It’s summer. The sun is blazing, the pool is tempting, and for approximately the first two weeks, your kids are living their best lives. Then, it happens. The whining starts. The phrase “I’m booooored” echoes through the house like a tiny, adorable foghorn of despair.
Before you surrender to another four hours of screen time, I’ve got your back. I’ve been there. Last summer, I think I heard “I’m bored” so many times I considered legally changing my name to “Mom, can I have a snack?” So, I’ve compiled a list of 20 DIY summer crafts that are fun, easy, and use stuff you probably already have lying around. We’re talking about saving your sanity and their summer, one glue stick at a time.
The Golden Rule of Summer Crafting
Before we get into the good stuff, let’s establish one ground rule: embrace the mess. Seriously. If you’re stressed about keeping the house spotless, you’re not going to have fun, and neither will they. Throw down an old sheet, set up shop outside, or just accept that glitter is now a permanent part of your flooring. IMO, a little glitter is a small price to pay for an afternoon of quiet, focused kids. 🙂
Section 1: Crafts That Start with a Nature Walk
Getting outside is half the battle. These crafts use nature as both the inspiration AND the supply store.
1. Painted Rock Friends
This is the classic for a reason. Head out for a walk and have the kids collect smooth, flat rocks. When you get back, wash and dry them. Then, let the creativity fly! Use acrylic paint (it holds up best) to turn them into ladybugs, monsters, tiny houses, or just abstract blobs of color.
- Pro-Tip: A coat of Mod Podge or clear nail polish on top makes them shiny and weather-proof for garden decor.
2. Fairy or Dinosaur Gardens
Take a shallow box or a plastic lid and fill it with dirt, moss, and small rocks from the yard. Then, use your painted rocks, some twigs, and maybe a few small toys to create a miniature world. My son once made a “battlefield” for his dinosaurs, which was just a rock with some leaves on fire (the leaves were just… leaves). The storytelling potential here is huge!
3. Nature Collage Portraits
This is one of my absolute favorites. Give each kid a piece of thick paper or cardboard and some glue. Have them arrange leaves, grass, flower petals, and twigs to make a “face.” Long grass becomes hair, an acorn cap is an eye, a curled leaf is a smile. The results are always hilarious and surprisingly beautiful.
4. Sun Print Art
You can buy special sun-print paper, but for a DIY version, grab some dark-colored construction paper. Have the kids arrange leaves and flowers on the paper and leave it in direct sunlight for a few hours. The paper around the objects will fade, leaving behind a cool “ghost” print when you remove them. It’s like magic, but with UV rays!
Section 2: Water Fun for Scorching Hot Days
When the temperature hits “melt your ice cream in 30 seconds” levels, you need water-based crafts.
5. DIY Water Blob
This one requires a grown-up for the setup, but the payoff is legendary. Take a heavy-duty jumbo ziplock bag (or double-bag two regular ones). Fill it with water, add a few drops of food coloring, some glitter, and small waterproof toys (like plastic fish or dinosaurs). Seal it up tight, squeezing out the air, and then tape the top shut for safety. Lay it flat on the ground. Kids can squish it, lie on it, and try to find all the hidden treasures. Hours of entertainment, I swear.
6. Ice Cube Painting
Freeze water in an ice cube tray. But here’s the twist: add a few drops of food coloring and a small popsicle stick to each compartment before you freeze them. Once frozen, you have instant paint “crayons” that kids can use on paper. The colors melt onto the page as they draw. Fair warning: this gets messy, so do it outside!
7. Splatter Paint Water Guns
This is not for the faint of heart, but it is the most fun you can have with a water gun that isn’t a full-scale water fight. Fill a few squirt guns with watered-down washable paint. Tape a large piece of paper or an old sheet to a fence. Then, let them go wild. The result is a fantastic, action-packed masterpiece. Just make sure they’re aiming at the paper… mostly. (Eye protection is a good idea here, folks!)
Section 3: Upcycling and Using What You’ve Got
Time to raid the recycling bin! These crafts are cheap and teach kids about reusing materials.
8. Cardboard Box Cars (or Spaceships or Castles)
Never underestimate the power of a cardboard box. A large one can become a car with a paper plate steering wheel. A medium one can be a time machine. A small one can be a house for a stuffed animal. Provide markers, tape, and scissors, and just watch their imagination take the wheel.
9. Toilet Paper Roll Binoculars
Glue or tape two empty toilet paper rolls together. Punch a hole on the outer side of each, and tie a piece of yarn through so it can hang around the neck. Then, let the kids decorate them with paint, markers, or stickers. Perfect for bird watching or, you know, spying on the neighbors (from a respectful distance, of course).
10. Milk Jug Watering Cans
Clean out an old plastic milk jug. Using a nail or a drill (this is a grown-up step!), poke several small holes in the cap. Fill the jug with water, screw the cap on, and let the kids water the garden or just “water” the driveway. It’s a great fine motor skill activity and surprisingly satisfying for them.
11. Egg Carton Caterpillars
Cut a strip of cups from an egg carton. Let the kids paint it in fun colors. Once dry, glue on pipe cleaners for antennae and googly eyes. Boom! You have a whole family of friendly caterpillars. You can even add a magnet to the back for fridge art.
Section 4: Classic Crafts with a Twist
Sometimes the oldies are the besties, but we can always jazz them up a bit.
12. Puffy Sidewalk Chalk Paint
This is a game-changer. Mix equal parts cornstarch and water. Stir in a few drops of food coloring. Pour the mixture into squeeze bottles (old ketchup or mustard bottles work great!). When the kids “draw” with it on the sidewalk, the paint goes on puffy and then dries to a bright, chalky finish. It’s a totally different vibe from regular chalk.
13. DIY Stamped T-Shirts
Grab a plain white t-shirt and some fabric paint. You don’t need fancy stamps; just use everyday objects! The bottom of a celery bunch makes a great rose stamp. A halved potato can be carved into a simple shape. Corks, bottle caps, and even LEGO bricks make cool patterns.
14. Tie-Dye… with Markers!
Real tie-dye is a commitment. It involves buckets, rubber bands, and dye that stains everything it touches. This version is for the crafters who like to keep it low-key. Have the kids color a design on a coffee filter with washable markers. Then, fold it up and have them drip water onto it with a dropper or spray bottle. Watch the colors bleed and blend! Once dry, you can hang them in a window for a “stained glass” effect.
Section 5: Crafts That Become Toys
The best craft is one that keeps on giving.
15. Paper Plate Animal Masks
Cut out eye holes in a paper plate. Let the kids paint the plate to look like their favorite animal. Add construction paper ears, a nose, and yarn for hair. Attach a popsicle stick to the bottom so they can hold it up to their face. Suddenly, you have a house full of lions, monkeys, and very serious pandas.
16. Homemade Play-Doh
Store-bought play-doh is great, but homemade is somehow… better. It’s softer, smells amazing, and you can make a ton of it for cheap. There are tons of no-cook recipes online. My favorite uses flour, salt, cream of tartar, oil, water, and food coloring. You can even split the dough and make multiple colors. Kneading it is oddly therapeutic for grown-ups, too.
17. Cardboard Tube Marble Run
Grab a bunch of empty toilet paper and paper towel rolls. Tape them to a wall or a large piece of cardboard in a zig-zag pattern, making sure the top of one lines up with the bottom of the next. Cut some tubes in half to create “slides.” Then, drop a marble in at the top and watch it go. This is part craft, part engineering lesson, and all fun.
18. Clothespin and Popsicle Stick Airplanes
Clip a small clothespin onto the middle of a popsicle stick. This is your fuselage. Glue another, shorter popsicle stick across the top front for the wings, and a small piece across the back for the tail. Paint it, add a star sticker, and you’ve got a tiny fleet ready for action.
Section 6: Wind and Sky Fun
Because summer is all about looking up.
19. Simple Paper Kites
You don’t need a fancy store-bought kite. You can make a simple diamond kite with a piece of paper, two straws (taped in a cross shape on the back), string, and a long strip of fabric or plastic for a tail. Will it soar like an eagle? Maybe not. But will it bounce along the ground behind a running kid, causing absolute joy? Absolutely.
20. DIY Windsocks
Take an empty can (like a large soup can), clean it well, and remove the label. Let the kids paint the outside. Punch three holes around the top rim and tie pieces of string to them, then tie those strings to a longer piece for hanging. Finally, glue or tape long, colorful streamers made from ribbon, fabric scraps, or plastic bags to the bottom rim. Hang it on the porch and watch the “tail” dance in the breeze.
Don’t Forget the Most Important Supply
And there you have it! Twenty ways to turn a potentially whiny summer day into a creative, memory-making one. Remember, the goal isn’t perfection. It’s not about creating a masterpiece that belongs in a museum. It’s about the process—the glue on the table, the paint on their elbows, the laughter when something goes hilariously wrong.
So, take a deep breath, pick a craft that looks fun to YOU, and just go for it. Your kids won’t remember if the caterpillar was crooked or if the kite didn’t fly. They’ll just remember that you spent the afternoon making something awesome together. Now, go raid your recycling bin and have a fantastic, boredom-free summer!
