Kids Summer Craft Ideas

Get crafting this Summer school holidays with these awesome DIY projects that will get the kids off their screens and enjoying the great outdoors!

DIY Chalk Paint

A great outdoor Summer activity, learn how to make your own chalk paint and keep the kids entertained all day long painted the footpath or driveaway with colourful, washable chalk paint.

What you’ll need:

• Muffin tray
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 2/3 cup water
• Liquid food colouring
• Large kids paintbrushes

Method:

1. Mix together the water and cornstarch until the cornstarch dissolves.
2. Divide the cornstarch mixture into the wells of the muffin tray
3. Add food colouring of your choosing to each well of the muffin tray and stir well. The colours will dry much lighter on concrete than they appear in the tray.

Note: The chalk paint recipe is generally 1:1 ratio of cornstarch to water, however it is advised to add some more water for a thinner consistency which is easier to apply to a pathway or driveway surface. By adding extra water to the mixture you will be able to paint longer brushstrokes without needing to reload the paintbrush with paint, which is ideal for younger children.

Sponge Water Bombs

A re-usable alternative (and less messy) alternative to water balloons, Sponge Water Bombs are a Summer must-have for water fight fun!

What you’ll need:

• A pair of scissors,
• Sponges (not cloth sponges)
• Fishing line

Method:

1. Cut all sponges lengthwise into four even pieces.
2. Stack 2 layers of 4 sponge pieces.
3. Tie fishing line around the stack as tightly as possible.
4. Form pieces into a star formation.
5. Soak, squish, throw, play!!

Clean up is easy simply place the sponge bombs in a delicates wash bag an hang to dry. If the sponge bombs get dirt place the delicates bag in the washing machine on a quick cycle and set them out to dry.

Tie Dye Beach Towels

What you’ll need:

• White terry cloth beach towel
• Duct tape
• Scissors
• Disposable rubber gloves
• Plastic table cloth
• Tie Dye Spray Kit

Method:

1. Cover your workspace in a plastic, disposable table cloth.
2. Lay the towel out on the flat workspace surface and use the duct tape to spell out your child’s name.
3. Now comes the fun part! Apply gloves and start spraying the colours on to the towel as desired. For a rainbow look start in one corner of the towel and move from colour to colour across the colours of the rainbow in sequence e.g. red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. For an ombre look apply the spray lightly across the towel.
4. Allow the towel to air dry.
5. If the colours do not bleed through to the reverse side, repeat steps 3 and 4 to add colour to the back of the towel.
6. Once both side of the towel are dry, rinse the towel in cold water.
7. Remove the duct tape and wash separately in hot water with laundry powder.
8. Allow to dry on the washing line separately.

Note: Wash and dry tie dye towels separately for the first few washes to ensure colour running does not dye your other items of laundry.

Squirt Gun Painting

What You’ll Need:

• Poster paint
• Water
• Spray bottles or water pistols (one for each colour)
• A large canvas
• Art smock/s

Method:

1. Get prepared for outdoor fun by setting up the kids in their plastic art smocks, setting out the canvases on the grass in your backyard and preparing the spray bottles or water pistols.
2. For the perfect paint consistency, we recommend watering down the chosen poster paint colours with a 50% poster paint, 50% water ratio.
3. Get creative! Spray the canvases with your favourite paint colours and once finished, allow the canvases to air dry outdoors.