Every year, the kids start their calendar countdown to the day when school ends and summer officially begins. The season where it's OK to slow down, scale back on our hectic schedules and make memories with our kids. While many of us will be juggling working from home with the kids in tow, having an arsenal of ideas to fall back on is key to keeping the summer as stress-free as possible.
We want to be ready for a rainy day, an afternoon where it's way too hot to safely go out in the sun, or something to whip out to keep the kids' attention so we can attend a virtual work meeting. Having these on hand can make a world of difference.
That's where a smart craft idea comes into play. We can have all the supplies on hand for spur-of-the-moment entertainment when we need our kids to be engaged in something that we don't necessarily have to oversee. There are many crafts for varying levels of skill that have an extra bonus of not creating a massive mess left for us to clean afterwards.
For anyone on the hunt for craft ideas to entertain the kids with this summer that don't create a massive cleanup situation, here are 20 ideas to get started with.
Monster Clothespins
With a few clothespins, some yarn, googly eyes, and glue, the kids can create their own group of loveable monsters. There are endless possibilities in terms of creating characters, and the kids can extend their craft time into playtime, using these over and over, which is a huge bonus. These could also be created with more realistic feel, a scary feel, or animals, too.
For instructions and a supply list, check out The Craft Train.
Ice Skating Popsicle Stick Dolls
The summer is the season of heat. This craft utilizes the popsicle sticks the kids will probably eat and combine that with time outside with a cooling craft. Kids can design fun characters with markers and pens before creating ice cubes and watching their creations "come to life" outside. Fun to create and fun to play with!
For instructions and a supply list, check out Molly Moo Crafts.
Lego Pictures
There are many different mediums to help us create art and crafts, and Lego is one of them. Pull those Lego bricks out and encourage the kids to use them as if they were coloring paints — it's a fun and mess-free craft that can be tailored to the skill and age level of the kids. There are so many ways to use this for imaginative play, too.
Origami Lotus Flower
This one is an easy go-to for mess-free activities don't require a lot of supplies that could end up all over the floors. This craft only uses paper of varying colors, a person with crafty and precise folding techniques, and a lot of patience to make these pretty origami flowers.
For instructions and a supply list, check out I Creative Ideas.
Pipe Cleaner Snakes
For the slightly older kids, not for toddlers, this craft is one way to keep their hands and minds busy without it creating too much mess from glitter or cutting. For the basic craft, it takes only pipe cleaners, beads, and googly eyes. These snakes are adorable and creative kids have lots of opportunities to make them stand out.
For instructions and a supply list, check out Artsy Craftsy Mom.
3D Butterflies
Kids love to play with stickers, and that's what makes this butterfly craft so much fun. The body of the butterfly is created using circle stickers, and then the kids can choose how bright or multicolored they want the wings. These have a fun three-dimensional look to them, so they'll stand out.
For instructions and a supply list, check out IHeartCraftyThings.
Lego Bracelets
Lego bricks make for some of the best mess-free crafting. We don't often think about these blocks when we're brainstorming ideas, but they're perfect for crafty things. Take these bracelets, for example, which use the blocks and some yarn. Kids can get really creative with colors and patterns. There is a little bit of prep work on the parent's part to make holes in the Lego bricks, but other than that, there's very little mess and a whole lot of fun.
Painted Pasta Necklaces
There's a reason pasta necklaces have been around since we were kids – they're fun for kids to make and easy for parents to clean up. There are ways to dye the pasta to different colors, but painting them will work as well. However it's done, the result is adorable, and the house isn't destroyed in the process.
For instructions and a supply list, check out PickleBums.
Sticker Dot Photos
Kids doing crafts is good for many reasons other than it keeps them occupied to get something done. This craft that uses colored sticker dots to color and creates pictures, but it also helps kids develop their fine motor skills. And it's just the icing on the cake that it's not going to end with marker all over our walls.
DIY Working Carousel
Straws are a staple supply for crafts, and most of us have several handfuls of them taking up space in our junk drawer. The kids can make good use of them without needing a lot of time to clean up or stress trying to get the kids to tidy. This craft is fun to spend time on, and it comes with the added bonus of it actually being workable.
Fabric Bangle Bracelets
If there are old T-shirts that don't fit or the linen closet is stuffed full of swaddling blankets that aren't needed anymore, this is a fun mess-free craft for the kids. Using a few supplies, they can create some truly one-of-a-kind bracelets that they can wear or gift to a loved one.
For instructions and a supply list, check out Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom.
Nature Paper Tubes
There's so much that can be done with used toilet paper rolls, and the best part of these crafts is that instead of making a mess, the kids will be creating crafts with something that would normally be thrown away. These nature tube fish are creative, fun, and who doesn't want to play with googly eyes?
For instructions and a supply list, check out Hello, Wonderful.
Handprint Suncatchers
For the days where the kids would do better with a little extra sunshine and rainbows, this craft brings brightness right when we need it most. The craft can be done with little supervision for the older kids, who can get really creative with different color combos. There's not a lot of setup or cleanup for the younger kids, so it's ideal when there's little time to put a crafting session together.
For instructions and a supply list, check out CBC Parents.
DIY Ring Toss
All the kids need for this one is an empty paper towel roll, a few paper plates, and some markers or paint. The kids can cut out the holes in the middle of the paper plates, color everything in fun bright colors and then when they're all finished making the craft, they can head outside to play. It's also perfect for an indoor craft and game when the weather is too hot or rainy.
For instructions and a supply list, check out Crayola.
Friendship Bracelets
These friendship bracelets are perfect for the older kids who want a quiet craft to do by themselves. There are so many different styles to work on, and the more the kiddo practices, the better at these they will become. There's zero mess to these; all that's needed is space to organize all the different string colors and some jewelry clasps.
Custom Kitchen Spoons
Kids love to color, but by offering them something other than paper or a coloring book to create art with, they're more likely to stay engaged. This craft only requires some wooden spoons for the kitchen – that can likely be picked up from the dollar store – and they can create cute little people to play with later.
Cutout Hedgehogs
We all have random cardboard hanging out at our house, so why not have some fun with it before it gets recycled? These cute cutout hedgehogs will keep little hands busy coloring all the little pieces and gluing them onto their hedgehog. There will likely be some cleanup, but it shouldn't be anything the little ones can't handle independently.
Water Painting
Kill two birds with one stone with this water painting craft. It gets the kids to play outside, and they get to have fun with water. All that is needed for this craft is a flat surface outside on the driveway or sidewalk, a cup of water, and a paintbrush. Kids can "paint" with the water on the surface outside to create fun shapes or drawings, then watch it evaporate away.
Egg Carton Finger Puppets
In this craft, the only mess to contend with is the small pieces of cut-up egg cartons, but those are at least easy to clean up. Using egg cartons, kids can create adorable finger puppets, like this elephant one. Creative cutting, marker lines, and some glue are needed to provide hours of entertainment while putting the animals together and then playing after.
Bee Puppets
Bees are synonymous with summertime, and this craft highlights them in all their sweet glory. There is very little cutting needed for this craft and endless ways the kids can switch up the design to make it their own. When the kids are done putting these together, they can put on a puppet show, too.
For instructions and a supply list, check out IHeartCraftyThings.
