Summer with kids is magical and messy, in equal parts! One minute they’re happily playing in the sunshine, the next they’re asking for snacks for the tenth time—and it’s only 10 a.m… A little prep goes a long way.
Having some easy summer crafts for kids up your sleeve can seriously save your day.
You’ll find simple summer arts and crafts ideas for a little quiet-time out of the sun or for those odd rainy days which you weren’t expecting.
There are also big, bold or messy crafts that absolutely need to be done outside to protect your house (and your sanity…)
Here you’ll find plenty of summer crafts for toddlers and preschoolers, as well as creative ideas for the older ones too to enjoy the long warm days while keeping screen time to a minimum.
Fun Summer Crafts for Little Kids
Beat boredom with these colorful, creative and oh-so-easy summer arts and crafts for the most mischievous little ones! These summer crafts for toddlers and preschoolers are perfect for fun at home or in a preschool setting.
Easy Paper Watermelon Craft for Preschool
This juicy summer craft is simple, sweet, and perfect for the long holidays. Plus, it helps little hands build fine motor skills, one hole at a time!
Visit Simply Full of Delight for more
Toilet Paper Roll Popsicles
Summer crafts for toddlers got even cooler with this no-melt popsicle made from recycled toilet paper rolls—just one more reason to love toilet paper roll crafts!
Jump over to Little Ladoo for instructions
Ice Cream Cone Craft
Create a cool and fluffy ice cream cone using cotton balls and cardboard. It’s perfect for mess-free summer fun with little crafters!
Visit Rock Your Homeschool for more
Nature Bracelet Craft
Here’s a cute summer craft for toddlers and preschoolers that starts with a forage in the garden or when out on a nature walk.
Gather pretty leaves, flower petals and grass, then wrap a short strip of duct tape around your little one’s wrist, sticky side out, and let them decorate it with their nature finds.
So simple and a perfect little activity for a sunny day outdoors.
Torn Paper Watermelon Craft
Looking for a fun way to strengthen hand and finger muscles while getting creative? This torn paper watermelon craft is a win-win as little ones love ripping paper, and the result is a cute and smily watermelon.
Head over to This Tiny Blue House for the free printable
Lemon Stamping Project
Stamp your way to citrusy cuteness with this fun art project that’s bursting with summer cheer.
Jump over to Rock Your Homeschool for instructions
Paper Chain Octopus Craft
Looking for summer preschool crafts that all the little ones can get involved with together? This playful octopus craft is perfect. Each child can put together one of the colorful paper chain tentacles. They’re sure to love making the finished ocotopus move and wiggle with every shake!
Head over to The Soccer Mom Blog for details
Summer Paper Plate Wreath (FREE Template)
Brighten up your door with a cheerful paper plate wreath decorated with the best of summer – popsicles, sunglasses, flip-flops, and more. It’s a fun and easy thanks to the free template.
Jump over to Two Pink Peonies to download
Cute Paper Plate Flower Craft
Enjoy a summer afternoon with this cute paper plate flower craft made with layers of cupcake liners. It’s easy, colorful, and is virtually no prep and no mess. It’s the perfect summer craft for toddlers and preschoolers.
Head over to XoxoBella for details
Paper Plate Fish Craft
From paper plate to playful fish, this simple summer craft will appeal to all ages.
Visit The Soccer Mom Blog for more
Fun and Easy Nature Butterfly Craft for Kids
Gather leaves, twigs & petals to decorate the wings of this adorable butterfly. Simple outdoor play and scavenging meets creative fun.
Jump over to The Keele Deal for instructions
Suncatcher Craft
Recycle old CDs into sparkling suncatchers with gems and jewels. They’re easy to make and guaranteed to brighten any window – they’ll sparkle in the sun all summer long.
Butterfly & Chrysalis Craft
This clever craft lets kids get creative with butterflies in a fun, hands-on way. If you’re looking for some colorful summer preschool crafts that tie in a little learning, this one is ideal.
Head over to Cultivating Brilliant Minds for details
Pressed Flower Greeting Cards
A sweet and simple way to turn summer blooms into handmade cards. Perfect for kids who love nature and getting creative.
Easy and Fun Paper Plate Ocean Craft
Grab that paper plate you’ve been saving—this easy ocean-themed activity is one of the cutest summer preschool crafts for indoor fun when you’re dreaming of the beach.
Head over to The Crafty Christian Mom for details
Popsicle Name Craft
Cool off with this sweet and simple popsicle name craft. A cute summer preschool craft and activity that’ll help little ones learn to spell their name.
Head over to This Tiny Blue House for details
Rainbow Colour Craft
Match colors and decorate a pre-drawn rainbow to create a colorful college. It’s bright, simple & perfect for little learners.
Rainbow colour matching from exploring.with.r
Butterfly Puppet Stick Craft
Make this cute butterfly puppet for some colorful pretend play fun. It’s a perfect pick for summer crafts for kids who love storytelling!
Head over to Attachment Mummy for details
Ice Cream Coloring
Grab some crayons and add color to these cold treats—an easy, colorful summer activity perfect for little hands!
Click here to download PDF Ice Cream Coloring
Explore more animal-themed crafts here:
- 55 Easy Dinosaur Crafts & Activities
- 31 Cute Cat Crafts for Toddlers
- 35 Simple Monkey Crafts for Preschoolers
- 50 Easy Giraffe Activities & Craft Ideas for Kids
- 50 Easy Easter Bunny Arts & Crafts Ideas
Summer Handprint Crafts for Kids
Here are some cute and simple summer arts and crafts for kids that use their handprints. They’re so sweet and memorable! And will make great keepsakes.
Handprint Paper Plate Sun Craft For Kids
Summer arts and crafts for kids don’t get sunnier than this! This cheerful handprint sun is fun to make and perfect for adding a little brightness to your day.
Visit Family Focus Blog for more
Fun and Easy Handprint Butterfly Kids Craft
Little hands transform into colorful wings with this simple handprint butterfly craft—sweet & mess-free.
Head over to The Keele Deal for details
Handprint Crab Craft
Summer crafts for kids get a splash of fun with this pinchably cute handprint crab. Enjoy some beach time vibes, even if you’re just at the kitchen table!
Handprint Watermelon
A juicy little craft that starts with a handprint and ends in watermelon goodness. It may be just as sticky as eating the real thing, but once dry, this cute summer craft will last the season!
Just grab some non-toxic paint and those adorable little hands.
Watermelon fruity fans from crafty.little.ones
Easy Handprint Ice Cream Craft
This fun handprint ice cream craft turns your toddler’s handprint into a cute summer treat. It’s easy to make and perfect for little hands.
Visit The Mindful Toddler for instructions
Summer Handprint Art (10 Free Templates)
Create memories and long-lasting keepsakes with one of these adorable handprint templates.
Head over to Homeschool of 1 for details
Check out more handprint templates for little hands:
- 31 Cute Handprint Birthday Card Ideas
- 35 Best (And Cutest) Valentines Handprint Art Ideas
- Cute Valentine’s Day Handprint Craft
- 39 Easy Mothers Day Handprint Crafts, Cards & Gift Ideas
- 35+ Adorable Handprint Father’s Day Gifts & Ideas
Creative Summer Art Activities for Outdoors
Enjoy the warm weather and get creative (and a bit messy) outside with these fun process art activities and ideas. Be warned, a bit of a wash down may be needed afterwards!
Homemade Chalk Bombs
These homemade chalk bombs are a blast—literally! A fun & colorful way to liven up any summer afternoon on the driveway.
Head over to A Little Pinch of Perfect for details
Tin Foil Boat Craft
Make simple boats by wrapping egg carton bottoms in foil, then adding paper sails on wooden skewers. Then set them sail on your paddling pool or water table.
Now time for a little science if you like: how many stones can the boats carry before sinking? And how do we make them move? (Hint: my kids went straight for blowing the boat, not the sail!)
This cute summer craft mixes science and creativity.
Bubble Wand Making Station
There’s nothing better than chasing bubbles around the garden! First, though, the kids get to make their very own bubble wands, using pipe cleaners, beads, and cookie cutters.
Seashell Watercolor Painting
Collect seashells and turn them into watercolor treasures. It’s a relaxing and creative summer activity kids will enjoy.
Jump over to The Crafty Christian Mom for more
Color Changing Flowers Science
Dye white flowers and learn about capillary action with a simple science experiment this summer. Simply add cut giant daisies or carnations to glass filled with colored water and wait for the magic to start!
A fun and pretty project that’s sure to spark kids’ curiosity.
Jump over to Fox Farm Home for more
Make Flower Ice Cubes
Gather flowers and petals from the garden or park with your kids and create pretty nature-infused ice blocks. Once frozen, little ones will love playing with them after – it’s a perfect activity for those hot summer days.
Jump over to The Mindful Toddler for more
Full-sized portraits
The hardest part of this fun summer craft for preschoolers is finding a big enough piece of cardboard—a TV box will work perfectly. Have your child lie down, trace their outline, then let them paint their self-portrait. This will be entertaining!
Prop the cardboard upright or keep it flat or mix it up. painting in different positions helps build new muscle skills and adds variety.
Sparkly Butterfly Slime for Sensory Play
Older kids will have fun making this glittery, gooey, summer-inspired slime and playing with it OUTSIDE. I’ve learnt the hard way – there’s no more slime inside our house anymore 🙂
Jump over to Attachment Mummy for more
Bubble foam is a fantastic sensory experience for toddlers and preschoolers and it’s fun to use to create colorful cupcakes! My two loved whisking up the foam, then pretending to bake and decorate their creations, complete with pompom cherries on top.
Just mix equal parts water and bubble bath, then whip it up with an electric whisk, adding food coloring if you like.
It’s a playful summer craft for toddlers that’s sure to keep little hands busy and happy.
Spray Paint Artwork
This fun process art gets kids moving and working those finger muscles and is ideal for creative and messy summer fun. Fill spray bottles with watered-down washable paint, tape paper to an outdoor wall, and let the painting begin!
Create A Paper Mache Castle
This creative toddler activity is perfect for little ones who love building, painting, and all things sticky! You’ll likely need to help with setup, but once they’re started, expect hours of focused, independent play and creativity across a couple of days.
It’s a hands-on summer craft for preschoolers that taps into creativity and construction in equal measure.
DIY Ice Cube Paints
This cool outdoor process art is perfect for summer and is so engaging for little ones. Just mix ¼ paint, ¼ dish soap, and ½ water, pour into ice cube trays, add sticks, and freeze.
These frozen paint pops are fun to use and relatively mess-friendly since there are no tins or palettes to spill.
Such a fun way to get creative in the summer, ideal for a little one’s birthday party or sunny afternoon playdate.
Check out all the details from Taming Little Monsters.
Homemade Sidewalk Chalk Paint
I was amazed at how well this DIY paint turned out—and even more surprised that it kept kids aged 3 to 11 entertained for ages! Just mix cornstarch, water, and food coloring to a runny consistency, and get painting.
It’s taste-safe and washes straight off with the hose, so perfect for all ages. For deeper colors, go heavy on the dye or try watering down chalk sticks (try this tutorial from Simple Fun For Kids).
Or if you’re short of time you could simply buy some baby-safe paint, like this washable tempera.
Try more hands-on fun with these creative activities and sensory play ideas for little ones:
- 39 Fun & Easy Arts Projects & Craft Activities
- 21 Easy Dinosaur Sensory Activities
- 21 Simple Finger Painting Ideas
- 25 Sensory Bin Ideas
Creative Summer Crafts for Bigger Kids
Here are some summer arts and crafts for kids who are ready for a bit more of a challenge or for little ones with a big helping hand from mom.
Bubble Printing Jellyfish
Create an underwater world with bubble prints! These jellyfish stand out against a bubbly background made with paint and fizzy bubbles.
Jump over to Red Ted Art for instructions
Free Printable Butterfly Suncatcher
Just print, color, and hang—this butterfly suncatcher is as easy as it is beautiful. Perfect for bigger kids who love a relaxing, creative project on a lazy summer afternoon!
Visit Artsy Fartsy Mama for more
DIY Beaded Wind Chime
This simple wind chime craft is a fun project for older kids or summer camp. With a bit of prep—like pre-drilling holes—it’s easy to make and turns into a sweet gift for parents or grandparents.
Jump over to Artsy Fartsy Mama for instructions
2D Origami Tulip
This 2D origami tulip is a fun challenge for bigger kids, easy to fold but impressive to show off. It adds a fresh pop of summer garden charm to any craft display.
Easy DIY Pineapple Candles
These cheerful little candles smell amazing and add a fruity pop to any summer table. You might even forget they’re homemade.
Easy DIY pineapple candles from heidikundin
Colorful DIY Bracelet
Got a kid that loves jewellery? This simple bracelet craft will be right up their street. Perfect for chilled summer’s afternoons and DIY fashion fun with friends.
DIY beaded bracelet from craftsbyria
Heart String Art
Hammer, wrap, and watch a heart appear from string and nails. It’s surprisingly relaxing and will look lovely hanging on the wall. A cute summer art project for your child for their bedroom or as a gift for someone special.
Heart string art from sugarbeecrafts
Let the Summer Adventures Begin
These summer crafts and activities for kids are perfect for keeping little hands busy and curious—whether they’re splashing in sensory play, exploring outdoors, or learning through fun games.
Embrace the messy, magical moments and make this summer one to remember!
Looking for seasonal and classic activities:
- 75 Sanity-Saving Mess Free Toddler Activities To Do At Home
- 27 Easy Wet & Dry Messy Play Ideas
- 65 Gross Motor Activities
- 50 Best activities for 18 month old toddlers at home
- 25 Simple Fall Learning Activities For Toddlers
- 47 Cute Easy Holiday Activities for Toddlers
- 25 Cute & Simple Easter Activities & Crafts For Babies 6+ Months
