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 for 10 years as a kindergarten teacher and for 7 years as an after-school childcare instructor, then took a post as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I also engaged in activities that shared Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational play, working with many children. Afterwards, through freelance writing, planning, and editing work at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and conveying ideas. Leveraging the perspective cultivated in educational settings and my experience as an editor, I aim to deliver practical information—focusing on fields related to music and children—that values both input and output. Hobbies include instruments, singing, handcrafts, toys, drawing, traditional play, the outdoors, books, DIY, and crafts. Special skill: 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 (81–90)

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.

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SAKI

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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.

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A giant fish painted with finger painting

How about making a big fish with finger painting? Finger painting, where you paint using paint on your fingers or hands instead of brushes, offers a different kind of charm from regular paintings.

One recommendation is for the teacher to create the rough shape of the fish and have the children help with coloring it using finger painting.

You can cover the whole thing with color, or use the shapes of hands and fingers like patterns to add color—let’s skip the rules and paint freely!

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Tropical Juice with Finger Paint

A colorful tropical drink made with finger painting.

Even a one-year-old can enjoy the cool, smooth feel of the paint—perfect for summer! The key is to mix a little hand soap or body soap into the paint.

It helps the paint spread more easily and makes it simpler to wash off skin afterward.

Prepare vibrant fruit toppings, as well as straws and spoons, to create that exciting “Which one should we use?” feeling!

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The Mermaid and the Jellyfish

Mermaids like Ariel from The Little Mermaid are such aspirational figures for children, aren’t they? Let’s bring some adorable mermaids and softly drifting jellyfish into an ocean-themed wall display.

If you decorate the mermaids’ tail fins with sparkly origami paper and add patterns to the jellyfish heads using finger stamps or finely cut origami pieces, you’ll end up with a dazzling piece.

Also, using raffia tape (suzuran tape) for the jellyfish tentacles is recommended, as it creates the look of gently floating jellyfish.

The cute ocean scene is sure to delight the children.

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Papercut and spattered fireworks

How about creating a fantastical fireworks scene using paper cutting and spattering? If you want to express the round shapes of fireworks neatly with paper cutting, it’s best to fold the paper several times and then make cuts with scissors into your desired shapes.

When you unfold it, you’ll get beautiful flower-like fireworks.

Try adding color using techniques like wet-on-wet painting.

After you paste the finished fireworks onto a large, dark sheet of construction or poster paper, use spattering to make the fireworks even more dazzling.

Spattering is a method where you flick paint through a mesh with a toothbrush to apply color in a spray-like pattern.

Use colors that stand out against the black surface, such as white or yellow.

This will create a scene like fireworks floating in the night sky!

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Recommended in July! Summer craft play ideas (91–100)

Blown-paint fireworks

Fireworks painted with the blow-painting technique are projects that children can easily help with.

Blow painting involves thinning paint with water, dipping a brush or similar tool into it, and then dropping it onto the paper.

You then blow through a straw toward the dropped paint to spread it, creating a variety of patterns.

By changing the direction of your breath and combining different colors, you can produce richer works.

You can depict fireworks using only blow painting, or use blow painting for part of the firework and combine it with construction paper or stickers to create a single firework.

You’ll end up with many unexpectedly beautiful pieces, so give it a try!

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SAKI

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