Looking for fun ways to keep your toddler busy this summer? These 25 summer crafts for toddlers are easy, colorful, and use mostly everyday supplies you already have at home.
From handprint art to beach-themed creations, there’s something for every little crafter to enjoy.
Sun & Sky Crafts
1. Handprint Sunshine Art
Materials:
- Yellow and orange paint
- White cardstock
- Markers
- Glue (optional)
Paint your toddler’s entire hand yellow, then press it repeatedly around the edge of a large circle drawn on the cardstock, with fingers pointing outward to form the sun’s rays.
Fill in the center circle with orange paint and let your toddler add a smiley face with markers once dry.
The overlapping handprints create a full, beautiful burst of sunshine that looks amazing framed on a wall!
2. Paper Plate Sun Craft
Materials:
- Paper plate
- Yellow and orange paint
- Yellow construction paper
- Glue and scissors
- Markers
Paint the paper plate bright yellow on both sides and allow it to dry completely.
Cut pointed ray shapes from orange and yellow construction paper and glue them around the back edge of the plate so they peek out from behind.
Draw a cheerful face in the center with markers. Big eyes, rosy cheeks, and a wide grin make this one irresistible!
3. Fingerpaint Watermelon Slices
Materials:
- White cardstock
- Green, red, and black paint
- Paintbrush
- Scissors
Cut the cardstock into large triangle shapes to represent watermelon slices before you begin.
Paint the pointed tip green for the rind, then let your toddler fill the rest of the triangle with red fingerpaint.
While the red paint is still slightly wet, press black fingerprints across the surface to create seeds.
These look so cute displayed together as a summer garland!
4. Bubble Wrap Ice Cream Cones
Materials:
- Bubble wrap cut into scoop-sized circles
- Brown construction paper
- Paint in ice cream colors
- White cardstock
- Glue
Cut a cone shape from brown paper and glue it onto the white cardstock.
Press bubble wrap circles into paint — pink for strawberry, brown for chocolate, white for vanilla — and stamp them above the cone to create scoops with a fun bubbly texture.
Layer two or three scoops high and let your toddler add drawn sprinkles with markers once dry.
The bubble wrap texture is genuinely irresistible for little hands!
5. Footprint Flip-Flops
Materials:
- Bright paint (any summer colors)
- White or tan cardstock
- Markers
- Foam stickers (optional)
Paint the bottom of your toddler’s foot in a bright color and press it firmly onto cardstock — repeat for the second foot right next to it.
Once dry, draw two thin strap lines across each footprint to turn them into flip-flops. Decorate with markers or foam stickers to add flowers, stripes, or polka dots.
These make the sweetest keepsakes and look adorable in a summer scrapbook!
6. Cotton Ball Cloud Painting
Materials:
- Cotton balls
- Blue cardstock
- White and gray paint
- Clothespin (as a handle)
- Glue
Clip a clothespin onto a cotton ball to use as a painting stamp — this keeps little fingers clean and gives toddlers better control.
Dip the cotton ball into white paint and dab it across the blue cardstock in fluffy cloud shapes. Use a lightly gray-dipped cotton ball to add shading underneath some clouds for a realistic sky effect.
Finish by gluing a few dry cotton balls onto the fluffiest clouds for a fun 3D texture!
7. Sponge-Painted Rainbow
Materials:
- Cut sponge pieces
- Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple paint
- White cardstock
- Pencil
Lightly sketch a rainbow arc in pencil as a guide, then set out each paint color in a shallow dish.
Let your toddler dab a sponge piece along each band of the rainbow, working from the outermost red band inward.
The sponge creates a soft, textured look that looks even better than a brushed rainbow. Add cotton ball clouds at each end with glue for a finishing touch!
8. Popsicle Stick Sun Craft
Materials:
- 8–10 craft sticks (popsicle sticks)
- Yellow and orange paint
- Yellow cardstock circle
- Googly eyes
- Glue and markers
Paint all the craft sticks yellow or orange and allow to dry.
Arrange them in a starburst pattern on the table and glue a yellow cardstock circle in the center, overlapping all the sticks.
Flip it over once dry so the sticks become rays pointing outward. Add googly eyes and a drawn smile to the front circle.
Ocean & Beach Crafts
9. Tissue Paper Fish Collage
Materials:
- Tissue paper in multiple colors (pre-torn or cut into small pieces)
- White cardstock
- Glue diluted with water
- Paintbrush
- Markers
Draw or print a simple large fish outline on the cardstock.
Brush a section of the fish with the diluted glue mixture and let your toddler layer torn tissue paper pieces on top, overlapping them like fish scales.
Cover the entire fish and brush another layer of diluted glue on top to seal.
Once dry, add a googly eye and draw details like fins and a mouth with markers for a vibrant effect!
10. Seashell Painting
Materials:
- Collected or craft store seashells
- Acrylic paint in bright colors
- Small paintbrushes
- Newspaper or paint mat
- Optional: glitter or sealant
Lay shells on newspaper and let your toddler paint them in any colors they choose — no rules here!
Stripes, polka dots, solid colors, and swirls all look wonderful on the natural texture of a shell.
Allow to dry fully, then optionally brush on a thin layer of Mod Podge or sealant to make the colors pop and protect the finish.
These make beautiful summer keepsakes or decorations for a shelf!
11. Handprint Crab Craft
Materials:
- Red and orange paint
- White cardstock
- Googly eyes
- Markers
- Glue
Paint your toddler’s hand red and press it onto the cardstock twice — side by side with palms almost touching and fingers spread wide to form the crab’s claws and legs.
Once dry, draw a rounded body between the two palm prints and add googly eyes on top. Use a marker to draw a big crabby smile and little details on the claws.
This classic craft never gets old and toddlers are always amazed to see their own hands become a crab!
12. Bubble Painting Ocean Scene
Materials:
- Blue and green washable paint
- Dish soap
- Water
- Straws
- White cardstock
Mix a small amount of paint with dish soap and a splash of water in a cup.
Let your toddler blow gently through the straw into the mixture until bubbles rise above the rim, then press the cardstock down onto the bubbles to transfer the print.
Repeat with blue and green to layer an ocean of color across the page.
Once dry, add fish cutouts, seaweed drawn in marker, or handprint sea creatures on top!
13. Paper Plate Jellyfish
Materials:
- Paper plate
- Paint in pink, purple, or blue
- Crepe paper streamers or ribbon
- Hole punch
- Glue and string for hanging
Paint the underside of the paper plate in your toddler’s chosen jellyfish color and allow it to dry.
Punch several holes around the bottom edge of the plate and thread colorful crepe paper streamers through each hole, tying them off so they hang down freely.
Punch one hole at the top and thread a loop of string for hanging.
14. Paper Plate Tropical Fish
Materials:
- Paper plate
- Bright paint (yellow, orange, blue)
- Construction paper scraps
- Googly eyes
- Glue and scissors
Cut a triangle from one side of the plate and glue it to the opposite edge to create the fish’s tail.
Paint the plate in bold tropical stripes or patterns and let your toddler add spots with a finger or sponge.
Cut fin shapes from construction paper, glue them on top and bottom, and finish with a large googly eye.
15. Sandcastle Sensory Art
Materials:
- Sand (real or craft store sand)
- Glue
- Brown or tan cardstock
- Blue paint or paper (water)
- Markers or foam shapes
Paint or glue blue paper along the bottom of the cardstock to represent the ocean.
Draw a simple sandcastle outline above it with glue, then let your toddler sprinkle sand generously over the glue and shake off the excess.
Add foam flag shapes, shell stickers, and marker details like windows and doors once the sand dries.
The texture makes this craft extra special for little sensory seekers!
Garden & Nature Crafts
16. Fingerprint Ladybugs
Materials:
- Red and black paint
- White cardstock
- Fine-tip black marker
- Green cardstock (for leaf base)
Cut a leaf shape from green cardstock and glue it onto the white cardstock.
Have your toddler press a red thumbprint onto the leaf — this is the ladybug’s body. Once dry, use a fine-tip black marker to draw a line down the center, a small round head, dots on the wings, and tiny antennae.
Make a whole family of ladybugs on the same leaf for a sweet garden scene. These are quick enough to make a dozen in one sitting!
17. Cupcake Liner Sunflowers
Materials:
- Yellow and orange cupcake liners
- Brown paint or brown paper circle
- Green construction paper
- White cardstock
- Glue
Flatten several yellow cupcake liners and layer them on top of each other, fanning the petals out in a circle.
Glue a brown paper circle or a circle stamped in brown paint in the center to create the seed disc. Cut a long green stem and two leaves from construction paper and arrange the whole flower on white cardstock.
Let your toddler press their fingerprints in brown paint all over the center circle for a realistic, textured seed look!
18. Footprint Butterfly
Materials:
- Bright paint in two colors
- White cardstock
- Markers
- Pipe cleaner
- Glue
Paint one foot and press it onto the left side of the cardstock at an angle, toes pointing up and outward.
Repeat with the other foot on the right side to mirror the first, creating four wing shapes when you look at both footprints together.
Draw a long oval body down the center where the heels meet, add a pipe cleaner antenna, and decorate the wings with dots and swirls using markers.
Fun & Creative Crafts
19. Torn Paper Ice Cream Cone
Materials:
- Brown, pink, white, and tan construction paper
- White cardstock
- Glue
No scissors needed for this one — tearing paper is perfect for toddlers!
Tear the brown paper into a cone shape and glue it to the bottom of the cardstock. Tear pink, white, or any flavor-colored paper into a rounded scoop shape and layer it on top of the cone.
Add tiny torn pieces in different colors on top for “sprinkles.”
20. Water Balloon Painting
Materials:
- Small water balloons filled with paint-tinted water
- Large butcher paper
- Old clothes
- Outdoor space
Fill small water balloons with a mix of water and washable paint in multiple colors.
Lay the butcher paper flat on the grass and let your toddler throw, drop, or stomp on the balloons to create explosive bursts of color across the paper.
The unpredictability is half the fun — each splash looks completely different!
21. Sunshine Suncatcher
Materials:
- Clear contact paper
- Yellow and orange tissue paper squares
- String or yarn
- Scissors (adult use)
- Hole punch
Cut two identical sun shapes from contact paper.
Peel the backing from one piece and lay it sticky-side up on the table. Let your toddler press yellow and orange tissue paper squares all over the sticky surface.
Once covered, place the second contact paper piece on top, sticky sides together, to seal everything in. Punch a hole at the top, thread string through, and hang in a sunny window.
22. Ice Cube Painting
Materials:
- Ice cube tray
- Washable paint
- Water
- Popsicle sticks
- White cardstock
Fill an ice cube tray with water mixed with different paint colors and insert a popsicle stick into each section as a handle. Freeze overnight until solid.
Let your toddler hold the sticks and drag, swirl, and press the colored ice cubes across the cardstock.
The ice melts as it moves, blending colors beautifully and creating a uniquely cool, streaky effect. It’s also a refreshing sensory experience on a hot summer day!
23. Paper Fan Watermelon Craft
Materials:
- Green, white, and red cardstock
- Black marker
- Accordion fold technique
- Stapler or tape (adult use)
- Glue
Cut a long strip of red cardstock and help your toddler accordion-fold it into a fan shape.
Staple or tape the bottom together and fan it open into a semicircle. Glue a thin white strip along the straight edge, then a slightly wider green strip below that to form the rind.
Draw black oval seeds across the red section with marker.
24. Handprint Pineapple Craft
Materials:
- Yellow and green paint
- White cardstock
- Brown marker or paint
- Glue
Paint your toddler’s palm yellow and press it onto cardstock to form the pineapple body — a slightly elongated oval looks best.
Repeat to fill the shape if needed, or use a sponge to fill in gaps once the handprint is dry.
Paint the hands green and press several upward-pointing handprints above the body to create the leafy crown.
Use a brown marker to draw a crosshatch diamond pattern on the yellow body to give it that iconic pineapple texture!
25. Paper Plate Beach Ball
Materials:
- Paper plate
- Paint in 4–6 bright colors
- Paintbrush
- Markers
- Pencil
Draw pencil lines dividing the paper plate into equal wedge sections radiating from the center, like a pie.
Let your toddler paint each section a different bright color. Red, blue, yellow, green, orange, and white are classic beach ball colors. Once dry, outline each section with a black marker for a bold, graphic look.
Punch a hole and hang these from the ceiling or a porch for instant summer party decor!
These simple ideas are a wonderful way to keep toddlers busy while making sweet summer memories together.
If you enjoyed this post, take a look at these 10 Easy Summer Animal Crafts for Kids.
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