Summer is the perfect time for preschoolers to explore their creativity with fun, hands-on art projects. Whether indoors or outdoors, engaging in summer-themed crafts helps children develop fine motor skills, explore colors and textures, and spark their imaginations.
To make summer crafting easy, we’ve rounded up some must-have art supplies and fun products that will transform simple activities into exciting, mess-friendly projects. From ice painting to nature collages, these easy summer art projects will keep preschoolers entertained while encouraging creativity and learning.
1. Washable Finger Paint Set – Mess-Free Summer Fun
Featured Product: Crayola Washable Finger Paint Set
This non-toxic, washable finger paint set is perfect for little hands that love to explore textures and colors. The vibrant, easy-to-clean formula allows kids to get creative without parents worrying about permanent stains.
How to Use It:
🎨 Outdoor Finger Painting: Tape a large sheet of butcher paper to a fence and let kids finger-paint under the sun.
🎨 Sensory Handprint Art: Create summer-themed handprint designs, like sunbursts or ocean waves.
🎨 DIY Gift Wrap: Let preschoolers finger-paint on brown craft paper to create handmade wrapping paper for summer gifts.
2. Ice Cube Paint Set – A Cool Twist on Summer Art
Featured Product: Melissa & Doug Frozen Paint Cubes Kit
This fun and innovative kit allows kids to paint with frozen colors, creating a unique sensory experience. The cold texture and melting effect make it an exciting summer art project.
How to Use It:
❄️ Ice Painting on Paper: Freeze watered-down paint in the included molds and let kids glide colorful ice cubes across paper.
❄️ Outdoor Sidewalk Ice Art: Use frozen cubes to create vibrant sidewalk art on a warm day.
❄️ Blending Colors Experiment: Watch colors mix as the ice melts, teaching kids about color blending.
3. Nature Collage Kit – Art with Found Objects
Featured Product: Kid Made Modern Nature Collage Kit
This all-in-one kit includes dried leaves, flower petals, twigs, and eco-friendly glue, making it easy for kids to create textured nature collages.
How to Use It:
🍃 Scavenger Hunt Art: Take kids on a nature walk to collect additional leaves, flowers, and small twigs to add to their collages.
🍃 Layered Textures: Teach kids about textures by layering soft petals, rough bark, and smooth stones in their artwork.
🍃 DIY Nature Cards: Use small canvases to create collage greeting cards for loved ones.
4. Washable Sidewalk Chalk – Outdoor Art Adventures
Featured Product: Crayola 48-Color Washable Sidewalk Chalk
This vibrant, washable chalk set is great for large-scale outdoor art, encouraging kids to explore color and movement in their creativity.
How to Use It:
🖍 Sidewalk Storytelling: Draw a simple summer-themed story (like a day at the beach) and let kids add their own drawings.
🖍 Color Matching Game: Call out colors and have kids find matching chalk and draw something in that color.
🖍 Giant Tic-Tac-Toe: Draw a life-size tic-tac-toe board and let kids use different chalk colors as their markers.
5. DIY Suncatcher Kit – Summer Window Art
Featured Product: Klutz Stained Glass Suncatcher Kit
This kit includes pre-cut translucent shapes, safe acrylic paints, and hanging string to create beautiful sun-catching designs.
How to Use It:
☀️ Summer-Themed Designs: Create sun, butterfly, and flower-shaped suncatchers for a seasonal touch.
☀️ Mixing Colors: Teach kids about color transparency by layering different shades.
☀️ Gift Idea: Hang suncatchers in windows or gift them to family and friends.
6. Foam Sticker Ocean Scene – Underwater Adventures
Featured Product: Melissa & Doug Ocean Sticker Scene Kit
This foam sticker kit allows kids to create their own ocean scene with fish, starfish, and sea turtles.
How to Use It:
🐠 DIY Aquarium Art: Have kids arrange stickers on blue construction paper to mimic an aquarium.
🐠 Sensory Play Addition: Stick foam fish on a plastic bin filled with blue-dyed water for an interactive play experience.
🐠 Underwater Storytelling: Let kids make up stories about their ocean scene and act them out.
7. Tissue Paper Art – Colorful, Crinkly Creations
Featured Product: Alex Discover Tissue Art Kit
This kit includes pre-cut tissue paper in various colors and a mess-free glue stick for easy crafting.
How to Use It:
🌈 Rainbow Collages: Create layered rainbow tissue collages to celebrate summer.
🌈 Crinkled Tissue Flowers: Form bright, textured flowers and glue them to paper stems.
🌈 Stained Glass Effect: Use clear contact paper and layer tissue paper to create a sunlight-catching masterpiece.
8. Watercolor Spray Art – Messy, Colorful Fun
Featured Product: Magicfly Spray Bottle Watercolor Set
This set includes pre-filled watercolor spray bottles, allowing kids to create dynamic, splatter-style artwork.
How to Use It:
💦 Stencil Spray Art: Use summer-themed stencils (like suns or palm trees) and let kids spray watercolor over them.
💦 Outdoor Spray Canvas: Hang a large sheet outside and let kids create drippy, abstract paintings.
💦 Experiment with Blending: Teach kids about layering colors and how sprays mix when overlapped.
9. Seashell Mosaic Kit – Beach-Themed Creations
Featured Product: Dan&Darci Seashell Mosaic Art Kit
This kit includes real seashells, mosaic glue, and wooden boards to create stunning ocean-inspired art pieces.
How to Use It:
🐚 Create a Beach Scene: Arrange shells into a wave or sun pattern.
🐚 DIY Name Plaque: Spell out a child’s name using tiny shells.
🐚 Gift-Worthy Art: Make a coaster or framed mosaic as a summer keepsake.
10. Handprint Campfire Craft – A Cozy Summer Night Scene
Featured Product: Craft-Tastic Handprint Campfire Kit
This kit includes pre-cut paper flames, logs, and non-toxic paint to create a 3D campfire scene using handprints.
How to Use It:
🔥 Layer Handprint Flames: Have kids stamp handprints in red, orange, and yellow to build the fire.
🔥 Add Fun Details: Decorate with paper marshmallows on sticks for a campfire feel.
🔥 Use as a Keepsake: Frame it as a fun memory of summer creativity.
Conclusion
Encouraging creative expression during summer is both fun and educational. These easy summer art projects help preschoolers develop their fine motor skills, sensory awareness, and imagination—all while keeping them entertained!
With the right art kits and supplies, crafting becomes stress-free and engaging for both kids and parents. So grab some washable paints, stickers, and fun crafting kits, and let the summer creativity begin! ☀️🎨
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