![[For 3-year-olds] A roundup of craft ideas to enjoy in summer! Introducing various motifs and techniques](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/e512AbF5W1Y/maxresdefault.webp)
[For 3-year-olds] A roundup of craft ideas to enjoy in summer! Introducing various motifs and techniques
Summer is full of fun events at nurseries and kindergartens, like water play and festivals! But there are also days when it’s too hot to play outside.
On those days, how about enjoying some crafting? Through making things, children can discover new ideas, get inspired, and feel happy.
Here, we’ve gathered summer craft ideas recommended for three-year-olds.
With a variety of themes and techniques, kids can create projects they’ll enjoy.
Please use this as a reference and have fun enjoying summer together with the children! Because the children’s creations are treated as works, we use the term “seisaku” (制作) in the text.
[For 3-year-olds] A roundup of craft ideas to enjoy in summer! Introducing various motifs and techniques (1–10)
Colorful Juice of Stamps
Hot summers make you crave juice, don’t they? So here’s a fun project for making colorful “juice” with stamping.
First, cut white drawing paper into the shape of a juice cup, then use a sponge with paint to stamp it.
Leave small gaps as you stamp, and place round stickers in the gaps.
Next, cut color film into a slightly smaller juice shape, apply glue along the edges except the top, and stick it over the juice.
Finally, fold a strip of origami paper diagonally and roll it into a straw, then insert it to finish!
Sparkling fireworks made with bento cups
Let’s make fireworks—summer’s must-have flowers in the sky—using bento cup liners.
Please prepare silver foil cups.
Take out the white paper sheet tucked between the cups, open it up, and fold it in half three times.
Draw a few small triangles or squares along the edge, then cut along the lines with scissors.
Once you’ve cut the shapes, have the children freely draw patterns with water-based markers.
The ink will bleed through to the back, so trace over the bled patterns on the reverse side to add color there as well.
Open the paper and stick it onto the opened silver cup—done! If you mount it on black construction paper, the fireworks will really pop and look beautiful.
Color-changing colorful shaved ice
When it comes to summer, it’s all about shaved ice! Kids love shaved ice topped with cold, sweet syrup.
Here’s a craft idea for making color-changing shaved ice.
Prepare four colors of colored cellophane and cut them all into 7.5 cm squares.
Layer and attach them to form a larger square, then place it over a tissue that’s been crumpled into a ball and secure it.
Cover it with one more layer of tissue on top and secure again, then put it into a paper cup to finish.
When you pour water over it, the colors of the cellophane show through and the shaved ice gradually changes color.
[Scissor Craft] Sea Creatures
![[Scissor Craft] Sea Creatures](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tHfQzRSw1nA/sddefault.jpg)
This is a craft activity for three-year-olds to help them learn to use scissors.
Draw sea creatures like octopuses, squids, and jellyfish on construction paper, then cut along the lines or make slits to create the ocean.
Try drawing and cutting not only the creatures but also wavy and zigzag lines.
It might be difficult at first, but take it slow and carefully, and try cutting various lines—straight, curved, and zigzag.
If you paste the wavy or zigzag-cut paper behind the creatures, you can represent water flow or seaweed.
Morning glory craft made with dyed paper
https://www.instagram.com/p/CuwQ0joLXWa/Speaking of summer flowers, morning glories are just as famous as sunflowers.
So for a summer craft, let’s try making morning glories using dyed paper! To make them, take a round-cut piece of shoji paper, fold it in half three times, and apply watercolor paint along the edges so it soaks in.
Be careful: if you use too much paint or too much water when mixing, the color will spread across the entire paper.
Once colored, open the paper and let it dry, then cut colored construction paper to make leaves.
Finally, attach the morning glory and leaves to a thick paper base with a chopstick handle, and you’re done.
It’s a great idea that also works as a wall decoration.
Let’s create the universe with scissors and paint
Here’s a creative project idea for expressing outer space that also helps kids practice cutting curves with scissors.
First, use paint to depict space on a sheet of white construction paper.
You can paint with a brush, use stamps, or even try hand painting.
Once the paint is dry, cut the paper into a circle and draw a spiral on the back.
Cut along the spiral line with scissors, add some stars, and it’s done! For easier cutting, right-handed children should draw the spiral counterclockwise, and left-handed children should draw it clockwise.
Make the spiral big and bold!
Handmade uchiwa (Japanese handheld fan)
Let’s make a hand fan (uchiwa) to help beat the summer heat.
First, cut construction paper with scissors to create a fan-shaped template.
You’ll need two pieces, one for each side.
Next, draw patterns you want to put on the fan on another sheet of construction paper, then cut those out as well.
Fish, stars, or any motifs kids like are perfect.
After attaching the templates to the fan, fix the motif cutouts onto the templates with masking tape.
Paint over them with water-diluted paint to add color.
Once the paint is mostly dry, remove the motif cutouts and you’re done.
Keep the paint on the watery side; it’s easier to apply and the light tint gives a summery feel.