[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.
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[For 3-year-olds] A roundup of craft ideas to enjoy in summer! Introducing various motifs and techniques (31–40)
How to fold an easy uchiwa (paper fan)

Here’s a fan craft idea you can also use for summer wall decorations.
Place the origami paper with the colored side up, fold it into a triangle, then open it.
Fold the two left edges in to meet the crease.
Rotate the paper so that the folded corner is at the bottom.
Fold the two corners at the center of the paper outward to form triangles.
Tuck the corners slightly to the back to round them, and do the same to round the top corner.
Fold up the lower corner of the white area, then fold it back down leaving about 1 cm to create a pleat (accordion fold).
While flattening the corners of the pleated section into triangles, fold the left and right edges toward the center line.
Tuck the bottom corner to the back, and your fan is complete.
Fluffy ice cream

Recommended when you want to make a three-dimensional piece! Here’s a fluffy ice cream idea.
Mix shaving foam with glue and a coloring agent to make foam.
Use a bit less glue than shaving foam to keep it fluffy.
Cut construction paper into a cone shape, draw a pattern, and attach it to the base.
Pile the foam on top of the cone to represent the ice cream, then add stickers or drawings in the blank spaces on the backing paper to finish.
Sprinkling powdered pastel on the foam as a topping might make it look pretty.
Collage Ice Cream

Here are some ice cream craft ideas that also let you enjoy making collages.
Cut the cup or cone bases out of cardboard, then decorate them by drawing patterns with pens or using colored paper.
For the ice cream scoops, basically cut circles out of construction paper, and have fun adding various toppings with small pieces of colored paper or stickers.
It’s also cute to make “collage ice cream” by gluing torn newspaper or flyers onto the round paper scoops.
Once your ice cream is done, attach it to the base to finish.
Summer item! Straw hat

Let me show you a simple way to fold a summery, breezy straw hat.
First, fold the origami paper into a triangle to make a crease.
Open it up, then fold the two left edges to meet the crease.
Next, fold the remaining corner inward to form an isosceles triangle.
Flip the paper over and fold up the base of the triangle by about 2 cm.
Fold that section down in half, then fold it up again in half to create the brim.
Fold down the top point of the triangle to shape the hat, tuck in both corners to round it out, and you’re done!
Easy whale origami

Here’s a simple and cute summer whale origami.
Prepare one sheet of origami paper and fold it in half.
Fold the corners toward the center line.
After folding it in half along the center line, turn it over, fold up the corner, and create the whale’s mouth by tucking the right tip inward.
Finally, fold in the whale’s tail to finish.
Use a felt-tip pen to draw the eyes and cheeks to make your own original whale! Display your finished whale on the wall and enjoy the summer.
[For 3-year-olds] A roundup of craft ideas to enjoy in summer! Introducing various motifs and techniques (41–50)
Let’s paint the ocean with PET bottle stamps
@hoiku.labo Perfect for Marine Day crafts! Let’s paint the ocean with plastic bottle stamps 🎶🫧 Preschool craft, childcare, ideas for childcare workers, making together with kids, easy craft, sea, stamps, construction paper, childcare worker
♪ Original Song – Hoiku Kyujin Labo – Hoiku Kyujin Labo | Nursery Teacher Job Changes and Helpful Information
Let’s have fun creating an ocean scene using a plastic bottle cap stamp that even young children can enjoy easily.
The materials are super simple! All you need is construction paper, a plastic bottle cap, paint, and a paper plate.
Squeeze your favorite paint colors onto the paper plate, dab the plastic bottle cap in the paint, and then stamp it onto the construction paper—that’s it! Using two or three colors like blue and light blue makes it look beautiful.
Finally, attach shell and fish shapes made from construction paper that you prepared in advance to complete the artwork.
It’s also lovely to add motifs you folded yourself with origami.
Give it a try for inspiration!
Sea creatures made with simple paper plates
@hoiku.labo [Sea Creatures Craft 1] Easy with a paper plate! Seagull Sailor 🦤🌊 Nursery craft, preschool teacher, ideas for childcare, make it with kids, simple craft, paper plate craft, Seagull Sailor, summer craft
♪ Original Song – Hoiku Kyujin Labo – Hoiku Kyujin Labo | Nursery Teacher Job Changes and Helpful Information
Let’s make a cute seagull sailor using a paper plate.
It’s super easy! Fold the paper plate in half and position it with the curve facing downward.
Glue on a face, wings, a hat, and other parts made from construction paper, then draw the face and body with crayons to finish.
If you use a blue crayon to draw the sailor’s outfit details, it’ll look even more refreshing and summery.
The gentle rocking motion is adorable.
Be sure to craft and play while singing the song “Kamome no Suihei-san” together!



