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One Mama's Daily Drama

One Mama's Daily Drama

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Home » Crafts » 20 Colorful Summer Craft Ideas for Kids

20 Colorful Summer Craft Ideas for Kids

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These are some of the best summer craft ideas for kids and most can be made with basic craft supplies and household items you already have on hand.

collage of bright and colorful crafts from this post with text overlay that says "20 colorful summer craft ideas for kids"

Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, Keri Houchin earns a commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

Summer is the perfect time for kids to get messy, have fun, and explore their creativity. I’ve rounded up the best colorful summer craft ideas for kids of all ages.

Most of these can be done with basic arts and craft supplies, plus some everyday household items you probably already have at home.

Summer craft ideas

Homemade Playdough | Easy Budget Recipes

Playdough is a kids activity staple and its surprisingly easy to make your own. This playdough recipe calls for a few pantry ingredients and you can easily make a whole rainbow of colors using different food coloring combos.

rainbow stack of homemade playdough from Easy Budget Recipes

Repurposed Wind Chime | Ideas for the Home

This simple wind chime is made from recycled materials and old keys. Check your junk drawer to see how many odd keys you have that no longer go to anything.

Garden Rock Caterpillar | Nellie Bellie

Rock painting is an easy summer craft that’s fun for all ages. You can even make it a day project by going on a walk to look for the perfect rocks. This garden rock caterpillar is super cute and would be a colorful addition to your flowerbed decor.

painted garden rock caterpillar with stick antennas from Nellie Bellie

Wooden Whistle | Growing Family

This woodcarving craft requires a bit more adult supervision than most on my list, but making a wooden whistle is a great beginner project for kids.

CD Suncatcher | Mess for Less

If you’ve got a bunch of old CDs, this suncatcher craft is a great way to upcycle them into something new. Discs are already nice and shiny, and they can be decorated with plastic gems, beads, or other embellishments.

colorful plastic gems on a CD suncatcher from Mess for Less

Paracord Bracelets | Happiness is Homemade

Paracord is a durable yet lightweight rope that can be handy for camping and other survivalist activities. It comes in tons of colors and a paracord bracelet is a great kids craft.

Coffee Filter Butterfly | Honey and Lime

Coffee filter butterflies are almost two crafts in one. First, the kids can break out the watercolors and paint each filter in a unique design. Then, they can put together a whole kaleidoscope of butterflies to display.

three butterflies made from coffee filters and pipe cleaner from Honey and Lime

Washi Tape Summer Art | The Idea Room

If you’ve got a stash of washi tape and don’t know what to do with it, this washi tape summer art project is perfect. It’s super easy for kids and works with any colors and prints that you have on hand.

Colorful Button Birdhouse | Mod Podge Rocks

These button birdhouses are so cute and cheerful looking! This would be a fun summer playdate activity. And this is a craft that adults would enjoy doing too.

five birdhouses painted in bright colors and covered in pastel buttons from Mod Podge Rocks

Straw Weaving | Suzy’s Sitcom

Weaving is a great old-fashioned craft and doesn’t require a loom or other fancy tools to get started. Teach the kids how to do straw weaving to make bracelets, headbands, bookmarks, and more.

Dip Dyed Wall Art | DIY Candy

This dip-dye technique is similar to tie-dying but less messy. Experiment with different colors and patterns to create a colorful collage of artwork. Frame a few or make a whole gallery of dip-dyed wall art.

framed collection of dip dyed wall art in bright colors from DIY Candy

Hair Scrunchie | Crafts by Amanda

Making a scrunchie is a great beginner sewing project for kids. Plus, this is something the kids will enjoy all summer to keep hair up out of the way when it’s hot outside.

Rainbow Friendship Bracelets | One Mama’s Daily Drama

Friendship bracelets are a fun group activity for a playdate or party. All you need for this tutorial is some thread but you can also add beads, buttons, or charms to dress them up.

braided rainbow friendship bracelet on a child's arm from One Mama's Daily Drama

Craft Stick Flower Pots | Typically Simple

Make a few craft stick flower pots, and then plant a few seeds to start a windowsill garden. Herbs are easy to grow indoors or you could start bigger plants to transplant outdoors later in the summer.

Popsicle Stick Picture Frame | Sustain My Craft Habit

These painted craft sticks make a unique way to display photos of summer activities. Using paint in “families” really turns these popsicle stick picture frames into a statement piece, whether you display them on the fridge or the wall.

3 brightly painted popsicle stick picture frames in pinks, yellows, and blues with baby photos from Sustain My Craft Habit

Ocean in a Bottle | Happy Hooligans

This fun kids craft idea doubles as a science experiment too. Make an ocean in a bottle with a few household supplies. The result is mesmerizing and fun to watch.

Paper Tube Kaleidoscope | The Crafting Chicks

Make your own kaleidoscope using mostly recycled materials. There are two ways to make these and both look awesome.

view from inside a paper tube kaleidoscope from The Crafting Chicks

Homemade Sidewalk Chalk | My Frugal Adventures

Making your own homemade sidewalk chalk is easy with this simple recipe. Whip up a batch in a rainbow of colors, then head outside for hours of fun drawing and playing on the sidewalk or driveway.

Bird Feeders | Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom

Make a simple homemade bird feeder and hang it near a window. Kids will love watching for visitors and identifying the birds can even be an added activity.

a pink, yellow, and blue birdhouse attached to a white tray filled with birdseed from Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom

Bubble Wands | Red Ted Art

What’s summertime without sitting outdoors and blowing bubbles to watch them float in the breeze? Kids will love making these simple bubble wands with pipe cleaner and beads.

collage of photos from this post with text overlay that reads "20 colorful summer craft ideas for kids"

Check out some other fun and creative ideas on One Mama’s Daily Drama:

  • How to Make Recycled Crayons
  • 30 Kids Craft Supplies to Stock Up on For Summer
  • Our Favorite Summer Activity Books for Kids

If you like this kids’ activity, you’ll love Backyard Summer Camp! It’s your go-to resource for planning and organizing fun kids’ activities with tons of simple crafts, play ideas, and fun learning resources for kids of all ages. Get the Family Summer Staycation Planner and have the best summer ever in your own backyard!

Now available! The Family Summer Staycation Planner. Click to learn more.
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Hello and welcome!

I'm Keri - geek, mom, crafter, and color lover! One Mama's Daily Drama is all about creating a happy home through beautiful DIY projects and home decor, practical planning and organizing, and easy kids activities. Read More…

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