Summer is coming, which means that kids are out of school and looking for a host of fun activities to keep them occupied! It can be a big task to keep busy during all the long hours of Summer, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be a fun and exciting season. Arts and crafts are perfect for indoor play on super hot days, and also great for time outside on the porch or in the backyard.
Here are 30 of our favorite summer art activities to keep your elementary schoolers entertained throughout the hot months.
1. Soda Straw Weaving
This is a Summer art activity that uses small supplies and lots of creativity. You can build a functional loom with plastic straws and then weave away with whatever yarn or string you have lying around. It’s a great way to use up leftover materials from the school year!
Learn more: Kid-at-Art
2. Little Monster Bookmarks
This is a piece of art that is also quite handy to have around the house. These adorable monsters look like they’re eating the pages of your books, but they’re really just holding your spot! You can also make these as a Summer Father’s Day gift.
Learn more: Make and Takes
3. Marker Bleeding Paintings
This summer art project focuses on the works of Van Gogh and his original painting style. Kids can recreate the style of his famous “Sunflowers” with markers and thick paper. It’s a wonderful craft that also combines art history with those gorgeous Summer colors.
Learn more: Create Art With Me
4. Toilet Roll Bracelets
This awesome summer craft results in a cute wearable bracelet. Plus, it makes great use of toilet paper rolls, so it’s an excellent way to upcycle and talk with kids about the importance of reusing and recycling to save the planet.
Learn more: Pinterest
5. Clay Pinch Pots
This is one the top of the list of Summer arts and crafts! There are endless ways that kids can make clay pinch pots: the key is creativity! Here are several ideas to help get your creative juices flowing.
Learn more: Play Ideas
6. Fish of the Deep Sea
These ideas for Summer art draw on the creatures of the deep. You won’t see them on your beach visits, but they’re a fascinating part of the sea. It’s a fun way to learn about the fun and creepy and creatures that live at the very bottom of the ocean.
Learn more: Krokotak
7. Blowing Straw Paintings
This is a new way to make classic painting projects. First, draw a face, but leave the hair space empty. Then, water down some paint and use a plastic straw to blow it into the place of the hair. The result is a wavy, textured, and colorful head full of creative hair! Try to come up with other great ways to use this painting method throughout the Summer.
Learn more: Pinterest
8. Ice Cream Dough
This is the recipe for dough that looks and smells like real ice cream! However, even if it comes in ice cream cones, you shouldn’t eat it. Instead, kids can spend hours playing with the dough and imagining lots of ideas and uses for this stretchy and flexible plaything.
Learn more: Fun at Home with Kids
9. Rainbow Oobleck
Here’s a colorful art project that results in a super colorful slime that you can make with ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen. It’s a great indoor activity for super hot Summer days, and it’s a fun way to teach about color combinations, too.
Learn more: Fun Littles
10. Vacation Inspo Collage
With lots of different media and plenty of creativity, have your kids make collages about Summer vacation. Their collages can represent a dream vacation, or they can be a recap of somewhere they’ve traveled to and enjoyed. The sky is the limit with this project!
Learn more: Kid-at-Art
11. Beautiful Paper Flowers
All you need for a beautiful Summer bouquet is some tissue paper and pipe cleaners. This craft is great for younger kids, and it’s also a fun way to explore the transition between 2D and 3D media. It’s a great way to promote motor skills in young kids, too.
Learn more: Moose Mischief
12. Beach Treasures Picture Frame
With the shells and other little treasures that your child collects on their beach visit, you can make this picture frame. It adds a lovely Summer vibe to your interior décor, and it’s a piece that your kids can really be proud of. Plus, it’s a special memory of your Summer beach vacation.
Learn more: Amazon
13. Fun Flower Crowns
Flower crowns are one of the classic Summer projects. The flower princesses and princes of Summer are a fun-loving group, and these flower crowns are the perfect accessory for their adventures! You can make them with whatever wildflowers grow in your area.
Learn more: Creative Green Living
14. Mosaic Flower Pots
These mosaic flower pots are great for kids who have green thumbs. You can plant a Summer herb garden or some lovely flowers in these colorful flower pots. They are also wonderful gifts for Mother’s Day at the beginning of the Summer and Father’s Day in the middle of the Summer.
Learn more: Kinder Art
15. Homemade Beeswax Candles
This is a project that leaves you with some handy candles. It’s a great craft for Summer camp or a family camping trip because the wax dipping can get a bit messy!
Learn more: Pinterest
16. Easy-Stained Glass Project
With some wax paper and some washable finger paint, your kids can make beautiful stained glass art. You can hang this in the window to catch the rays of the Summer sun. It’s a perfect way to bring some of that lovely sunshine indoors!
Learn more: Happy Hooligans
17. Paper Plate Circle Weaving
With this craft, a simple paper plate becomes the perfect loom. Kids can use different colors, weights, and textures of yarn to create beautiful woven creations. You can even work these small circles into a larger piece of collaborative artwork!
Learn more: Pinterest
18. Soda Bottle Planters
This project focuses on recycling and upcycling. It’s a great project for teaching kids about the importance of the environment and how we can protect the planet. The end result is also a super cute, smiling planter where you can grow flowers, herbs, or other Summer bounties.
Learn more: Coffee Cups and Crayons
19. Paper Mache Cats
A balloon and some paper mache form the foundation of this craft. Then, some paint and creativity bring these chubby cuties to life. You can make the cat any breed or color that you want, and a whole clowder of cats are easy to whip up in just one afternoon.
Learn more: Pinterest
20. Build a Tent Inside
When the Summer storms come on, you can enjoy a cozy time in this indoor tent. It’s great for families who can’t get the chance to camp outside, and it brings a whole new level of fun right to your living room. It’s also the perfect addition to movie nights and game nights throughout the Summer months.
Learn more: 2 Little Hooligans
21. Terrarium in a Jar
This is a project that is perfect for aspiring biologists and ecologists. You can grow a whole ecosystem in a jar, thanks to a balance of plants and animal life. The two keep the oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon level even so that the plants and tiny animals can thrive in a jar.
Learn more: Wondrwood
22. Black Glue Jellyfish
This project focuses on contrast by using black glue to help make defined lines. Kids can make floppy jellyfish that float through the ocean. It’s a great art project for families who have visited or who will visit the beach for their Summer vacation.
Learn more: Arty Crafty Kids
23. Superhero Self Portraits
Your kids can imagine themselves as the hero inside of them! Encourage kids to consider their strengths and how they can be expressed visually. Then, give kids space and direction to draw themselves as superheroes. This is a great way to encourage kids to use their strengths to help those around them.
Learn more: Cassie Stephens
24. Big Cardboard Birds
The name says it all: this is a project that makes big birds using old cardboard boxes. With paint and other media, there are so many different patterns and colors that can help your learners bring their birds to life!
Learn more: Krokotak
25. Cats with Laurel Burch
Kids can explore the unique style of artist Laurel Burch with this activity. They will use new techniques and color schemes to make cats that are cute and creative. It’s a great way to teach color blending and matching, and it’s perfect for bringing some contemporary art lessons into the mix.
Learn more: Artsonia
26. Colorful Name Art
Start by writing your child’s name in big block letters. Then, give them colored pencils, crayons, markers, paint, and any other media you might have on hand. Your kids will get creative to decorate their name; then you can hang it on their door or in their bedroom for some personalized décor!
Learn more: Pinterest
27. Circle Collage
The theme of this project is all things around. See what circles you can find around the house: paper plates and bowls, toilet paper tubes, or anything else that can be upcycled into this project. Then, with bold colors and creative placement, make an abstract collage with your elementary schooler.
Learn more: Pinterest
28. Fox Drawing Tutorial
This drawing tutorial is aimed specifically at elementary school kids. It’s a step-by-step flow that shows your young child how to draw an adorable fox. There are also variations that your kids can try as they grow in their drawing skills.
Learn more: Arty Crafty Kids
29. Build a 3D Whale
This project takes a 2D printable and makes it into a 3D whale. The end result is super cute, and since the pattern and instructions are already on one page, kids can do it rather independently. A perfect Summer afternoon!
Learn more: Krokotak
30. Donut Sculptures
With these fun sculptures, kids can learn a lot about pop art. They are based on different contemporary trends, and your child can decorate the donut however they’d like. The goal is a pop-inspired, almost realistic donut.
Learn more: Park Art Smarties
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