It can be challenging to keep your kids busy during the long summer months when they're not in school. As moms, we want to keep our children entertained in ways that nurture their creativity and spark their imagination but coming up with crafting ideas can seem like just one more thing on our already long to-do list.

Don't worry, we have some great summer arts and crafts that every child can enjoy. From drawings to painting and so much more, keep your youngsters busy this summer with these summer arts and crafts for kids.

Arts And Crafts for Kids (Summer Ideas) ☀️🌲🏖️

Summer is here, and with kids home for summer break, you might wonder which arts and crafts for kids will be the most fun, easy to set up, and (of course) easy to clean after. Don't stress yourself out looking for ideas.

Check out these summer crafts you and your children can do together. We have everything from different ways to create paintings to drawings with a summer theme.

What supplies will you need? We've got a list of the basic supplies you'll need as well as what you will need specifically for each art and crafts project.

Summer Crafts for Kids

One of my favorite activities is taking my kids to the zoo. One of my favorite summer crafts with my kids is making zoo animals using various crafting supplies.

One way that's a hit around our house is making animal masks using a paper plate, tongue depressor or popsicle stick (you can even use a straw), and paint. You can also use construction paper.

It’s a simple and fun project perfect for nearly any age. The best part is that after the masks dry, you and your kids can put on a skit to perform for friends and family.

It's a great way to incorporate a day at the zoo with your kids' arts and crafts projects. I know your kids will love it as much as mine.

Summer Craft Ideas

My kids love to paint, so I'm always looking for ways to incorporate painting into a crafting project. Animal masks are one way kids can use paint to express their creativity. Let's look at some other art projects to do with your kids that involve painting.

Paint Blowing with Straws

Creating artwork by blowing paint through a straw onto the canvas (or paper) is an excellent way for children to express themselves. They can use their favorite colors to create unique designs. The best part is that, like snowflakes, no two paintings will ever be the same. All you'll need is:

· Liquid watercolors (or food coloring and water)

· Straws

· Paper

· Trays

· Small cups

Splatter Painting

The Spruce offers a how-to for paint splattering. They recommend sticking to a simple color palette with three to four color choices, especially for younger children. If you have older kids that want to use more colors, I recommend giving them a few more options to help keep them engaged.

What you'll need:

· Paint (we use acrylic)

· Canvas (or paper)

· Water

· Paintbrushes

· Palette

· Drop cloth

· Plastic spoon (optional)

Paper Art Butterflies

Another favorite arts and crafts project for kids we do at our home is making paper art butterflies. You don't have to use paint for this project, but I like to use paint versus cutting small pieces of craft paper into various tiny shapes. Alternatively, you can use colorful craft paper.

There are a few different ways to make paper art butterflies. We like to use clothes pins, glue a magnet to the back of each butterfly, and use the butterflies to post notes on the fridge or other magnetic surfaces around the house.

You can use pipe cleaners to make the body of the butterfly and use strings to hang them around the house!

Here's what to grab from your crafting supplies:

· Crating paper (or construction paper)

· Clothes pins

· Pipe cleaners

· Paint and brushes

· Small strip magnets (optional)

· Googly eyes (optional)

Paper Dragonflies

Similar to paper butterflies, you and your kids can make paper dragonflies. You can use the same supplies as you would for a butterfly or add a few other elements to the artwork, such as:

· Construction paper

· Pipe cleaners

· Paint and brushes

· Glue

· Tissue paper (optional)

I like to make dragonfly wings with tissue paper, but you can use construction or crafting paper. Also, we use pipe cleaners for the body of the dragonfly, not clothes pins like we do for the butterflies.

Funny Things To Paint

Not only do my kids love to paint, but they love to paint funny things. The funnier, the better. We'll paint bottle caps, rocks, and shells with fun designs.

We also like to paint pictures of funny things that happened throughout the day. Encourage your kids to tell a story using their funny paintings.

We will sometimes paint funny faces on masks instead of making zoo animal masks. You can use all the supplies you would for making paper plate animal masks, but instead of making them look like animals, you can make silly faces!

Summer-Themed Drawings

Along with painting, drawing is another great form of self-expression and an excellent way to foster your children's creativity. In our home, we like to draw summer-themed artwork, such as beach days, walking in the woods, or going to a carnival. This craft is even portable, so you can take drawing supplies with you when you need to go somewhere that isn't kid-friendly (like the DMV).

What Art Supplies Do Kids Need?

You can't make fun arts and crafts with your kids if you don't have the supplies you need. When heading to the store to fill your crafting supply closet, make sure to pick up the basics, such as:

· Construction paper

· Glitter

· Glue sticks

· Markers (preferably washable)

· Crayons

· Paint

It's vitally important that you ensure that the art supplies you get for your kids are non-toxic. Exposure to the toxic chemicals in art supplies can result in nausea, vomiting, headaches, breathing problems, kidney and lung damage, cancer, and even death.

A Family That Crafts Together Stays Together

Summertime is one of my favorite times of the year. Not only do I get to spend more time with my children, but I also get to find fun and new ways we can bond together through arts and crafts. You can even make these crafts educational. The sky's the limit when it comes to creating art with your kids.

Are you looking for more arts and crafts project ideas for you and your kids to do this summer? Check out our other crafting projects or leave a comment below to share your latest kid-friendly craft projects.

Summer Ideas for Kids