Recommended in July! Summer craft play ideas

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
9 years of experience as a nursery school teacherShibata Risa
I am an active nursery school teacher with 9 years of experience. After graduating from university, I worked at a daycare center. The time I spent happily with children—playing piano, singing songs, and doing finger-play—are priceless memories to me. Currently, while raising three children of my own, I work at an after-school day service, engaging with children and providing individualized developmental support. Drawing on my diverse experiences as a childcare worker and as a mother, I hope to express and convey my thoughts through writing.

In July, many daycare centers and kindergartens start Tanabata celebrations and pool time.

Summer is full of events kids can enjoy, like beach trips and fireworks festivals.

Here, we’re introducing craft ideas to make summer even more fun.

You can create summer-themed projects related to Tanabata, seasonal flowers, sea creatures, and cool treats.

Use these ideas as a guide to enjoy crafting with the children and spend the hot summer happily and energetically!

Recommended in July! Summer craft play ideas (71–80)

fluffy ice cream

Ice cream is something you’ll want to eat every day once summer arrives.

How about incorporating a three-dimensional ice cream craft into your July activities? Using shaving foam, you can create ice cream with a wonderfully fluffy texture! All you need to do is mix shaving foam, white craft glue, and food coloring.

Attach a cone cutout to construction paper, decorate it with your ice cream, and you’re done! You can also add stickers or draw designs for extra decoration.

This fun, super tactile craft is sure to delight children.

Raise the rankinglower

miyabi

Report a problem

Swaying wind chimes

As a summery craft idea for July, we recommend wobbly wind chimes.

Teachers and children can enjoy making them together, and after they’re done, the kids can take them home and keep enjoying them! You can decorate pudding or jelly cups and use them directly as wind chimes, take apart and repurpose the lids from six-piece cheese packs, or use capsule toy containers as they are—with a bit of creativity, you can turn recycled materials into lovely wind chimes! Note that making wind chimes involves a step where holes must be made, so be sure that adults handle this part.

Let the children put on stickers and draw pictures as their part of the process.

Raise the rankinglower

miyabi

Report a problem

Shaved ice with aluminum foil art

Let’s try drawing a picture of cold, delicious shaved ice using aluminum foil! First, color the aluminum foil with water-based markers in various colors.

After coloring, mist it with a spray bottle to blur the colors.

Once that’s done, place a sheet of drawing paper on top of the foil to transfer the colors.

You’ll get softly blended, beautiful hues; when they dry, cut them out in the shape of shaved ice.

Finally, combine them with drawing paper cut into the shape of a bowl, and you’re done! If you like, you can also add fruit shapes cut from paper.

Have the children handle tasks like coloring with the water-based markers, transferring the colors to the paper, and arranging the fruit.

Raise the rankinglower

SAKI

Report a problem

Recommended in July! Summer craft play ideas (81–90)

Fireworks in a cup

There are lots of colorful cups used to hold side dishes in bento lunches, right? Let’s make a wall decoration by imagining those side-dish cups as fireworks.

If you have cups with cute patterns or colors, you can simply apply glue to the bottom and stick them on as is—no problem! Cutting small slits around the edges will add a bit of liveliness.

It’s also a great idea to add stickers or draw on them.

Use black construction paper or poster paper as the background for the cups, and then add patterns around the cups with a white colored pencil or by using spattering techniques.

You’ll end up with brilliant, festive fireworks!

Raise the rankinglower

SAKI

Report a problem

colorful cotton candy

Fluffy, cute, and sweet, cotton candy is a classic festival treat.

How about making some fluffy cotton candy of your own? Prepare various colors of paint diluted with water, then dip small, torn pieces of cotton into the colored water to dye them.

Once the cotton dries, put it in a clear bag or stick it onto a skewer-like stick, and your cotton candy is complete! It’s a good idea to have children handle the steps of tearing the cotton and dipping it into the colored water.

With its bright, festive look, this craft is sure to delight kids.

Raise the rankinglower

SAKI

Report a problem

Fireworks with toilet paper rolls

Let’s make fireworks by using a toilet paper roll like a stamp.

Cut slits into one end of the roll and fan them out to create a flower-like shape.

Dip the opened end in paint and dab it like a stamp to make fireworks appear! You can use just one color or layer multiple colors for a more vibrant display.

Combine with finely cut origami paper or stickers to create dynamic fireworks.

If children will be doing the stamping, make sure the teacher prepares the toilet paper roll stamps in advance.

Raise the rankinglower

SAKI

Report a problem

A turtle in pastel art

Let’s draw a colorful turtle using pastel art.

First, the teacher shaves several pastel colors and lays the shavings out on the paper.

The children will pick up the shaved pastel with their fingers and apply it to a turtle-shell-shaped piece of construction paper by rubbing in circular motions.

Encourage them to add small amounts of different colors or boldly layer them—let them color freely.

Once the shell is colored, combine it with the face and limb parts cut from construction paper to complete the turtle! Be sure the cutting of the construction paper pieces is prepared in advance by the teacher.

Raise the rankinglower

SAKI

Report a problem