity that keeps on giving – kids will play with these painted rocks for hours in their mud kitchen or pretend garden.
Turn a couple of colorful cupcake liners and a pipe cleaner into the most adorable butterfly you’ve ever seen!
This quick and easy craft from Rediscovered Families takes just about 10 minutes and makes the prettiest little summer decorations – hang them in a garland, stick them on the fridge, or make a whole flutter of them!
30. Paper Plate Jellyfish Craft
A wobbly, wiggly paper plate jellyfish that kids will absolutely love making and hanging up!
This adorable summer craft from Jinxy Kids uses fuzzy sticks for the tentacles and is a great conversation starter, too – did you know jellyfish are older than the dinosaurs?
Kids cut and glue their way through a whole veggie garden with this fun paper craft from Ottawa Mommy Club!
Using free printable templates, they can make cauliflower, cabbage, radishes, onions, and broccoli out of coloured paper.
A great way to make veggies exciting and sneak in some learning, too!
This cheerful paper bowl crab with wiggly accordion legs and googly eyes on stalks is such a fun summer craft for kids!
This creative project from Oh My Creative is great for a beach theme, an under-the-sea party, or just a fun afternoon at home.
Kids paint a hilarious sunburnt face on a paper plate and wear it as a mask – a quirky and creative summer craft from Red Ted Art that actually gets kids talking about wearing sunscreen!
Silly, fun, and totally unique.
A colorful clothespin wreath decorated with daisies and cute sandal cutouts that’s perfect for brightening up your front door all summer long!
This cheerful project from DIY and Fun uses mostly dollar store materials and is a great one for older kids or a fun parent-and-child activity to do together.
Fill a mason jar with glitter and glow stick liquid and watch it come alive with the most mesmerising magical glow!
This enchanting summer craft from Lightly Sketched is as simple as it gets and makes the most stunning patio decoration or camping night light for kids.
Use a fork dipped in yellow paint to create the fluffiest little bee body on blue paper!
This clever and unique summer craft from Cultivating Brilliant Minds is so simple yet produces the most adorable result – perfect for little ones who love getting their hands (and forks!) painty.
Dip real starfish into water swirled with nail polish and watch a gorgeous marbled pattern appear like magic!
This stunning summer craft from The Benson Street is great for all ages, and the end result makes a beautiful piece of coastal decor you can actually display at home.
Color, cut, and assemble your very own ice cream truck complete with a little window scene, a striped awning, and a person serving up treats inside!
This adorable summer craft from Print Your Story comes with a free printable template and is perfect for preschoolers and kindergarteners.
39. Chomping Shark Clothespin Craft
This one is extra fun with a moving shark!
Kids glue a shark onto a wooden clothespin so it opens and closes its mouth to “eat” a little fish hiding inside.
This genius summer craft from A Little Pinch of Perfect comes with a free printable template and is great for Shark Week, ocean themes, or just a seriously fun summer afternoon.
Make the sweetest little felt cloud bookmark with colourful ribbon streamers using just felt, scissors, and a free printable template!
This adorable kawaii-style craft from Craftidly takes about 20 minutes to make and would also be lovely as a handmade gift or a fun craft fair project for older kids and teens.
Shave colorful crayons onto a canvas, set it outside in the sun, and watch the heat melt everything into the most gorgeous swirly artwork!
This brilliant summer craft from Teaching Ideas doubles as a little science experiment too – kids will be amazed to discover that darker colors melt faster than lighter ones.
Color a sunshine template, attach it to a paper straw, add some ribbon streamers, and you have the cutest little summer wand!
This quick and low-mess summer craft from Coloring Camp comes with a free printable template and is perfect for toddlers right through to school-age kids.
43. Popsicle Stick Sun Weather Puzzle
Paint a cheerful smiling sun across a row of popsicle sticks, then pull them apart to create your very own homemade puzzle!
This clever summer craft from Craft Your Happy Place is perfect for toddlers and little ones, and once it’s done, it becomes a fun game to solve again and again.
Kids build a tall glass of lemonade with ice cube letter tiles that spell out their own name in this sweet summer craft from Simple Everyday Mom!
It comes with a free printable template and is a brilliant way to sneak in some name recognition and letter practice for preschoolers and kindergarteners.
This creative and satisfying craft from Backyard Summer Camp is wonderfully versatile. Kids can make rainbows, animals, patterns, or even their name initials using colorful dyed beans.
Great for fine motor skills and keeping little hands busy for a good stretch of time.
Paint popsicle sticks to look like strawberries, tomatoes, carrots, and sweetcorn, then pop them in the garden to mark what’s growing where!
This adorable summer craft from The Ladybirds’ Adventures is a lovely way to get kids involved in the vegetable patch and makes the garden look extra cheerful, too.
47. Build Your Own Ice Cream Craft Sundae
Color, cut, and stack your very own paper ice cream sundae with scoops, toppings, a cherry, and a spoon!
This delightful summer craft from Print Your Story comes with a free printable template and is perfect for a quiet afternoon at home.
Kids love deciding their own flavors and building their scoops their way.
Make a gorgeous paper flower wreath to hang on your door this summer!
This bright and cheerful craft from Ottawa Mommy Club uses a free printable template to make layered paper flowers in any colours you like.
A great rainy day project for kids of all ages that ends with something really pretty to display.
This adorable homemade bubble wand summer craft from One Crazy Mom is quick to make, budget-friendly, and, best of all, you can use your creation outside to blow bubbles all afternoon.
Lay leaves, flowers, or any flat objects onto special light-sensitive paper, set it outside in the sun, and watch the most stunning blue-and-white silhouette art appear!
This magical summer craft from Kristina Oxford blends art, science, and nature all in one and produces results that look absolutely gorgeous framed or hung on a wall.
51. Recycled Plastic Bag Friendship Bracelets
Turn old plastic grocery bags into colorful braided friendship bracelets!
This easy upcycling craft from Craftidly is perfect for tweens and teens who love making something fun out of things they’d normally throw away.
All you need are a few plastic bags, scissors, and some beads to finish it off.
52. Easy Film Canister Rockets
Decorate a film canister, drop in some Alka-Seltzer and water, snap the lid on, step back, and watch it blast off!
This exciting summer science activity from The Keele Deal is part craft, part experiment, and all fun.
Kids learn about chemical reactions and Newton’s Third Law without even realising it.
53. Easy Votive Camping Lantern Craft
Use upcycled bottle caps and a flameless tea light to build the most adorable little camping lantern that actually glows!
This clever summer craft from DIY and Fun is made mostly from dollar store and recycled materials and is a great one for older kids to make with a little adult help.
Hang a few together on a string for the prettiest campsite decoration ever.
54. Life Cycle of a Butterfly Paper Plate Craft
Learn all about the life cycle of a butterfly with this fun paper plate craft from Ottawa Mommy Club!
Kids cut and assemble each stage, from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly, and arrange them on a paper plate. It’s a great craft that’s educational and hands-on at the same time.
55. Clothespin Butterfly Craft
The most adorable little butterfly made from a clothespin and colorful foam beads.
And it’s so much easier to make than it looks! This sweet craft from In Our Spare Time is a great way to use up leftover slime beads and is fun for kids of all ages.
This is a rustic mini pallet sign made from popsicle sticks that looks like something straight from a farmhouse shop, but kids can make it themselves!
This cheerful summer craft from The Benson Street is a great one for older kids and tweens and ends with a gorgeous little decoration they’ll be proud to hang up all summer long.
57. Paper Sunflower with Pom Poms
A gorgeous fluffy sunflower made from yellow pom pom petals and button centres that looks absolutely stunning on display!
This cheerful craft from Craft Your Happy Place is a wonderful way to bring some sunshine indoors and is fun for kids of all ages.
Two handprints become the most beautiful butterfly wings in this sweet keepsake craft from The Diary of Dad! Kids get to go wild painting and decorating their wings, making each one completely unique.
A lovely summer craft for toddlers and preschoolers that also doubles as a gorgeous handmade gift.
59. Easy Nature Butterfly Craft for Kids
Kids make a sticky butterfly template, then head outside to fill the wings with real flowers, petals, grass, and whatever nature treasures they can find!
This magical outdoor summer craft from The Keele Deal comes with a free printable butterfly template and is as fun to make as it is beautiful to look at.
Grab some smooth rocks, acrylic paints, and let the creativity flow with this beginner-friendly rock painting guide from Simply Full of Delight!
Kids can paint anything from smiley faces and strawberries to palm trees and bees, then seal them to use as garden decorations, kindness rocks, or sweet little gifts.
CONCLUSION
We hope this list of 60 summer crafts keeps your kids inspired, creative, and entertained all season long!
From ocean crafts and melted crayon art to homemade bubble wands and everything in between, every craft on this list is a memory in the making.
If you are looking for even more fun ideas, be sure to explore the rest of The Purple Yarn for craft tutorials, activity pages, and more. Happy crafting and happy summer!
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