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!
- Fun Fish Craft Ideas to Make at Daycare and Kindergarten
- Fun July Craft Ideas for 2-Year-Olds: Summer Wall Decorations
- Fun crafts using straws
- [July] Recommended for 1-year-olds! Fun summer craft ideas
- [For 4-year-olds] Crafts to make with preschoolers in July and August: Creative activities that let kids feel the summer
- Perfect Summer Craft Ideas to Try in July for 4-Year-Olds
- [Childcare] Recommended for 3-year-olds! Craft activity ideas
- [For toddlers] Simple but amazing craft ideas — including toys they can play with
- [Childcare] Fun craft ideas and craft activities perfect for summer
- [For 5-year-olds] Crafts to try in July! Ideas that capture the season
- Craft ideas to try in July for 3-year-olds
- [For 3-year-olds] A roundup of craft ideas to enjoy in summer! Introducing various motifs and techniques
- Fun to make in childcare! A collection of easy origami ideas recommended for July
Recommended in July! Summer craft play ideas (111–120)
Goldfish scooping
You can even make a classic summer festival game—goldfish scooping—by hand! All you need are everyday items like a milk carton, vinyl tape, and PE tape.
First, make a “poi” scoop using a ring-shaped strip cut from a milk carton and a drain strainer net.
It’s safer for the teacher to handle the cutting and stapling.
Wrap the vinyl tape around the scoop you made.
For the goldfish, cut the milk carton into an egg shape, draw goldfish-like patterns, and attach PE tape as the tail with tape—that’s it! These goldfish actually float on water, so it feels more realistic.
Hope you catch lots of goldfish!
fishing
Enjoy a fishing game at your homemade summer festival.
First, prepare sea creatures like fish and octopuses to catch.
You can use free illustration materials, or have the children draw them for extra fun.
Laminating the pieces you make will make them water-resistant and safe.
If you don’t have a laminator, use laminating film from the 100-yen shop.
Attach a paper clip to each piece, then fasten string and a magnet to a pair of chopsticks—and you’re done! Catching the fish is fun, but playing the shopkeeper and serving customers adds a different kind of enjoyment.
Have everyone make lots of pieces together!
One-time sunflower
A recommended craft for children who are just starting to use scissors: a sunflower you can make with single snips.
Prepare long, thin strips of yellow construction paper; snip along the folds or drawn lines to create petals.
If you pre-cut the round center of the sunflower and the leaves, the activity will go smoothly.
For the seeds in the middle, use long, narrow pieces of construction paper or origami, and glue on single-snip squares or triangles.
If any pieces are too long, trim the excess or fold it to the back and glue it down.
Guri and Gura’s Seaside Swim
Let’s try making a craft inspired by the picture book “Guri and Gura’s Seaside Adventure.” First, use blue and white paint on light blue construction paper to create waves.
Prepare the environment so the children can freely express themselves.
Make Guri and Gura using origami—don’t forget their trademark red and blue hats.
Next, cut out two swim rings from construction paper.
Finally, glue all the parts onto the paper, and it’s complete! Just looking at it will make you feel like you’re at the beach.
You know, Mr. Corn…
Corn, known as a summer vegetable.
How about making the corn character that appears in the picture book “Tōmorokoshi-kun ga ne”? This corn character actually has a fun mechanism: its arms and legs dangle and move, and the husk can be peeled.
Cut the main body of Tōmorokoshi-kun out of colored construction paper and use finger stamps to represent the kernels.
Draw the leaf patterns using a toothbrush, then attach the leaves to the body with a paper fastener.
It would be nice to read the picture book aloud and play with your finished Tōmorokoshi-kun together.