Perfect Summer Craft Ideas to Try in July for 4-Year-Olds
Four-year-olds who are trying hard to express what they want to do and what they can do.
Here, we’ll introduce July-perfect crafts recommended for four-year-olds, themed around Tanabata, water play, and sea creatures.
We hope this helps you create wonderful pieces that showcase each child’s individuality.
Be sure to display what they make.
Value children’s free ideas and let them express the joys of summer!
Since we treat what children make as works of art, we use the term “production” consistently in the main text.
- [For 4-year-olds] Crafts to make with preschoolers in July and August: Creative activities that let kids feel the summer
- Craft ideas to try in July for 3-year-olds
- [July] Recommended for 1-year-olds! Fun summer craft ideas
- [Childcare] A collection of ideas you’ll want to use for July wall displays!
- [For 3-year-olds] A roundup of craft ideas to enjoy in summer! Introducing various motifs and techniques
- [Crafts] A special feature on ideas to try with three-year-olds in August! Choose from a variety of motifs
- For 1-year-olds! Craft ideas recommended for August
- [For 4-year-olds] Recommended for August! Craft ideas: Enjoy a variety of motifs
- [For 5-year-olds] Crafts to try in July! Ideas that capture the season
- [4-year-olds] Craft ideas to enjoy with children in June
- Fun with preschoolers! July origami ideas to feel the season
- Craft activity ideas for 4-year-olds
- Recommended in July! Summer craft play ideas
[4-year-olds] Summer-perfect craft ideas to try in July (71–80)
A bamboo leaf that folds in eight steps

Speaking of July, we have Tanabata, don’t we? In childcare facilities and the like, some may create bamboo grass decorations on the walls.
Here’s an origami idea for bamboo leaves that’s useful on such occasions and only takes eight folds.
First, fold the origami paper into a triangle to make a crease, then open it up and fold the two left edges to align with the crease.
At this point, make sure the tip is nice and sharp, and align the edges just slightly outside the crease.
Doing so will help express the leaf’s central vein.
Flip the paper over and fold the triangular section inward.
With the triangle’s base positioned at the bottom, refit the paper and fold the two bottom corners up to meet the center line.
Finally, tuck the left and right corners created in the last step slightly inward, and you’re done!
shaved ice

Let’s make a summer specialty—shaved ice that’s ice-cold when you eat it—using origami.
Get your origami paper and glue ready, and let’s start.
Fold along the creases to shape the shaved ice.
Tear the origami paper to create syrup shapes, cut them out, and stick them onto the top part of the shaved ice.
Finally, tidy up the shape and you’re done.
Choose the color of the origami paper to match your favorite flavors like strawberry, melon, or Blue Hawaii.
Once your delicious shaved ice is finished, try sticking it on a wall or display board to enjoy the summer even more.
Cute morning glory

Here’s an origami idea for morning glories, which are often used for summer wall decorations.
Fold the origami paper in half twice to make a square, then place it with the corner that will be the center of the flower pointing down.
Fold both sides of the top corner diagonally inward, crease well, then unfold and open the paper.
With the white side facing up, use the creases you just made as guides and fold both sides of each of the four corners.
Once folded, fold all four corners inward, leaving a small gap from the center.
Then fold the newly formed four corners outward to round the overall shape, and you’re done! The overlapping areas can be a bit stiff, so fold slowly to avoid injuring your hands.
whale

Let’s make a whale with light blue origami.
Fold the top and bottom edges together to make a crease, then open it.
Fold the bottom-left corner to the center of the paper.
Fold the paper in half along the crease, and fold the bottom-left corner the same way as the lower triangle.
Open the part you just folded, then fold up the bottom-left corner along the crease to make a long triangle.
Fold the top-left corner inward so it lines up exactly with the border between the white and light blue areas, then fold the new corner created so it also lines up with that border.
Now the whale’s head is complete.
Fold the top-right corner down to meet the bottom edge to make a triangle, then fold up the right corner you just created slightly to form the tail.
Draw an eye to finish it cutely.
fish

I’ll show you how to fold a simple fish.
Get some origami paper, a felt-tip pen, and round stickers ready, and let’s make it.
Fold the origami paper in half to make a crease.
Fold both the left and right sides into triangles toward the center crease to make creases.
Open up the pockets at the corners, tuck them inside as you puff them out, and turn it over.
Fold the triangular section upward to form the fish’s tail.
Fold the lower-right and upper-right corners—adjusting their sizes—to shape the fish’s face.
Rotate it, flip it over, add a round sticker for the eye, and you’re done.
Give it a try!
Plump Wind Chime

How about making a wind chime out of origami that captures the feeling of summer with its cool tone and a strip of paper swaying in the breeze? First, fold the origami paper in half into a square twice.
Next, draw lines on the square as if shaping flower petals, then cut along the lines with scissors.
Snip off a tiny bit in the center so there’s a small hole.
Open the paper; once it looks like a flower, gather the tips of the petals toward the center, overlap them, and glue them down.
Finally, thread a string through and attach a tanzaku (paper strip) to the string to finish.
If you thread a small bell onto the string, it will make a sound and feel even more like a wind chime.
This softly rounded, cute wind chime is perfect to make and display by your window!
Yukata Kids
Speaking of summer, you often see people going out to festivals wearing yukata.
Here’s an introduction to making “Yukata Kids” with origami.
It’s recommended to use patterned origami paper for the yukata.
The steps are simple, so fold each part carefully and assemble while checking the overall balance.
There are separate face and hair parts for a girl and a boy, so choose whichever you like and give it a try.
Adding a ribbon or other accessory on the hair makes it look more stylish, enhances the summery feel, and results in an even cuter finish.



