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[Childcare] August Crafts: Cute Ideas to Make in Summer
In hot August, children in daycare and kindergarten often spend more time indoors.
Water play and pools can help them cool off, but they don’t stay in the water all day.
So here, we’re introducing crafts and activities perfect for summer that give a refreshing feel.
There are lots of fun ideas kids will love.
Many materials can be found as recyclables or at 100-yen shops, so feel free to incorporate them easily into your childcare activities.
Please use this as a reference and enjoy cool summer creations with the children! Since the things children make are treated as works, we use the term “seisaku” (production) in the text.
[Childcare] August crafts: 10 cute summer projects (1–10)
Yo-yo fishing
Let’s make a handmade version of the lively festival game, yo-yo fishing! Punch holes in both ends of long, narrow strips of construction paper, then fold each strip in half.
After making four strips, glue them together in a radial pattern.
Next, take a chenille stem (pipe cleaner), bend one end, and thread it through the holes at the tips of the paper strips.
As you pass it through each strip in sequence, it will gradually form a ball shape.
Each time you thread through a hole, glue that strip to the others where they meet.
For the last strip, after threading the pipe cleaner, form it into a loop and pass it back through the hole to secure everything.
Make a fishing rod using a pair of chopsticks, string, and another pipe cleaner, and your yo-yo fishing game is complete! Make lots of yo-yos and enjoy playing with the kids.
Stained glass-style fireworks
How about making stained-glass-style fireworks that shimmer and shine? The process is very simple—just cutting and pasting.
First, fold a sheet of black construction paper, then cut along the overlapped section with scissors.
Try cutting out several triangles.
When you unfold it, you should see a pattern that looks like a snowflake.
Next, stick small pieces of colored cellophane onto a piece of parchment (baking) paper.
Using a variety of colors will make it look more like stained glass.
Finally, glue the black construction paper and the parchment paper together, and you’re done! It’s a craft that glows beautifully when light shines through.
Osakana Maru Uchiwa
Sure to be a hit in summer! How about making a cool fish-shaped fan with the kids? First, cut two pieces of thick paper into circles, then cut out the round handle area and a fish shape from each.
Next, attach a piece of clear plastic file, cut larger than the fish shape, to one of the thick paper circles.
On top of that, stick randomly cut pieces of cellophane, imagining fish scales as you go.
Finally, glue the two pieces of thick paper together and draw the fish’s eye to finish.
Decorate freely by drawing pictures or adding stickers.
The bright summer sun will make the fish sparkle even more and boost that summertime feeling!
Playing aquarium
Here’s a fun pretend-aquarium activity that lets you feel cool during the hot and humid days of July.
Use blue plastic bags as a stand-in for the ocean and make your fish swim through it.
Create your favorite sea creatures—like whales, fish, starfish, and jellyfish—and you’ll encounter all kinds of ocean life.
If you also hang plastic bags from the ceiling and stick the sea creatures on them, the whole space will feel like an aquarium.
The best part is that people of any age can enjoy it!
Five types of summer origami
Why not use a summery watermelon-themed origami for your craft activity? First, glue a sheet of red origami paper to a sheet of green origami paper to make one piece.
Crease it along the diagonal, then cut along the crease with scissors.
Fold up the base of the triangular piece, and by repeating the fold-and-tuck steps, you’ll have a watermelon! Because there are some detailed steps, aim this for ages 3 and up, with a teacher providing assistance.
Once it’s finished, draw the seeds with a pen.
Try making lots of these origami accents to add a special touch to your crafts.
Drawing with colored ice
Here’s a perfect ice-painting activity for hot summer days.
First, draw a picture on drawing paper with a white crayon.
We recommend adding summer themes like sea creatures, fireworks, or sunflowers to set the mood.
Next, mix food coloring with water and pour it into an ice tray to make colorful ice.
Insert a popsicle stick into each compartment before freezing so you’ll have a handle to hold while painting.
Once the ice is ready, use the colorful ice to paint over the paper where you drew.
As the ice melts, the paper will take on color and the white drawing will appear.
Kids can enjoy the excitement of wondering, “What picture will appear?” Since you’re using food coloring, it’s an easy and safe activity for young children to try.
Easy origami morning glory
Let’s make morning glories—one of the quintessential symbols of summer—using origami.
First, draw a circle on blue origami paper for the flower base and cut it out with scissors.
Next, take white origami paper for the inner pattern, fold it into a triangle twice, then unfold it once.
Fold the left and right corners diagonally inward so they overlap.
Draw a V-shaped cutting line, cut along it with scissors, open it up, and attach it to the circular base.
From there, you can trim the edge of the base to form petals, or make a single slit and overlap the edges before gluing to create a three-dimensional morning glory.
Make some leaves as well, and be sure to display your work on the wall!
