August Craft Ideas for 5-Year-Olds
August, when the real heat arrives, is the perfect season for pools and water play.
However, it’s not possible to enjoy pools or water play every day, and some of you may be looking for creative indoor activities.
In this article, we’ll introduce August craft ideas that are perfect for five-year-olds!
We’ve gathered ideas kids will love, including ones for wall displays, toys they can take home and play with, and crafts useful for pretend summer festivals.
Please use them as a reference.
Because the children’s creations are treated as works of art, we use the term “seisaku” (制作, creations) in the text.
[For 5-year-olds] August craft ideas (1–10)
yo-yo
How about making a yo-yo—always a big hit with kids at summer festivals—out of a milk carton? First, cut the carton with scissors and unfold it into a cross shape.
Next, have fun customizing the white side by drawing pictures or adding stickers.
Then make two holes in the bottom and thread a rubber band through them.
Connect multiple bands to make it longer.
Finally, staple the milk carton together into a round shape.
Yo-yo play helps develop focus and reaction skills as you move your wrist smoothly—so try it together and see how many times you can do it!
fireworks
Fireworks crafts really are a hallmark of summer, aren’t they? How about enjoying the process while imagining your child’s smiling face? I recommend drawing lines on black construction paper with a white crayon, then stamping paint on top with your fingertips.
If you work from the center outward, you can create beautiful firework shapes.
Use lots of your favorite colors and try expressing dreamy fireworks you’d love to see.
If everyone works together on a large sheet of paper, it’ll make a perfect wall decoration, too.
Osakana Maru Uchiwa
How about making a round, fish-themed uchiwa fan that’s perfect for hot summer days? First, cut thick paper into a circle about 20 cm in diameter, then cut out a fish shape and its inner opening.
Prepare two of these.
Next, cut a clear file to a size that can cover the fish opening, and attach it to the thick paper with double-sided tape.
Cut colorful cellophane into small pieces and stick them on with double-sided tape like fish scales.
Glue the two sheets of thick paper together, use a round sticker for the fish’s eye, and draw any designs you like around it to finish.
The sparkling cellophane has a transparent look that feels cool and refreshing.
lantern
The lanterns that appear at summer festivals and during Obon have a plump, charming silhouette that makes them cute as decorations, and people are delighted to take them home.
First, draw any picture you like on a paper cup with colored pens.
Next, cut a strip of colored construction paper slightly longer than the height of the cup.
Tape this colored paper to the bottom and rim of the paper cup with cellophane tape.
Wrap black construction paper with double-sided tape around the bottom, then make a handle with twine, and you’re done.
It also seems like a great chance to naturally experience Japan’s traditional culture.
ice
With their cute marbled wet-on-wet effect, these ice creams brighten up a wall with a summery pop.
First, prepare two small circles cut from drawing paper.
Wet the paper with a brush, then add your favorite paint colors.
While those dry, draw a lattice pattern on a triangle cut from brown origami paper to make a waffle cone.
Put double-sided tape on the back of each piece, stick them onto a colored base sheet, and draw any patterns you like.
Enjoy the vibrant colors that blow away the summer heat.
watermelon
A door plate with a watermelon motif sounds lovely! Using red and green construction paper, you can create a piece that’s full of summery vibes.
It would be fun to get creative with the rind and the seeds together with the kids.
The idea of using paper plates to add a three-dimensional effect is great, too.
Once it’s finished, let’s display it in the room to boost the summer mood.
Through the making process, it also seems like a great way to nurture children’s imagination and creativity.
Enjoy working on it together and make some wonderful summer memories!
Grand Fireworks Painting in the Night Sky
What you need: black construction paper, paints, and crayons.
Simple yet striking, the colorful hues pop against the black background in this fun finger-stamp fireworks painting.
First, draw the lines of the fireworks on the black paper with crayons.
Next, use finger stamps to dab on your favorite colors.
Aside from encouraging them to “try to put the colors on the fireworks lines as much as possible,” let the children create freely so they can enjoy drawing at their own pace.
Try to spark conversation, too, by asking, “Have you ever seen fireworks?” or “What colors did you see?”