Summer is the perfect time for preschoolers to explore their creativity and enjoy hands-on crafts that make each day more vibrant. Whether they’re shining bright with sun catchers or creating colorful watermelon decor, crafting together can encourage self-expression, improve fine motor skills, and create cheerful memories.
This guide highlights four easy and fun summer crafts that are perfect for preschoolers. With simple materials and endless room for creativity, these projects will keep little hands busy and imaginations thriving.
Benefits of Summer Crafts for Preschoolers
Crafting is a great way to encourage self-expression in preschoolers. By providing materials and letting them create whatever they want, children can feel empowered and confident in their abilities.
Additionally, crafting helps develop fine motor skills as children use scissors, glue, and other tools to manipulate materials. This can help strengthen hand muscles and prepare children for writing later on. Crafting also allows children to explore different textures, colors, and shapes, stimulating their senses and enhancing their creativity.
Summer Craft Ideas for Preschoolers
Here are some fun and simple summer crafts to keep your preschoolers entertained this summer:
Sun Catchers Craft
What’s better than seeing sunlight dance across colorful shapes in your windows? Sun catchers are a fantastic way for kids to create art that brightens every sunny day! Kids will enjoy making this simple, yet beautiful craft to display or give as a gift.
Hand Pineapple Craft
With some paper, scissors, and glue, kids can make their very own tropical friend! This hand pineapple craft is a perfect activity for little ones to practice their scissor skills while creating a cute and unique piece of art.
Paper Jellyfish Craft
Let your child’s imagination run wild with this fun paper jellyfish craft. With just a few supplies, kids can create their own colorful and whimsical sea creature to display or play with. This is a great activity for developing fine motor skills and practicing cutting and gluing.
Paper Plate Butterfly Craft
Butterflies are a favorite for kids of all ages, and this paper plate butterfly craft is sure to be a hit. With vibrant colors and simple steps, children will love creating their own beautiful butterfly to display or play with. This activity also allows for creativity as kids can decorate their butterflies however they choose.
Blow Paint Lion Craft
Let your child’s creativity run wild with this fun and unique blow paint lion craft. This activity combines art and science as children use straws to create their own colorful lion manes. It’s a great opportunity to discuss color mixing and have some messy fun!
Patriotic Handprint Firework Craft
Celebrate the Fourth of July or any patriotic holiday with this easy and adorable handprint firework craft. This activity is perfect for young children as it helps develop fine motor skills while also creating a fun decoration to display. It’s a great way to show your patriotism and spend quality time with your little ones.
Bird Feeder Preschool Craft
One way to encourage your child’s interest in nature is by making a bird feeder together. This simple and fun preschool craft not only develops fine motor skills, but it also teaches children about the importance of caring for animals and their environment.
Rainbow Cloud Craft
This colorful and interactive craft is not only fun to make, but it’s also a great way to teach children about colors and the concept of rainbows. With just a few simple materials, you can create a cute rainbow cloud that will brighten up any room. It’s perfect for a rainy day activity or as a decoration for a child’s bedroom.
Watermelon Paper Plate Craft
Summer is the perfect time to enjoy delicious and refreshing watermelons. Why not get crafty and make a fun watermelon paper plate craft with your kids? This simple and easy craft requires just a few materials but will provide hours of fun for little ones. Plus, it’s a great way to use up any leftover paper plates from summer picnics or parties.
Popsicle Tissue Paper Craft
Popsicles are another iconic summer treat and this tissue paper craft is a great way to bring them to life. Using just a few materials such as tissue paper, popsicle sticks, and glue, you and your kids can create colorful and cute popsicle characters. This craft is not only fun but also helps develop fine motor skills as children cut and paste the tissue paper onto the popsicle stick.
Mermaid Paper Bag Craft
Another fun and easy craft idea for kids is making mermaid paper bag puppets. With just a few materials such as paper bags, construction paper, and markers, you can create adorable mermaid puppets that are great for imaginative play. This activity also helps with hand-eye coordination as children draw and cut out the different parts of the puppet.
Paper Pool Floatie Art Project for Kids
For a summer-themed craft, try making paper pool floatie art with your kids. This project involves using paper plates, construction paper, scissors, and glue to create colorful pool floaties that can be used as decorations. Children will have fun cutting out different shapes and piecing them together to make their own unique pool scenes. It’s also a great opportunity to teach about different shapes and colors.
Handprint Parrot Craft
Another fun and creative project to do with your kids is a handprint parrot craft. This easy activity allows children to use their imagination as they create colorful parrots using their handprints.
Fork Painted Puffer Fish Craft
For this craft, you will need some forks, paint, and paper. This simple but fun activity is perfect for younger kids as they can easily create their own unique puffer fish using the fork to make scales.
Paper Plate Beach Ball Craft
For a fun summer-themed craft, try making a paper plate beach ball with your kids. This easy and inexpensive craft only requires paper plates, construction paper, and some glue. Your children can let their creativity run wild as they decorate their own beach balls to use for imaginative play or as room decorations.
Paper Plate Fish Craft
Another great paper plate craft for kids is the fish craft. This simple and colorful activity will keep your little ones entertained as they create their own underwater fish. With just a few materials such as paper plates, paints, and googly eyes, your children can design their own unique fish to display or play with in a pretend ocean.
Mr. Octopus Craft
If you’re looking for a fun and unique paper craft, then this octopus craft is perfect for you! This tutorial provides easy-to-follow instructions and printable templates to create your very own Mr. Octopus. Your child will love creating the eight tentacles and adding googly eyes for a playful touch.
Not only is this craft entertaining, but it also helps with scissor skills and fine motor development. Plus, you can use different color paper or even let your child design their own octopus with markers or other decorative materials.
Paper Plate Blue Whale Craft
Looking for a fun and easy ocean-themed craft? Look no further than this paper plate blue whale! Kids will love creating their very own whale using simple materials.This craft is not only great for imaginative play but also teaches about the majestic creatures that live in our oceans. You can even use this activity as an opportunity to discuss ocean conservation and ways we can protect these amazing animals.
Paper Plate Seashell Craft
Another fun and educational craft using paper plates is the Paper Plate Seashell Craft. This craft is perfect for preschoolers and allows them to get creative while learning about seashells found on beaches.This activity not only teaches children about different types of seashells but also helps improve fine motor skills as they cut and glue the pieces together. It’s a great way to incorporate art into learning about nature.
Seahorse Art Project
Another fun and educational activity for preschoolers is creating a seahorse art project. This project allows children to learn about the unique characteristics of seahorses while also practicing their fine motor skills. It also encourages creativity and self-expression.
Try These Crafts With Your Preschooler
Summer crafting is an opportunity to bond with your preschooler, inspire their creativity, and make seasonal memories together. Sun catchers, tissue paper popsicles, and paper plate watermelons are simple yet enriching projects that bring joy and laughter to any day.
Gather some materials, roll up your sleeves, and get crafting this summer! Don’t forget to display your little one’s masterpieces proudly.
Tie these summer crafts in with your preschoolers favorite printable activities and picture books, such as coloring pages of summer animals or creating a beach scene with stickers. This will not only keep them engaged and entertained but also help them develop their fine motor skills for a fun summer learning experience.
Are you looking for more seasonal crafting ideas? Browse our curated Pinterest board for more inspiration to keep those tiny hands busy all summer long!
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