[For 5-year-olds] Let’s enjoy summer! Summer craft ideas for 5-year-olds
A hot summer when heatstroke precautions mean more time spent indoors.
Here are some fun craft ideas that let children feel the summer even inside! Themes that five-year-olds will enjoy include fireworks, watermelons, stag beetles, and sunflowers.
Crafts using summer motifs nurture children’s imagination and expressive skills, and help them develop fine motor skills, too.
These activities are perfect for five-year-olds, so try making a variety of things and enjoy a wonderful summer! Because the children’s creations are treated as artworks, this text uses the term “seisaku” (制作) to refer to them.
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[Age 5] Let’s Enjoy Summer! Summer Craft Ideas for 5-Year-Olds (21–30)
Easy and cute morning glories

Let’s make a summer symbol, the morning glory, with origami.
Fold the paper into a triangle three times.
Prepare scissors and cut the top of the triangle diagonally.
Be careful not to cut the inner triangular section while cutting.
Open the paper and fold the four corners inward along the lines.
Turn the paper over, fold the corners, shape it into a morning glory, and you’re done.
The steps are simple, so give it a try.
Wrapping paper tape to make a vine and decorating it is a lovely touch too.
Easy way to fold a crab (origami)

Here’s how to make a crab out of origami.
Prepare one sheet of origami paper and let’s get started.
Fold it in half into a square twice, then open the pocket to puff it up and squash-fold it into a triangle.
Make the crab’s legs and claws while aligning them with the center line.
The key is to make sharp creases as you fold.
You can add a face or patterns to the finished crab to create your own original design—it’s highly recommended.
Try making your own crabs and sticking them onto poster paper to create a large wall display!
[Age 5] Let’s Enjoy Summer! Summer Craft Ideas for 5-Year-Olds (31–40)
Origami Whale

Perfect for summer! Here are some origami whale ideas.
How about making a whale gliding gracefully through the sea—you can almost hear the splash! Displaying your finished creation in a room will give it a cool, refreshing feel.
What you’ll need: blue-toned origami paper (like light blue), pens or crayons, and construction paper.
It also sounds fun to let your finished whale swim in the ocean you imagine and to draw its expression.
You’ll probably see creations full of the children’s unique touches.
Cute paper lantern made with origami

Perfect for decorating summer festivals and events! Here are some cute lantern ideas made with origami.
When it comes to summer events, we think of summer festivals and evening cool-off gatherings.
How about decorating the venue with creations made by children? This time, let’s make adorable lanterns using origami.
You’ll need origami paper in your favorite colors, black origami paper, glue, scissors, chenille stems (pipe cleaners), and tape.
The round, plump shape is so cute, isn’t it? Making them in the children’s favorite colors will make it even more exciting.
Swirly soft-serve ice cream

You can make a three-dimensional soft-serve ice cream using origami.
First, let’s make the cone.
For the cone, draw a diagonal curved line on the origami paper as if drawing part of a circle, and cut along the line with scissors.
Draw crisscross lines to mimic a waffle cone, roll it into a cone shape, and secure it with clear tape.
For the soft-serve part, fold the origami paper in half twice.
When you have a small square, perform a squash fold to open it up.
Fold the opened piece in half, then twist it sideways as if rolling it.
Open it layer by layer and secure with tape, place it inside the waffle cone, and you’re done.
Easy Stag Beetle

Let me introduce the stag beetle, the superstar of summer bug-hunting.
You can make it with a single sheet of origami paper.
First fold it into a square and crease it, then open it and fold both sides toward the center line.
Next, change the angle and tuck the paper in so it puffs up into a triangle like an umbrella to form the stag beetle’s pincers.
Carefully fold and shape the legs as well.
Finally, adjust the shape to finish.
Using different colors of origami will give you your own original stag beetle.
It might be cute to give it a unique name too!
Cute crab

Searching for crabs that often hide among rocks in the sea or rivers can be a wonderfully seasonal and fulfilling activity for children.
Here’s a simple origami crab you can make.
Fold into a triangle and a square to create creases.
Using those creases as guides, tuck the paper inward to form a triangle and shape the model.
While aligning with the central starting point and center line, fold and bend to create the crab’s claws and legs.
A key tip is to press the folds firmly.
Draw eyes on round stickers, attach them, and you’re done!



