ICE CREAM COLLAGE CRAFT:
Materials: Coloured paper, child-safe scissors, glue-stick, face cloth for sticky fingers, markers or crayons (Optional).
Step 1: Choose the type (colour) of ice cream you want in the picture and how many scoops of each type (colour).
Step 2: Cut circles from the chosen paper to represent scoops of ice cream. Help small children with this step and the next one.
Step 3: Cut a large triangle of yellow or brown paper for the ice cream cone.
Step 4: Glue the cone and coloured scoops together to form an ice cream cone on the coloured paper choice.
Step 5: (Optional) Draw details on the cone or toppings and sprinkles on the ice cream scoops.
POPSICLE INSPIRED CRAFT:
Materials: Watercolour paper (or regular construction paper if you don't have any but watercolour workds best), paint brush, container filled with water, child-safe scissors, glue-stick, white glue, craft sticks or save your Popsicle sticks after eating your favourite summer treat, face cloth for sticky fingers.
Step 1: Paint your own popsicles using whatever colours match the flavours you want to create. Dot on more water and a different colour for a spotted effect. Sprinkle salt on the watercolour paintings and watch snowflakes appear for a neat effect. Swirl in another colour. Have fun with watercolour paints. Allow the paint to dry. Keep them outside on a hot day to dry quickly but put a rock on the paper so it won't fly away.
Step 2: Once dry cut out the popsicle shapes.
Step 3: Pick coloured construction paper for the background. Glue the craft sticks/recycled popsicle sticks to the paper using white glue.
Step 4: Glue the popsicle watercolour shapes over the popsicle sticks so that some sticks are showing. Now you have created a popsicle that won't melt!
VARIATION: Use card stock and glue one on each card to create a birthday card or a Thank You card or just a friendly card to make someone's day.
VARIATION: Use craft foam sheets instead of paper and add googly eyes!
PRESCHOOL CRAFT IDEA
ICE CREAM HANDPRINT CRAFT:
Materials: Paint, paper, waxed paper or paper plate to put paint on, newspaper or plstic tablecloth to cover work space, old clothes or art smock, brown paper, black marker, red paper, child safe scissors, glue stick, damp face cloth for sticky fingers
Step 1: Choose the type (colour) of ice cream you want in the picture and paint one hand in that colour. Stamp the hand on white paper and let it dry. Wash your hands before proceding.
Step 2: Cut out an ice cream cone using brown paper and then make the waffling criss cross pattern with a black marker. Cout out a red heart as well.
Step 3: Glue the handprint upside down to look like dripping ice cream onto the paper cone. Glue the heart on top. You can glue this in your Summer Scrapbook or turn it into a card by using more coloured paper.
Summer
For an easier idea just use storebought chalk. You can trace each family member on the sidewalk and colour away!
Materials: cornstach, water, food colouring, an old muffin tin or yogurt cups etc. to create your paint, paintbrushes.
Step 1: Mix 1 cup of cornstarch with 1 cup of water and then pour into separate cups or compartments in a muffin tin.
Step 2: Add drops of food colouring and mix with a paintbrush making the colours as bright as you'd like.
Step 3: Paint away and brighten up the world!
CRAFTS
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Materials: Waxed paper, sharpies (permanent markers), ruler (Optional).
Step 1: (Optional) Draw rectangles using a ruler to separate the pictures. Older kids may want to make their own design.
Step 2: Let your kids used their imaginations and use the colour markers to decorate.
Step 3: Tape to a window to let the sun shine through and enjoy the beauty,.
Materials: Small paper plate, green and white paint, child safe scissors, black tissue paper or paper, pink tissue paper, clear packing tape.
Step 1: Cut a paper plate in half and then cut out the flat middle part of the plate to create the rind of the watermelon.
Step 2: Paint the "rind" green and let that dry. Paint a white stripe as well to represent out the green turns to white in a slice of watermelon.
Step 3: Cut out squares of pink tissue paper and also some tiny black seeds from black paper.
Step 4: Lay out two stripes of sticky packing tape sticky side up and layer so that they form a large square or rectangle. Carefully lay the black seeds on the tape so that they stick in place and then layer pink squares over top of the seeds and all over the tape to create a pink semi transparent piece.
Step 5: Carefully lay more tape over top to sandwich the tissue paper.
Step 6: Set the pink "watermelon flesh" in the window of the rind and arrange so the seeds show on the painted side. Tape into place and then trim if necessary.
Step 7: Tape to a window, or hole punch and hang form a w window or set on a windowsill to let the sun shine through.
Materials: Coloured paper, markers or crayons.
Step 1: Choose the colour of paper for the fan.
Step 2: Decorate the fan with markers and crayons.
Step 3: Fold the paper like an accordion (over and under) to form a simple fan.
Step 4: Use the fan on hot days to cool off!
VARIATION: Beat the heat with a fancier Pocket Fan: https://gluesticksblog.com/2016/07/diy-pocket-fans.html
Brighten someones day by painting rocks with happy faces then go on a Family Walk and plant some of them on the pathways for strangers to find.
For instructions on how to paint rocks check out the Garden Theme Day - Craft Page.
PAIR THIS CRAFT WITH A RECIPE AND MAKE YOUR OWN POPSICLES!
There are so many different Summer Themed Crafts you can makes! These are just a few ideas...
There are more ideas on the Summer Jar Page!
SUMMER STICKER COLLAGE:
Materials: Coloured paper, stickers with various summer things on them (the sun, beach balls, ice cream cones...), markers and crayons.
Step 1: Give your child the stickers and paper and have him/her either make a scene or a collage with them.
Step 2 (Optional): See if your child wants to embellish the picture with markers or crayons by drawing a setting for the stickers.
ICE CREAM RIPPED PAPER CRAFT:
Materials: Newspaper cut into large squares, white paper, coloured markers, watercolour paints, paint brush, container of water, glue stick, child safe scissors, damp face cloth for sticky fingers
Step 1: Choose the type (colour) of ice cream you want in the picture and how many scoops of each type (colour). Paint large squares of newspaper print in the colours of choice using watercolour paints. Be sure to paint some in a brown colour for the cone as well. Allow the print to dry. It usually dries quickly on hot days but if you want to speed up the process use a hair dryer.
Step 2: Cut the painted squares into smaller pieces. Cut the brown painted paper into a cone.
Step 3: Glue the cone and the coloured pieces together on a piece of paper (any colour) to make an ice cream cone shape. Use a black marker to outline the cone and ice cream. Allow to dry.
Step 4: Decorate a piece of white (or coloured) paper with markers to use as the background.
Step 5: Carefully cut out the ice cream shape and glue them to the decorated paper.
Keep a Summer Scrapbook!
The first Family Theme Days were Summer Theme Days and the scrapbook my Eldest made is a treasure that holds all the crafts, reciepts, maps, and other momentos from that summer.
PAIR THESE CRAFTS WITH A RECIPE AND MAKE ICE CREAM IN A BAG! FIND THE RECIPE ON THE SUMMER FOODS PAGE!