[Childcare] Fun craft ideas and craft activities perfect for summer
Summer is full of fun events at daycares and kindergartens! With water play, festivals, and fireworks events, children really get a feel for the season.
Here, we’ll introduce craft ideas recommended for summer.
You can make all sorts of things like colorful fireworks, delicious-looking shaved ice, beautiful morning glories, and cute beach sandals.
These activities let you enjoy the summer atmosphere through crafting, so please use them as a reference! Some projects use unique techniques, so be sure to make fun summer memories together with the children.
Since the works created by children are regarded as artworks, the term “seisaku” (制作) is used in the text.
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[Childcare] Fun craft ideas and craft activities perfect for summer (141–150)
Making T-shirts with stamps
Would you like to have fun making T-shirts with stamps? T-shirts freely expressed on construction paper will become favorite creations.
First, have the children fold small pieces of cardboard into triangles and secure them with tape.
Use these to stamp patterns onto T-shirt-shaped construction paper.
Once the patterns are done, hang them up to dry like laundry to enjoy even more of a T-shirt vibe.
If making your own T-shirt sparks interest, it’s also a great chance to practice folding a real T-shirt.
This craft is perfect for two-year-olds who are rapidly gaining new skills.
Salt painting
Sparkling, colorful salt painting is fun to make, and the puffy, three-dimensional finish is delightful.
You’ll need salt and water, containers, glue or paste, paint, brushes, and so on.
First, use glue to draw any picture you like on drawing paper.
Sprinkle plenty of salt over it, then shake off the excess.
Next, sprinkle paint onto the salt with a brush.
You can use your fingers instead of a brush if you like.
Since salt absorbs moisture, it’s fascinating to watch the colored water soak in smoothly, and observing how the colors bleed makes for a great learning experience!
choco banana
How about making a chocolate banana stall that kids will love? First, cut colored construction paper into tiny pieces with scissors.
Next, create the banana body using yellow construction paper, then use paint to color the parts where the chocolate sauce would be.
Once the paint dries, apply glue and sprinkle on the tiny paper pieces to look like colorful sprinkles.
After the bananas are finished, stick them onto a sheet decorated to look like a festival stall.
It will instantly give off a festive vibe.
You’ll end up with a wonderful craft that showcases each child’s unique personality!
[Childcare] Fun Summer-Friendly Craft Ideas and Craft Activities (151–160)
Bubble Art
Bubble art is like an extension of soap-bubble play—when you’re done playing, you end up with a finished artwork.
As the name suggests, it’s a technique for creating art with bubbles.
Cut a plastic bottle and attach a piece of fabric or nylon mesh to the cut end.
Dip it into colored bubble solution, then blow through the bottle’s mouth to produce lots of fluffy bubbles.
Place those bubbles onto paper; when the bubbles pop and dry, a colorful, puffy design appears.
Try using different colors and varying the bubble sizes to create your piece.
A summer uchiwa made with a marble run
Let’s enjoy creating summer-themed crafts using the marble-rolling technique.
First, use construction paper to make motifs like shaved ice, chocolate bananas, and water yo-yos.
Place each motif in a tray and let the children enjoy rolling marbles over them.
Because marbles pose a choking hazard, be sure to work in small groups and keep a close eye on the children at all times.
Arrange the finished motifs on a uchiwa (paper fan) base and glue them down, and you’ll have an adorable summer-themed creation! It’s fun to display or take home as a souvenir.
Summer vegetable stamps
This is a playful activity where you turn familiar, everyday vegetables into stamps.
Instead of only seeing vegetables at the supermarket or once they’re cooked, pick them up, touch them, and enjoy playing with them.
Summer vegetables in season—like okra—have star-shaped cross sections that look adorable when stamped.
Exploring the cross sections of different vegetables will spark conversation: Which shapes? Which colors to stamp with? Try stamping not only on drawing paper but also on plain cotton cloth to make your own tenugui hand towel.
Target shooting
You can make a safe shooting game using a paper cup and a balloon.
First, cut out the bottom of the paper cup.
The teacher should prepare this in advance.
Next, attach a tied balloon to the bottom area.
Cut off the side of the balloon opposite the knot, then stretch it over the cup.
Secure the seam between the balloon and the cup well with tape.
After that, put a ping-pong ball into the cup and pull the balloon—pop! The ping-pong ball shoots out, and your shooting game is complete! Make various targets and enjoy the game.