As summer rolls in, the days get longer and, let’s be honest, sometimes the kids can get a bit antsy. That’s why I’ve put together a killer list of easy summer crafts that are perfect for keeping those little hands busy.
From garden-inspired projects to beach-themed art, there’s something here to spark creativity in every child, no matter their interests.
These crafts are not just fun; they’re also super doable with things you probably already have at home. We’re talking about turning everyday items into treasure chests of imagination.
It’s the perfect way to help kids explore new ideas and skills, all while making memorable keepsakes. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to bond with the kiddos during those long summer days when everyone starts to feel a little cooped up.
So, grab your scissors and glue sticks, and let’s dive into this list of creative adventures.
Whether you’re looking for a quick afternoon activity or something a bit more involved to fill those “I’m bored” moments, these crafts will do the trick.
And hey, you might just find yourself having as much fun as the kids!
47 Summer Crafts to Keep Kids Busy All Season Long
1. Sponge Painted Ice Cream Craft
2. Cardboard Lemonade Jug Craft
3. Paper Plate Popsicle Craft
4. Painted Rock Fish Craft
5. Shower Curtain Painting
6. Paper Plate Ice Cream Craft
7. DIY Bubble Wands and Bubble Solution
8. Pool Noodle Fish Craft
9. Potato Stamp Ice Cream Cone Craft
10. DIY Kaleidoscope STEAM Craft
11. Paper Plate Sunshine Craft
12. Snail Sticky Board Craft
13. Cardboard Rainbow Sunshine Craft
14. Scrape Painted Ice Cream Craft
15. Fly Swatter Painting
16. Aluminum Foil Boats
17. Tissue Paper Crab Craft
18. DIY Fizzy Sidewalk Chalk Paint
19. How to Make Sun Prints
20. Pinwheel Craft
21. Coffee Filter Frog Craft
22. Popsicle Stick Butterfly
23. Paper Plate Ring Toss Bear Craft
24. Paper Plate Koala Craft
25. Paper Plate Cloud Rainbow Craft
Paper Plate Rainbow Craft is an adorable rainbow craft for toddlers and preschoolers! A fun colour matching and fine motor craft for Spring!
26. Glass of Lemonade Craft
27. Puffy Paint Rainbow Craft
Puffy Paint Rainbow Craft is a fun and easy spring rainbow craft for toddlers and preschoolers! Make a fluffy looking cloud with puffy paint!
28. Paper Roll Fish Craft
29. Rocking Shark Craft
Rocking paper plate shark craft is an adorable craft to create with kids. Paint a rocking shark using pom poms!
30. Easy Cardboard Bicycle Craft
Cardboard bicycle craft is a fun and easy craft for preschoolers. Create your very own bicycle craft you can take for a spin!
31. Cardboard Marble Run Craft for Kids
There’s nothing better than a marble run. The next time you’re looking for a craft, try making a cardboard marble run for a fun challenge!
32. Bubble Wrap Jellyfish Craft
Save that bubble wrap to make an adorable bubble wrap jellyfish craft! This easy craft is great for preschoolers and kindergarteners.
33. Sand and Seashell Bucket Craft
34. Cupcake Liner Fish Craft
Cupcake Liner Fish is a fun preschooler craft to create anytime of the year. The cupcake liners create the perfect fins!
35. DIY Tambourine Craft
DIY Tambourine is a fun and easy musical instrument craft for toddlers and preschoolers. Create a musical instrument to use during music time!
36. Washi Tape & Watercolours Butterfly Craft
Washi Tape Butterfly is a beautiful spring craft for kids. It uses my favorite crafting supplies: washi tape and watercolors!
37. Washi Tape Sesame Street Character Craft
Washi Tape Sesame Street character craft is a fun activity for toddlers and preschoolers using washi tape and watercolours!
38. Rainbow Sun Catcher Craft
This rainbow sun catcher craft is a wonder contact paper craft for kids of all ages! Create textured rainbow art that is beautiful for St. Patrick’s Day or Spring!
39. Paper Plate Llama Craft
40. Swimming Octopus Craft
41. Paper Plate Dinosaur Craft
42. Paper Plate Ice Cream Craft
43. Cotton Pad Butterfly Craft
44. Popsicle Stick Bird Feeder
45. Bubble Printed Butterflies
46. Sponge Painted Lady Buds
47. Flip Flop Craft
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
