Summer is officially here, and if you’re a parent, you know what that means—somewhere around day three of freedom, you’re going to hear those three little words that strike fear into the heart of even the most prepared caregiver: “Mom, I’m bored.”
Don’t panic. I’ve got your back.
After surviving more summers than I care to count with my own little tornadoes, I’ve compiled the ultimate list of craft activities that actually work. These aren’t the kind of projects that require a degree in interpretive art or a trip to a specialty store. We’re talking real-world, “I-already-have-this-stuff-at-home” kinds of crafts.
Grab the supplies you have hiding in that junk drawer, and let’s get messy. 🙂
Outdoor & Water-Based Fun (Because It’s Hot Out There)
When the temperatures soar, the only sane thing to do is to take the chaos outside. Water and crafts combine to create the perfect summer afternoon activity. Just be prepared for wet kids—and possibly a wet mom.
1. Frozen Chalk Paint Popsicles
This is my absolute favorite summer hack. You take a simple mixture of cornstarch, water, and food coloring, pour it into ice cube trays or popsicle molds, stick in a craft stick, and freeze.
Once solid, you have paint popsicles. The kids can draw on the pavement, and as the ice melts, it leaves vibrant streaks of color behind. It keeps them cool, it’s creative, and it washes away with the hose.
Pro tip: Use silicone molds for easy removal. I learned the hard way that regular ice trays and toddler fingers do not mix. :/
2. Sun Print Paper Art
Ever wondered why science and art make such a great pair? This craft proves it. You can buy sun print paper (or make your own with treated paper), but the store-bought kits are cheap and foolproof.
Have the kids gather leaves, flowers, or even random toys from the yard. Place them on the paper in the direct sun for a few minutes, rinse in water, and watch the magic happen. The results are frame-worthy, and it feels like a little bit of science class sneaking into summer break.
3. DIY Sprinkler Water Wall
If you have a fence and a few plastic bottles, you have an afternoon of engineering fun. Cut the bottoms off plastic bottles and attach them to the fence with zip ties or screws to create a winding path. Connect a hose to the top, turn it on, and let the kids watch the water cascade down.
It’s a craft, it’s a physics lesson, and it’s a way to cool off all at once. The kids love rearranging the bottles to change the water’s path. IMO, this is the best way to repurpose recycling.
4. Nature Paint Brushes
Take a nature walk and challenge the kids to find items that could be used as paint brushes. Pine needles, sturdy grasses, leaves, and twigs all work wonders.
Once you get home, give them some washable paint and paper. The textures these “brushes” create are incredible. It’s a great way to get them to look at the outdoors with a creative eye. Why buy expensive brushes when nature provides them for free?
Keep-Cool Indoor Activities
Sometimes the sun is just too much, or maybe you’re one of those families that actually values air conditioning. These crafts are perfect for a lazy afternoon indoors.
5. Puffy Sidewalk Paint (On Paper!)
You know that puffy paint that dries 3D? You can make it in five minutes. Mix equal parts shaving cream and white glue. Seriously, that’s it.
Add food coloring, paint it onto thick paper or cardboard, and microwave it for about 20-30 seconds. It puffs up and dries into a spongey, tactile masterpiece. Fair warning: Your kitchen will smell like a barbershop for an hour, but the squeals of delight are totally worth it.
6. Contact Paper Suncatchers
This is the craft that saves my sanity on rainy days. Tape a piece of clear contact paper (sticky side out) to a window or an easel. Give the kids a pile of tissue paper squares, craft foam shapes, or even flower petals.
They just stick the items to the contact paper. When they’re done, cover it with another sheet of contact paper, cut it into a shape (a circle, a butterfly, whatever), and hang it in the window. The light shining through is gorgeous.
7. Homemade Playdough
I know, I know. You can buy it. But homemade playdough is softer, lasts longer (if stored properly), and you can control the ingredients. Plus, making it is half the fun for kids.
The no-cook version is easiest: flour, salt, cream of tartar, oil, water, and food coloring. Let the kids mix it and knead it. It’s a sensory win and a craft in itself.
8. Cardboard Box Creations
Never underestimate the power of a cardboard box. A large box becomes a car, a spaceship, a puppet theater, or a fort. Give the kids some markers, paint, and stickers, and let them go to town on the box.
This is the ultimate unstructured craft. There are no rules, no right or wrong way to do it. It encourages pure, unadulterated imagination. And the best part? When they’re done playing with it, you can recycle it.
Crafts for the “I’m Bored” Afternoon
These are the quick-hit activities. The ones you pull out when you hear that dreaded whine and you need a distraction, stat.
9. Paper Plate Animals
Keep a stack of plain white paper plates handy. They are the blank canvas of the craft world. With some paint, googly eyes, and construction paper, you can make lions, jellyfish, pandas, or monsters.
We once made an entire zoo in one afternoon. It kept them busy for hours, and it cost me basically nothing. Win-win.
10. Suncatcher Bead Patterns
Grab a bag of translucent pony beads (the ones that look like little donuts) and some pipe cleaners. Have the kids thread the beads onto the pipe cleaners to create patterns.
Once they’re done, twist the pipe cleaner into a shape—a heart, a circle, a swirl—and hang it in a sunny window. The beads catch the light and create little rainbows. It’s great for fine motor skills, too.
11. DIY Sidewalk Chalk Paint
If you’re tired of the kids fighting over the one decent stick of chalk, switch to paint. Mix cornstarch and water until it’s a pourable consistency, then stir in food coloring.
Give the kids old paintbrushes or even just spray bottles (if you thin it out a bit) and let them paint the driveway. It’s a totally different medium than chalk and feels super fancy to them.
12. Rock Painting
Go on a hunt for smooth, flat rocks. Wash them off, let them dry, and then break out the acrylic paint or even just good old markers.
You can make a rock garden, hide them around the neighborhood for others to find (a fun trend, FYI), or just create a collection of pet rocks. I have a “rock family” sitting on my front porch right now, and I’m not allowed to move them.
Messy Art (That You’ll Eventually Clean Up)
Sometimes you just have to lean into the mess. These crafts are guaranteed to get paint everywhere, but the results are always amazing.
13. Splatter Painting
Put on some old clothes, grab a canvas or some thick paper, and head outside. Dip old toothbrushes or paintbrushes in watered-down paint and flick them at the paper.
It’s messy, it’s chaotic, and it produces some seriously cool abstract art. Just make sure you’re far away from anything you don’t want painted (like your neighbor’s white fence… not that I’m speaking from experience).
14. Bubble Painting
This one feels like magic. Mix a few tablespoons of paint with a little water and a squirt of dish soap in a cup. Give the kids a straw and have them blow into the cup until bubbles rise over the rim.
Then, they press a piece of paper onto the bubbles. The result is a beautiful, marbled print. Important: Make sure they blow out, not in. We had a juice incident once that required a full kitchen wipe-down. Learn from my mistakes.
15. Salt Dough Handprints
This is the craft that grandparents go crazy for. Mix flour, salt, and water to form a dough. Press your child’s hand into it to make an impression, bake it at a low temp until hard, and then paint it.
It’s a beautiful keepsake, and the kids love seeing their handprints preserved forever. It’s also a great way to document how much they grow each summer.
16. Marble Painting
Put a piece of paper in a shallow box or baking pan. Dip marbles in paint, drop them in the box, and let the kids tilt the box around to make the marbles roll and create lines.
It’s less messy than direct hand painting, but just as engaging. They love chasing the marbles with the box.
Upcycled & Recycled Crafts
Teaching kids to reuse materials is a win for the planet and a win for your wallet.
17. Egg Carton Caterpillars
Those cardboard egg cartons are perfect for crafting. Cut them into strips, let the kids paint them, and then add pipe cleaner antennae and googly eyes.
You get an army of adorable little bugs. We have a family of them living on our bookshelf right now.
18. Milk Jug Flower Pots
Cut the top off a plastic milk jug (you’ll need to do this part), and let the kids paint the outside. Poke a few drainage holes in the bottom, add some soil, and plant some seeds.
It’s a great way to teach responsibility—they have to water their own special pot. Plus, watching a seed sprout in a container they decorated is pretty thrilling for a little kid.
19. Toilet Paper Roll Binoculars
Grab two empty toilet paper rolls. Glue or tape them together side-by-side. Punch holes on the outer sides and tie a string through so the kids can wear them around their necks.
Then, let them decorate with paint, stickers, or markers. They’re ready for a nature walk or a backyard safari.
20. Tin Can Wind Chimes
Clean out a few tin cans (watch out for sharp edges—file them down or cover them with tape). Let the kids paint the outsides.
Once dry, tie them with different lengths of string to a coat hanger or a stick. When the wind blows, they clink together. It’s a bit noisy, but it’s a happy noise.
Wrapping It Up (Pun Intended)
So there you have it—twenty ways to survive the summer with your creativity (and your sanity) mostly intact. The secret ingredient in all of these isn’t the paint or the paper; it’s the permission to be a little messy and a lot silly with your kids.
Don’t stress about the end result. The pipe cleaner will be bent weird. The paint will be everywhere. But the memory of you sitting on the floor, gluing googly eyes onto a rock with them? That’s the stuff they remember.
Now go forth and make some glorious, glittery, slightly chaotic messes. Which one are you trying first? Drop a comment and let me know! 🙂
