15 Easy Summer Crafts for Kids, Teens, and Adults

Summertime is one of my favorite times to craft. There are fun outdoor craft ideas to try, you can use nature and the things around you as inspiration, and when it’s too hot outside you can spend some time crafting inside!

Below, I’ve included a variety of easy summer crafts for kids, toddlers, preschoolers, teens, and even adults to enjoy. These are crafts you can do as a family! Just pick your favorites and get started 🙂

1. Rock Painting

Rock painting is one of my favorite summer craft ideas as the most important part of the process is going outside and finding the perfect rocks! If you need some inspiration on what to actually paint on your rocks once you have them, check out these beginner-friendly rock painting ideas.

2. DIY Bird Feeder

The image above is of a DIY toilet roll bird feeder from The Resourceful Mama, and it’s one of the easiest homemade bird feeders to make. It’s perfect for kids to start out with.

Once you’re ready to try some other designs, check out these 20 easy DIY bird feeder ideas.

3. Water Blob

The water blob is the ultimate DIY for cooling down in the summer! It’s literally a big blob of water that the kids can bounce on, roll on, and hang out on – and it’ll keep them occupied for hours. Best of all, it only costs about $15 to make!

Learn how to make your own DIY water blob!

4. Kinetic Sand

Although the summertime is the perfect time to go to the beach and play with real sand, sometimes it’s actually too hot outside to go play. For those times, you can bring summer inside with this DIY kinetic sand.

5. Ice Chalk

This DIY ice chalk is like a really cool science experiment and a fun activity for the kids all in one. Toddlers, preschoolers, and kids of all ages will be fascinated by the process of making the ice chalk, and they’ll LOVE drawing outside on the sidewalk with it. It’s really cool watching different colors melt into each other.

6. DIY Flip Flops

Summer weather means breaking the flip flops out! If yours are looking a bit bleh and you want to spice them up easily and for cheap, there are plenty of ways to upgrade them DIY style. You could do this with your kids, and with your own flops!

You could also do this with older flip flops that need a bit of love. Before throwing them out, try to upcycle! For design ideas, check out these DIY flip flops.

7. DIY Jean Shorts

If you or your child has a pair of jeans that are either too long or too short, transform them! Our easy DIY jean short tutorial will show you how to turn your old jeans into shorts all while keeping the original hem.

8. DIY Guitar

If your kid has been talking about wanting to learn an instrument or you want to motivate them to try and learn, why not start with a DIY guitar! It’s cheap, easy to make, and can spark that initial ambition and love for creating music.

Find more DIY musical instruments here.

9. Footprint Flower Pot

This is such a cute keepsake idea to make with your kids. A flowerpot you can keep forever! It’s so simple too, and your kids will love getting their feet painted (be warned: it might tickle a bit!).

Learn how to make a DIY footprint flower pot.

10. Seashell Necklaces

There are SO many fun summer crafts and art projects you can make with seashells, but these seashell necklaces are such an awesome place to start. They’re from Moms and Crafters, and they’re made with a clay base that you can totally customize!

It’s always fun to bring a bit of the beach home with you, and seashell crafts are the perfect way to do it. These would make for a great homemade gift idea too!

11. Stained Glass

There are so many kid-friendly ways to make stained glass, but the project from Smart School House (pictured above) is definitely one of my favorites. It was one of the crafts featured in our Stained Glass Art Projects for Kids post, and it’s just gorgeous!

While it may look a bit complicated at first, the craft is actually super simple. You just need some glue, paintbrushes, food coloring, and a picture frame!

12. DIY Kimono

If you want to make your own piece of summer clothing to go with almost any outfit, a kimono is an awesome choice. Perfect for the beach too!

For ideas, check out these 10 simple DIY kimonos. There are a few different styles to look at, and some of them are SO easy to make (one is made from an old scarf).

13. Cooling Summer Face Mist

With the summer sun shining down on you, your skin may be feeling a little dryer than usual. This simple summer spritz will solve that problem, keeping you refreshed, cooled, and moisturized while you’re on the go.

Find more DIY face mist ideas here!

14. Paper Flowers

Paper flowers fit right into the summer crafts theme and there are so many different types you can make. Some are really easy and perfect for kids while others will take a bit more patience and a steady hand! Find you favorites by checking out our DIY Paper Flower Ideas.

15. Popsicle Stick Sailboat

If your kids are planning on enjoying a lot of popsicles this summer, tell them to save the sticks! They can use them in all sorts of different popsicle stick crafts, including this DIY popsicle stick sailboat idea from the Creative Jewish Mom.

Once finished, your kids could race their boats down a river or watch them float in a pool. Such a fun idea!

16. DIY Paper Kite

Flying kites is already an awesome summer activity for kids, so why not take it a step further and have them make their own kite to fly? They can customize it however they like!

Get the full tutorial from Happiness is Homemade. 

Final Thoughts

Enjoy the sun rays this summer! These crafts should help you make the most of the nice weather, as a family. Plus, they’ll keep you and your kids active, and they’ll help you flex your creative muscles a little bit too!

Which summer crafts are you going to make? Have any easy ideas of your own to share? Leave a comment!

More Summer Ideas:

• 20 Healthy & Refreshing Summer Breakfast Ideas
• 30 Easy Summer Dinner Recipes for the Entire Family
• 3 Tips to Keep Summer Fun for Moms and Kids
• 15 Super Fun Pool Noodle Games for Kids
• 30 Super Fun Outdoor Games for Kids