Recommended in July! Summer craft play ideas
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!
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Recommended in July! Summer craft play ideas (91–100)
silky beach
Summer-themed art projects and activities not only let children enjoy the season, they also nurture their imagination! Let’s try expressing a beach atmosphere through art to boost those summer vibes.
Kids can color freely on construction paper shaped like a beach umbrella, or tear tissue paper to resemble beach sand and glue it onto paper.
With their free ideas, what kind of beach will they create? Both children and teachers will be excited to find out.
It would also be lovely to display the children’s drawings or photos under the umbrella!
A Stroll by the Sea with the Boing-Boing Jellyfish
Jellyfish that swim all jiggly and fluffy are so cute, aren’t they? Let’s make a craft themed around those adorable jellyfish taking a stroll through the sea! To capture that jiggly jellyfish feel, it’s best to add a mechanism that creates movement.
After drawing a jellyfish on construction paper, attach an accordion-folded strip of paper behind it to act like a spring.
That way, when you touch it, the jellyfish will wobble and jiggle, making it fun for kids.
Around the jellyfish, draw fish and seaweed or add origami pieces to create a lively ocean scene.
When coloring the jellyfish, use paints with extra water to bring out their translucent look!
Recommended in July! Summer craft play ideas (101–110)
Making yo-yos with crayons and stickers
How about making cute yoyos using crayons and stickers? Prepare construction paper pre-cut into yoyo shapes, and have your child add patterns to the yoyos.
If you paste the yoyo-shaped pieces onto another sheet of paper, you won’t have to worry about crayon marks going outside the lines.
Let your child draw lines and patterns with crayons and add stickers however they like.
If your child isn’t yet used to crayons, it’s a good idea to first show them how to use them before starting.
Give it a try as a fun summer craft activity!
watermelon lantern
When it comes to fruits that symbolize summer, watermelon surely comes to mind.
Its vivid red and green look also boosts that feeling of summer.
Here’s a craft that fuses an essential summer watermelon with the lanterns that brighten summer festivals.
The key is layering green construction paper over red, so that the red peeks through from inside the green, evoking a watermelon.
Make slits in the green paper and shape it so the inner red shows through.
If you add black stripes and black seeds, it will look even more like a watermelon.
Roll the paper into a cylinder with a hollow center, attach a handle, and your lantern is complete.
Placing a light inside is also recommended.
A sunflower field made from toilet paper rolls
Let’s try painting sunflowers that bloom vibrantly in summer using a toilet paper roll! Cut several slits into a toilet paper roll and spread them out like petals.
Paint the ends with yellow paint and stamp the color onto drawing paper—this creates the sunflower’s yellow petals.
For the brown center, bundle a few cotton swabs together, dip them in brown paint, and stamp to fill it in.
If you want to add leaves, finger stamping is recommended.
Teachers should prepare the toilet paper rolls and cotton swabs, and let the children do the stamping.
Having real sunflowers or photos on hand will help the children visualize more easily.
Five types of summer origami
Why not use a summery watermelon-themed origami for your craft activity? First, glue a sheet of red origami paper to a sheet of green origami paper to make one piece.
Crease it along the diagonal, then cut along the crease with scissors.
Fold up the base of the triangular piece, and by repeating the fold-and-tuck steps, you’ll have a watermelon! Because there are some detailed steps, aim this for ages 3 and up, with a teacher providing assistance.
Once it’s finished, draw the seeds with a pen.
Try making lots of these origami accents to add a special touch to your crafts.
Let’s try making a big ocean!
Let’s experience the joy of painting a big ocean on a large sheet of drawing paper using plenty of paint.
Lay down a plastic sheet or something similar to protect the floor, and wear clothes that can get messy so you can paint freely and boldly without worry.
There are no strict rules—use your hands, brushes, rollers, or wide brushes however you like.
Part of the fun is trying different tools; the result changes depending on what you use.
Savor the joy of creating freely.
