A Life In Review

Hey! It’s me again, your wannabe Pinterest mom back with another craft post. This time it’s summer themed. Big shock, I haven’t done a holiday activity post in a few months, but I still needed a way to get my crafting ideas out for the summer. Thus we have my summer crafting post. This month, I decided that I would do crafts by age. I know that my readers are at all different places in their lives, so this isn’t just for parents. If you’re an Aunt, Uncle, Babysitter, Grandparent, Caregiver (or just someone who likes to craft) this post is for you too.

I decided to make this one a little easier and group the crafts by age so that you can go right to the section (or sections) that you need.

Crafts for Toddlers:

1. Contact Paper Stained Glass: This one looks intimidating, but I promise that if you do just a little prep-work your toddler will have so much fun. This was a craft that I did with my daughter and it’s the first one she assembled most of, by herself (find inspiration here).
2. Seashell Painting: This is a messy project that you can do right outside. It’s really self explanatory, but I will link some inspiration anyway! (Find inspiration here).
3. Handprint Butterflies: This craft will require more help from you, but it gives the little ones a chance to be creative too. You can find the instructions here.
4. Paper Plate Watermelon: Another one that they will need help with, but they won’t need as much help as they would with the butterflies. (Find instructions here).
5. Cupcake Liner Octopus: They will surely love this craft because it involves food and glue (at least for my toddler those are two of her favorite things). (Find instructions here).

Crafts for 4-6 Year Olds:

1. Fish in a Bag Slime: Don’t get mad, but slime is so fun. I know it can be hard to clean up, but you can have this be an outdoor activity if you want. It’s super cute and super easy. Find the instructions here (Fish in a Bag Slime).
2. Fork Painting: There are so many different animals that they can make by simply painting with forks. You can give them some accessories too, to make their creatures come to life. (Find inspiration here).
3. Magic Skittles Rainbow: This age is perfect for this quick and easy activity. They will especially enjoy the activity if you allow them to eat the leftover skittles. You can find the instructions here.
4. Sponge Paint Peacock: I know that I already included one craft with painting, but painting is a favorite for kids ages 4-6. They are just starting to get the independence to use the fun paints. This super cute project will let them get creative with their peacocks feathers. (Find the instructions here).
5. Cardboard Starfish Craft: This craft also includes some food (mostly cereal), but I think that’s part of what makes this so perfect for 4-6 year olds! This super fun project gives me all the summer feels. (Find inspiration here).

Crafts for 7-11 Year Olds:

1. Glam Jellyfish Craft: If you follow this link, you can see the picture of the craft. It was used as a VBS craft, but it’s so stinking cute you can really make it for any reason. It’s great for this age group especially.
2. Whirligig Patterns: If you don’t know what a whirligig is, follow this link to find out. This craft could work for this age group and the 4-6 year olds, but the level of decorating would be a bit different, so I think it is better suited for 7-11 year olds.
3. Squirt Gun Painting: It’s exactly what it sounds like. This is a fun (and messy) outdoor activity. You can do this with younger kiddos too if they can squirt a squirt gun (find inspiration here).
4. Homemade Bouncy Balls: This one looks really fun to do. I found it on one of my favorite shopping blogs and knew it had to be added to the list (find the instructions here!).
5. Bean Mosaic Art: This project will let them have total creative freedom, while keeping their mess contained to one plate. It’s a super cute way to get them thinking. (Find instructions here).

Crafts for Kids 12 and Older:

1. DIY Tie-Dye: There are so many ways to do this. I won’t bore you with all of the details because they are easily found online. Here is a link to a page that will show you different styles of tie-dying (Tie-Dye Patterns)
2. Make Your Own Bath Bombs: This is a really great way to get them involved in science over the summer. Here is a great link for an easy bath bomb recipe (DIY Bath Bombs)
3. Emoji Pearler Bead Key Chains: I still don’t understand their obsession with emojis but I sure do love me some pearler bead key chains! (Directions linked here).
4. Homemade Air Dry Modeling Clay: This is similar to model magic clay but they have to make it themselves from start to finish. I found a really cool “recipe” for it on the Childhood101 Blog.
5. DIY Pineapple Candles: This one will take some real prep on your part, but looks really fun to do. It will definitely keep your teen occupied for a little bit. You can find the directions here.

I hope you are inspired to start crafting with your kids, or at least get them into crafting so you can have a few minutes of peace. I had so much fun writing this post. You already know that I am an avid crafter, but it’s even more fun when I get my kiddo involved. I love watching her creatively come to light (or as much creativity as you can expect from a 2.5 year old). If you create any of these be sure to find me on Instagram and tag me so I can see!