Crafting is a brilliant way to keep children busy and entertained during the school holidays. It gives them a chance to be creative and gets them to spend time away from screens.
No matter how old your children are, they’re bound to find a craft activity they’ll love in our round-up of summer craft ideas for kids.
We’ve found fun activities to suit every child. There’s everything from flower pressing to ice cream pinatas to help you beat boredom this summer!
Looking for ideas to keep kids amused all year round? Check out our crafts for kids round-up to discover creative ideas for every season and holiday.
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34 summer craft ideas for kids
1. Flower pressing
Flower pressing is a fun activity for children of all ages. They can gather their own flowers, then press them using a flower press or a heavy book.
Pressed flowers can be made into all kinds of beautiful creations – you can make pictures with them, suspend them in a glass frame or stick them onto jam jars to make summer tealight holders.
Learn how to press flowers with Gathered.
2. Glitter seashell picture frame
This is the perfect craft project to make during the summer holidays. Use shells to decorate a photo with this glitter seashell picture frame idea from onelittleproject.com.
In the UK, it’s illegal to take shells home from the beach, but you can buy bags of shells for crafting online.
3. Paper plate sun
Paper plates are hugely versatile and can be shaped into almost anything with a little imagination.
This paper plate sun craft project from theresourcefulmama.com is made for hot summer days and it’s so simple to make.
4. Origami boat
Put your paper folding skills to the test by making an origami boat! This is definitely one for older kids to try.
Once you’ve made your cute little paper boats, you can turn them into a charming mobile for a child’s bedroom.
5. Ice cream pinata
Planning a summer party or a birthday surprise? Take your celebration to the next level by making this amazing ice cream pinata with Gathered.
6. Ice painting
Keep cool as the temperatures rise with this inventive ice painting project from make-it-your-own.com.
The challenge here is to paint the ice before it melts, so it’s a race against time!
7. Sea glass crafts
Sea glass is not a natural material, so you’re actually helping the environment by collecting it! There are lots of fun things you can make with sea glass, from picture frames to decorations.
Again, if you don’t live near a beach you can buy bags of sea glass online for your craft projects.
8. Flower crowns
Celebrate summer by making fun paper flower crowns with your kids! This colourful project from paper-and-glue.com is made using simple flower shapes cut from coloured paper.
9. Rainbow sun catcher
Looking for a summer craft idea for your preschooler to make? This easy rainbow sun catcher will fill your home with colour!
Follow Gathered’s how to make a rainbow catcher tutorial to craft it with your little one.
10. Fairy garden ideas
Make this summer magical by making a fairy garden with your child. It’ll fire up their imagination and provide endless ideas for outdoor play with their friends or siblings.
Find enchanting inspiration with Gathered’s fairy garden ideas.
11. Cotton pad ice creams
Get crafty with this cotton pad ice creams idea from nontoygifts.com. This clever summer craft makes use of items that you’re likely to already have at home.
The soft surface of the cotton pads absorbs paint really well and looks just like a scoop of ice cream!
12. Pineapple night light
Give your room a warm glow in the evenings with this playful pineapple night light from abeautifulmess.com.
Cover a glass jar with tissue paper, then top the lid with felt leaves to get the look.
13. Egg carton turtles
Don’t throw away your egg cartons, Instead, transform them into adorable egg carton turtles using this fun project from emmaowl.com.
You’ll want to make a whole family of them!
14. Coloured salt
Aren’t these pretty? Turn ordinary table salt into a rainbow decoration by adding a dash of food colouring using this coloured salt guide from thebestideasforkids.com.
If you don’t have salt, you could also use sand to get a similar effect.
15. Camping set craft
Prepare for a summer adventure by making this cute camping set craft idea from artsycraftymom.com.
If you’re feeling creative, you could build a little forest scene around your campsite too.
16. Flower crown
Make your child’s day blooming marvellous by helping them to make a real flower crown!
You can fashion your crown from fresh flowers or use artificial ones for a long-lasting crown.
Learn how to make a flower crown with Gathered.
17. Chalk art ideas
Chalk is cheap, colourful and easy to clean up when you’ve finished using it! Make beautiful chalk drawings on paper or head outside to decorate pathways and pavements.
Explore chalk art ideas to inspire your creativity with Gathered.
18. Tie dye shells
Shell decorating is a summer craft idea that kids of all ages can enjoy. These incredible tie dye shells from colormadehappy.com are easy to make and look amazing!
19. Caravan gift box
If you know someone with a summer birthday, you can hide a present inside this fun caravan gift box. It’s the perfect size for small gifts or candy!
Alternatively, use the free templates to make your own summer campsite scene.
20. Mason jar aquarium
These little mason jar aquariums from hellowonderful.com are essentially summer snow globes.
Instead of fake snow, add glitter to make your aquariums shimmer!
21. Paper cactus craft
Take your art to a new dimension with this 3D paper cactus project from iheartcraftythings.com.
This summer craft idea for kids would look fabulous in a frame, so it can brighten your home all season.
22. Origami butterfly
Use your origami skills to create a fluttering flock of butterflies! Once you’ve mastered the method, you can make as many as you like.
Find out how to make an origami butterfly with our step-by-step guide.
23. Tie dye patterns
Give your garments a multicoloured makeover this summer by getting into tie dyeing! This is a creative summer craft that kids will be excited to try – and you can give their old t-shirts a fresh new look at the same time.
Try Gathered’s tie dye patterns to spruce up your clothes this summer.
24. Cardboard castles
Make your child the king or queen of the castle with this summer craft idea for kids! This is a brilliant idea to try if you’ve saved up cardboard boxes from deliveries.
Save this project for a rainy day, as it’s guaranteed to keep your kids amused for hours. They can help build the castle and then play with their finished fortress.
Find out how to make a cardboard castle with your kids.
25. Paper kites
Let’s go fly a kite! If you’ve never had a go at making kites before, now’s the time to learn. When you’ve made your paper kites, take them outdoors and see if you can make them soar.
Find out how to make a kite out of paper with Gathered.
26. Quilled butterflies
Curl up strips of paper to make your own intricate quilled butterflies. Quilling takes time and patience, so this summer craft for kids is great for older children.
This is a brilliant project to make if you’ve got lots of paper strips leftover from other makes .
27. Flower petal sun catcher
See light shine through petals with this gorgeous flower petal sun catcher idea from messylittlemonster.com.
You can get your kids to gather petals from the garden to make this project, or buy flowers from a store if you don’t have access to a garden.
28. Butterfly drawing
Learn to draw a butterfly like a pro with this easy-to-follow tutorial from illustrator Jesse Hodgson.
Follow our butterfly drawing tutorial to sketch your own bright butterfly.
29. Butterfly wall art
Decorate your home with this delightful butterfly art project by Alys Paterson.
Kids will love decorating their own butterflies with patterns before turning them into a wonderful piece of art for their bedroom.
If you try this with younger children, you can make this project easier by cutting out the butterflies for them to paint or colour.
30. Balloon animals
Delight your children by surprising them with balloon animals!
Older children can have a go at making their own too – follow our tutorials to make a balloon dog, giraffe, dinosaur or swan.
31. Friendship bracelets
Making friendship bracelets is a classic summer craft for kids!
They can make bracelets for themselves, or as gifts for their pals to show that they’ll be friends forever.
32. Butterfly face painting
Make any day feel like a party by putting on some face paint! This butterfly face painting tutorial is guaranteed to be a hit with your kids.
Older kids can even have a go at face painting themselves.
33. Easy origami
Origami is a satisfying craft that older kids will be impatient to try. But it doesn’t need to be difficult.
We’ve found easy origami ideas for kids that are just right for beginners.
34. Kinetic sand
Kinetic sand is a fantastic sensory play activity for toddlers and preschoolers. It’s mouldable and holds its shape better than normal sand.
You can build little sand castles using kinetic sand or shape it using cookie cutters.
Inspire your child with our summer crafts for kids
Summer holidays are the ideal time for crafting, especially if you stop them from staring at screens all day!
Whether they’re artistic or crafty, you’ll find lots of activities to keep them amused for hours in our summer crafts for kids round-up.
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Show Dad you care with these handmade Father’s Day crafts for kids, brought to you by Gathered.
