Easy Summer Crafts for Kids to Make

July 20, 2023 by Sarah White Leave a Comment

In my house we have always relied on craft projects to get us through the summer (or any other time, let’s be honest). My daughter is 13 now and the projects have changed from making rainbow loom bracelets and perler bead projects to digital art and closet cosplay, but it’s still making and I still love it.

Here are a few ideas for easy kids crafts to give your kids something to do during the summer or whenever you need a little project.

I feel like we still have an excess of pipe cleaners even though it’s been years since I’ve bought any. Maybe we need to make some of these three-strand pipe cleaner bracelets from One Little Project. They’re so cute and easy for little kids to make and will also use some of your limitless supply of pony beads.

I recently shared a post full of ideas for weaving with kids, and here’s another one. These cute little turtles are made in a God’s eye style, which is a summer camp classic and easy for kids to do. Get the tutorial from Pink Stripey Socks.

A dreamcatcher is another classic craft that will use up some of the random craft supplies you have lying around the house, such as feathers, yarn and beads. And paper plates. Why are there so many paper plates that are not used for eating? It’s a mystery. These instruction come from One Little Project as well!

And to go along with the ocean activities I shared the other day, why not have your older kids make these amazing watercolor ocean collages? This idea comes from Mr. Amsler’s Art Room, and while there’s not exactly a tutorial for how it was done there are plenty of photos that are sure to inspire you and your kiddos.

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Celebrate Inventor’s Day by Learning about Inventors

Several countries have a day set aside to honor and recognize their inventors, but Nov. 9 is a special one that’s known as Tag der Erfinder in German. It’s celebrated in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and it falls on Nov. 9 because that’s the birthday of Hedy Lamarr.

Hedy Lamarr is widely known as an actress but there’s a lot more to her story. You can get a little of it geared to little kids in the Little People, Big Dreams book Hedy Lamarr (32 pages, hardcover, published 2023 by Frances Lincoln Childrens Books, suggested retail price $15.99).

The book explores her birth in Austria and how she spent time when she was young coming up with inventions. She became an actress, married an arms dealer, made her escape to America and became an actress again.

But she also helped develop a frequency-hopping signal device for airplanes that was used by the Americans and their allies during World War II. That technology became the basis for wireless technology such as wifi and GPS.

While Inventor’s Day is a great time to learn about Hedy Lamarr, you can take this opportunity to check out books and do little studies on lots of different inventors. If there’s an inventor or an invention your child is particularly interested in, that’s a great place to start. It’s fun to think about all the things we use every day that didn’t always exist; someone had to invent them!

For a start here at Craft Gossip you can learn more about Garrett Morgan, who invented traffic lights; Maria Oroso, who developed a clay oven that could cook food without electricity; and more female inventors and scientists.

And for more general inventors’ fun, check out this inventors word search from Fun Findery (and another from Let’s Do Puzzles) or take a quiz on inventors and their inventions from Flanders Family Home Life.

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