Fun July Craft Ideas for 2-Year-Olds: Summer Wall Decorations
In July, the heat continues and we end up spending more time indoors, don’t we?
Many teachers with energetic two-year-olds may find themselves wondering, “What should we do today?”
Here, we’re sharing craft ideas recommended for two-year-olds.
There are lots of fun activities featuring motifs that are perfect for summer.
While valuing the children’s eagerness to try things, let them enjoy expressing themselves freely.
Because we focus on activities that allow children to express themselves freely, we consistently use the term “制作” rather than “製作” in the main text.
[For 2-year-olds] Fun July Craft Ideas: Summer Wall Decorations (1–10)
Painting with ice paints
If you’re looking for a cool idea perfect for summer, why not try painting with ice? This activity involves freezing water mixed with paint and using it to draw.
Prepare a palette with compartments, paints for coloring, and straws to serve as handles.
The key is to mix the paint a bit on the thick side.
When freezing, to keep the straws from tipping over, cover the palette with aluminum foil after the paint is mixed, poke holes, and insert the straws through them.
Slightly thicker drawing paper may also be better, as it’s less likely to tear.
Don’t set a specific composition or theme—let the kids enjoy free drawing.
Yo-yo made with bubble wrap
Yo-yos, a classic at summer festivals, have long been a favorite toy among children.
This time, we’re introducing a craft project inspired by yo-yos.
Beforehand, prepare yo-yo shapes cut from construction paper and bubble wrap cut into circles to match the size of the yo-yos.
Have the children use paint to try coloring the yo-yos.
There are many ways to color them, but we recommend applying paint to match the round bumps of the bubble wrap—this creates a beautiful dotted pattern.
Once the coloring is finished, glue the bubble wrap and a rubber band onto the construction paper to complete the craft.
It also makes a great summer wall decoration.
T-shirt
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg04VGjL9ji/Why not make some vibrant, summery T-shirts? If you turn it into an activity where you draw with colored ice, you can enjoy it together with children! First, cut white construction paper into the shape of a T-shirt.
Next, use colored ice to draw freely.
Using a variety of colors—red, blue, yellow, green, and more—will make for fun, expressive artwork.
Once you’ve finished drawing, let it dry.
When displaying them, we recommend hanging them on a string with clothespins to create a nice atmosphere.
You’ll end up with a lovely wall display that looks like laundry sparkling against the summer sky.
[Tissue Paper] Polar Bear Shaved Ice
https://www.instagram.com/p/CepE9pjvBJm/Using tissue paper, children can enjoy making shaved ice artwork that even feels fluffy to the touch.
As a preparation, the teacher should make the shaved ice base out of construction paper.
For 2-year-olds, have them choose tissue paper to represent the syrup and tear it into pieces.
Once it’s torn into small bits, apply glue to the syrup area of the shaved ice and start sticking on the tissue paper.
It’s fine to layer the pieces.
After the glue dries, mount it on a backing sheet and decorate with motifs like a polar bear or a shaved ice sign.
It’s a craft idea that looks delicious with its fluffy syrup.
[Suzu-ran Tape] Shaved Ice
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs_J9WNJ5KX/Speaking of foods you want to eat in summer, shaved ice! So let’s try making a shaved ice craft.
Prepare the ice portion and the bowl ahead of time using construction paper.
Apply glue to the ice part, then roll up short pieces of raffia ribbon and stick them on.
Have white ribbon for the ice and red, blue, yellow, etc.
to represent syrups.
The step of tightly crumpling the ribbon is great finger training.
It’s also a project where children’s individuality will show through the colors and amount of syrup they choose.
Using raffia ribbon creates a very fluffy-looking shaved ice, so be sure to try this as a summer craft.
Shaved ice stamping with sponges and bubble wrap
https://www.instagram.com/p/CfqqzpEhcAV/This is a shaved ice craft where you add color with stamps to ice made from construction paper.
If the teacher prepares the shaved ice and the bowl, the children only need to stamp, so even infants can enjoy it.
Using various materials for the stamps—such as sponges or bubble wrap—lets kids appreciate different shapes and textures.
Prepare several paint colors and let the children choose their favorites.
After making them, they’ll also be perfect as wall decorations in the classroom.
Give it a try!
Perfect for pretend festivals! Pizza and ice cream
When children move into the 2-year-old class, many preschools begin scissor practice.
This time, it’s a one-snip cutting activity, and we’ll introduce a craft idea that can also be used for pretend festivals or shop play.
First, for prep, cut two beige sheets of construction paper and one red sheet into circles.
Cut them in different sizes so that when stacked, they look like a pizza.
Then glue them together in order.
Next, prepare long, thin strips of construction paper in various colors.
Have the children make one snip to create pizza toppings.
If you have a small container ready, the cut pieces won’t scatter, which is handy.
Glue the toppings onto the pizza base.
These paper pieces can also be used as ice cream toppings.
Give it a try and have fun making and playing!