Summer is just around the corner, which means that countless parents will be racking their brains for fun and productive activities for their children. While there is no shortage of digital entertainment for children to spend their summer hours consuming, we like to bring kids back to the present moment and get used to working with their hands.
 Why Arts & Crafts Are Important
Unlike video games or movies, arts and crafts are activities that engage fundamental cognitive areas of the brain and help children grow and develop. Firstly, they build their motor skills by learning how to manipulate materials and objects around them and improve coordination muscles in their hands. Coloring, glueing, painting, cutting, and making unique designs all engage the physical senses and cognitive motor skills (whether fine or gross motor).
 These skills translate well to regular everyday activities such as tying their shoes, eating with a fork or spoon, cutting their food with a knife, changing clothing with zippers or buttons, and many other day-to-day activities that most adults take for granted. These abilities all involved our fine and gross motor skills.
 Additionally, through engaging in arts and crafts, children can improve their mathematical and language abilities by recognizing and manipulating particular shapes while learning how to communicate when it comes to colors and other creative choices.
Summer Craft Ideas
1. DIY Paper Popsicles
You’ll be sure to beat the heat with these printable popsicles, and the options for dramatic play are limitless. Your kids can have their own pretend ice cream truck to help their play customers feel at ease during the scorching heat. You can create your printable popsicles using construction paper, glue, scissors and popsicle sticks for a fun afternoon.
2. DIY Paper Fans
Another fun and creative way to help deal with the heat, these fun little crafts can serve a practical purpose, as they can actually help you cool down! With some decorative paper from your local Michael’s or another craft store, some glue, scissors, clothing pins and string, you can have your own paper fans to feature any color layout or design you can think up. We found that this kids’ arts and crafts blog is an excellent source of inspiration for DIY paper fans.
3. Painted Ladybug Rocks
This craft can branch out into a fun new game idea if you paint enough small rocks. You could paint different types of bugs, such as ladybugs vs. tadpoles, and create a little playing board for a game of tic tac toe using these cute insect-themed rocks. Not to mention, they make a great little decoration for that bare window sill or off to the side of your garden.
4. Pinwheel Fans
It wouldn’t be a classic fun-filled kids’ summer without the ubiquitous pinwheel! It’s like a DIY fidget spinner, and with beautiful summer afternoon breezes, you can turn the discussion into a learning-based activity around windmill energy. On a windy day, kids love running outdoors and testing how fast they can get their pinwheel fans to spin.
Photo Credit: First Palette
5. Bug House Craft
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This craft is another fun learning activity which can take place over the entire summer, starting with the art and craft segment of building and designing a small, breathable container. From here, there are plenty of learning opportunities and chances to explore your outdoor area, discover the types of bugs and learn about the world around us and how an ecosystem works. The options here are limitless to build off of this fun little craft.
Photo Credit: Kiwi Families
6. Mandala Coloring Pages
Mindfulness and meditation are receiving a lot of attention as we move towards a more frenetic pace with the proliferation of digital technology everywhere. At Lightly Sketched, we believe in the emotional wellness benefits that can be attributed to practicing visual art. We created Lightly Sketched to support children’s mental health through visual arts.
Our printable resources and digital coloring books are designed to help engage the creative regions of your child’s brain and promote mindfulness. They also create a feeling of relaxation while engaging in this meditative art form. We offer calming coloring books and printable resources to help your children quietly enjoy the benefits of mindfulness through visual arts. From lovely mandala coloring pages to coloring pieces with kindness quotes and positive affirmations, our selection will have your kids quietly and mindfully connecting with their thoughts, feelings and emotions.
This summer, provide you and your little ones with a little extra peace of mind. Visit our online store for printable arts and crafts for kids today: Be mindful, be creative… be inspired!
