[Childcare] August Crafts: Cute Ideas to Make in Summer

A rainbow fish made with handprints

How about making colorful fish with handprint stamps that will make you feel happy just by looking at them? Paint different colors on the children’s palms to create a rainbow effect.

Then simply press their hands onto drawing paper, cut out a fish shape, and add eyes and a mouth to finish.

If you stick the fish onto a background decorated with light blue raffia (suzuran) tape, you can create an even cooler, breezier atmosphere.

The cool sensation of the paint on their palms will likely boost the kids’ excitement! If painting the hands is difficult, try making an original ink pad using a cleaning cloth (duster) and put it to use!

Fish made with paper plates

Here’s a paper-plate fish craft idea that lets you enjoy a hallway or classroom that feels like an aquarium.

All you need are paper plates, doilies, and origami paper.

First, use the paper plate as the fish’s body and create the eyes and mouth with origami paper.

Next, cut the doily to make the dorsal fin and tail fin.

You can also substitute fruit netting for the dorsal and tail fins.

This gives it a look somewhat like a tropical fish.

Even this alone creates an ocean vibe, but making seaweed out of raffia tape (Suzuran tape) will enhance the underwater feel even more.

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yamamoto

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A sunflower made with a paper plate, origami, and tissues

Let’s use everyday materials to make cute, summery sunflowers! This project is full of ideas that kids and adults alike can enjoy.

Tear origami paper by hand and glue the pieces around the rim of a paper plate.

Next, cut a circle out of construction paper, draw the sunflower’s center pattern with crayons, paint over it, and before it dries, lay a tissue over the top to make a rubbing/transfer.

Besides tissue, you could also use Japanese calligraphy paper or floral tissue.

Cut it into a circle and glue it to the center of the paper plate, and you’re done! For the step where you tear the origami petals, you can also have children use scissors depending on their age.

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miyabi

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Vegetable Stamp Art

Did you know vegetables can be art tools—even stamps? Slice vegetables into rounds that are easy for kids to hold, dab paint onto the cut surface, and you’ve got vegetable stamps! It’s best to cut off the stem end you wouldn’t use in cooking so nothing goes to waste.

You’ll get mysterious patterns that are different from ordinary drawings.

Using vegetables that are in season in summer—like green peppers, okra, and corn—can also be a chance to teach kids when each vegetable is at its tastiest.

Vegetables with distinctive cross-sections, such as lotus root and bitter melon, are especially likely to delight children.

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SAKI

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Sound-emitting lantern

Let’s make a rattle lantern that’s perfect as a room decoration or for summer festival displays at daycares and kindergartens.

Prepare a toilet paper roll, put a few beads inside, and seal the open ends.

Then wrap it with origami paper that has been slit to create a softly rounded shape.

That’s it—your rattle lantern is complete.

You can also use it as a maraca.

If you hang it as a decoration, it will make cute sounds when touched or when the wind blows, adding a lively touch to the room.

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SAKI

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[Ages 5 and up] Watermelon-themed wind chime

Introducing how to make a watermelon-style wind chime! Using origami as the material, we created this symbol of summer. How about using it as a decoration for July and August? [Tsukuru-mon]

This is a watermelon wind chime made from origami, with a cool, swaying look when the wind blows.

You’ll need origami paper, glue, and string.

First, make the top part with green origami paper.

Folding it in half and creasing the lines are great steps to do with children.

Please have the teacher make a hole in the center using an awl.

Next, use red origami paper to make a ring to hold the band.

After assembling those, make the tanzaku (hanging strip).

Attach the top of the wind chime and the tanzaku with string, and your wind chime is complete.

You can also write your wishes on the tanzaku!

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hiyori

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[Aluminum Cup] Fireworks

Easy! Sparkling fireworks! Fun for kids and adults alike.

Here’s a perfect August craft: fireworks made using bento cup liners.

For this project, you’ll mainly use the thin paper placed between the cups.

First, unfold the paper and fold it three times to make a triangle.

Then draw lines in shapes like triangles or circles and cut them out with scissors.

This part requires fine motor skills, so please have an adult help.

Once you’ve cut out the shapes, use pens to draw patterns.

The patterns and colors are up to you, so let the kids create freely.

Since the paper is layered, press firmly with the pen to let the ink bleed slightly—that’s the key.

After finishing the patterns, unfold the paper and stick it onto a silver cup.

The cutout areas will shine silver, creating a beautiful firework effect!

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sasashina

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