23 creative craft ideas for summer with toddlers

Summer means only one thing for children – vacation! Show them that not only video games can be fun, but summer crafts can be fun too! We have put together some great summer craft ideas that your little ones would love!


What do you need:Ice cube trays, craft paint, water, popsicle sticks

Fill the ice cube tray with a little color. Add water until each compartment is full. Stir so that the paint and water are completely mixed. Place the ice cube tray in the freezer. Let the water freeze for about 30 minutes, then remove the ice cube tray and insert a popsicle stick into each compartment to make a handle. Place back in the freezer until the water is completely frozen. Remove the ice cubes from the frozen ice cube tray. On a hot day in the garden, the children can paint as the ice cubes would melt.

What do you need:Juice or milk carton, craft knife, acrylic paint, brush, thin twigs, glue, bird seeds

Cut out the opening for the birds on the front of the milk carton. The child can now paint the milk carton in the desired color. To help the paint adhere better, the surface can be lightly sanded with sandpaper. Decorate further as desired. Break thin twigs into small pieces, about 7 centimeters long. Glue the branches so that it looks like a roof. Glue a stick as a place for the birds to sit.

If the bird feeder is hung outside, you will need a layer of clear varnish on top.


What do you need:Paper or plastic cups, hole punch or punch, string, yarn, beads, sequins, markers, rhinestones.

Poke a hole in the bottom and several holes around the edge of the cup. Cut 15 centimeters of string for each hole. Thread yarn through each hole and tie. String a few beads on the string and tie a small ring at the end. Decorate the sides of the cup with felt-tip pens, rhinestones and sequins. Turn the cup upside down and use scissors to cut an “X” into the bottom. Tie a knot at the end of the string and pass it through the “X”. The wind chime is ready to hang!

With these works of art, children can not only have fun, but also learn where these delicious seeds come from. Just be careful not to let your child eat these salty treats because they pose a choking hazard.

What do you need:Paper plate, scissors, glue, yellow and green cardboard, pencil and sunflower seeds in a bowl.

1. Help your child cut strips out of the yellow cardboard and then use scissors to shape the sunflower petals. Grandchildren can stack the paper strips to cut more than one petal at a time.
2. Using a pencil, sketch the stem and two leaves on the green cardboard and cut out the shapes with scissors. Stick them to the back of the paper plate, to the bottom edge.
3. Then show your child how to glue the petals into a circle. Allow the petals to hang slightly over the edge of the paper plate.
4. At the end, apply glue generously in the middle of the paper plate and pour the sunflower seeds over the glue until the plate underneath is no longer visible. Make sure the seeds are well distributed and press them down into the glue so they will stick!

What do you need:Ice cube trays, water, straws, scissors, cardboard, punch

Fill the ice cube tray with water and place it in the freezer. Remove before the water is completely frozen. Halve the straws and insert them into the middle of the ice cubes. Make sure the straw is as centered as possible, otherwisewould the boatwobble. Place back in the freezer and allow to freeze completely. Cut the sails out of paper and punch a hole at the top and bottom of the sail. Remove the ice cubes from the freezer and attach the sail to the boat.

What do you need:Light bulbs, yellow paint, brushes, black marker, white pipe cleaners, black construction paper, googly eyes, glue, scissors

1. Paint the light bulb yellow. Allow the paint to dry completely, then give it a second coat.
2. Use the black felt-tip pen to draw stripes on the light bulb and color the metal part of the light bulb.
3. Glue the googly eyes onto the metal part of the light bulb.
4. Cut a white pipe cleaner in two. Tie the ends of the pipe cleaners together to make the wings. Attach the wings to the light bulb with glue.
5. Cut two thin strips of black construction paper, approximately 5 centimeters long. Roll up the ends of the strips to make the antennae. Attach the antennae over the eyes.
6. Cut a piece of white pipe cleaner 7 centimeters long. Roll a pencil or your finger to make a spiral, then stick it to the back of the light bulb. This is the bee's stinger.

What do you need:Popsicle sticks, yarn, glue, scissors, pipe cleaners, beads, googly eyes

1. Glue two popsicle sticks together to form an “X.” Allow the glue to dry completely.
2. Wrap the yarn around the popsicle sticks, starting from the center toward both halves of the “X.”
3. Cut a pipe cleaner in half. Fold in half into a “V” and roll the ends inward to make the antennae. Thread a bead onto each antenna.
4. Take a second pipe cleaner and wrap it around the middle of the butterfly, incorporating the antennae.
5. Attach the end of the pipe cleaner to the back of the butterfly with glue.
6. Glue two googly eyes to the front of the butterfly.