Easy Summer Crafts for Kids

Easy Summer Crafts for Kids!

I’m constantly checking out Pinterest for cute ideas to keep little minds and little hands busy and now that we’re done with school and both kiddos are home with me, I really need to up my craft game!

I’ve compiled three easy summer crafts for kids that have been a hit at my house…hope they work out for you!

Pudding Paint

I actually “borrowed” this idea from a “Kate Plus 8” episode I watched a million years ago (back when it was just “Kate Plus 8!”).  Pudding paint!  There are SO many things you can do with this.

Simply mix up different flavors (colors) of pudding (or just buy those little pudding cups from the grocery store), break out the paint brushes (big and small)…and get creative!  You can corral the kids in your backyard and let them “paint” each other…then hose them off!

Or, use the pudding as “paint” on construction paper, paper plates…the sky’s the limit.  My little ones had a blast painting – then, eating the “paint” – ha!

Tear Art

My daughter just completed Pre-K, and one of the skills that the kiddos worked on all year was increasing their fine motor abilities.  Of course, the kids didn’t realize this. They just thought they were playing! But, one of my little girl’s favorite art projects was tear art – which really helped the kids work on manipulating small pieces of paper, building their little finger and hand muscles.

And you can make ANYTHING.

Pick a shape.  An animal. Print off a (big)  picture of their favorite character. Then, grab multi color construction paper and have them tear the colors into many small pieces.

Make different “color” tear piles.  Once the tearing is done, have them glue the little pieces in the shape of their project (my princess loved making a rainbow – see below – she made this one at school).  I’ve seen watermelons, suns, flowers, ladybugs, oceans, beaches, fishes, flip-flops…let your kiddo pick and watch their little fingers work their magic!

Magazine Collages – Family Portraits

This is a tried and true fun activity for older kiddos who need to practice cutting.  You just need safety scissors, family-friendly magazines (that you don’t mind being cut up), a large piece of construction paper, and glue.

One of our babysitters had my little girl create this collage for me while I was working – isn’t it adorable?  She had my kids go through magazines and pick pictures that represented our family.  Then, she helped both my babies cut and glue together our family “portrait.”  This was made two years ago.  It is still posted on our art “door.”  I just love it.  And, I hope you’ll love yours!

What’s your favorite, easy summer art project with your kids?  There are SO many to choose from!

Comment below and let’s get an art dialogue going!