Top Kids Crafts for Summer

The long lazy days of summer are right around the corner. The days are warm, and the nights filled with the scents of growing things. Most schools will be letting out in a month or so, the kids eagerly awaiting the sound of that final bell. So what do you do with your kids over the summer? Let them stay glued to the television or video games?

Try some of these fun and easy crafts to help occupy their time and let their creativity bloom.

Masks- Use brown paper bags, paper plates, or cardboard. You'll need markers, crayons, or paint, some string, glue, construction paper, and scissors. Trace a design on the material you'll be using for the mask, marking out spots for eyes, mouth and nose if you want them. Cut pieces of construction paper for hair or eyebrows, or paint or color them in. Attach the string to both sides of the mask. Let the glue and paint dry. Once dried, kids can use these to put on plays, or just wear them for fun.

Fossils- I've never met a kid that didn't like dinosaurs. Making your own fossils can be a fun way to learn about the natural processes that create real ones. You'll need clay, items to make impressions with (rocks, leaves, etc), shoe polish and clear acrylic sealer. If you get the type of clay that can be baked, you won't need the sealer. Roll the clay into a ball, and flatten with a plate or on the counter. You can texture the opposite side to make it look more like a rock if you want. On the smooth side, make your impressions. If you have the clay that can be baked, follow the directions on the container. If you have regular clay, rub the shoe polish in, gently, then wipe off excess. This will give it an aged appearance. Now let it dry in the sunlight. When dried, coat with the sealer.

Periscope- With this, the kids can hide in the bushes, or around corners and still see what's going on, or who's coming to tag them. You'll need 2 1-quart milk cartons, two rectangular pocket mirrors, a box cutter or X-acto knife, a ruler, pencil or marker, and masking tape. Be very careful with the X-acto knife, they are extremely sharp. Adult supervision would be a good idea. Cut the tops off of both milk cartons, cut a hole in the side of one carton, near the bottom, leaving about ¼ inch on each side of the hole. Put the carton on its side and turn it so the hole you cut is facing to your right. On the side facing up, measure 2 ¾ inches up the left side of the carton. Mark the carton there with the pencil. Now draw a diagonal line from the bottom right corner to the mark you made, using the ruler. Now, cut along that line using your knife. Don't cut all the way to the other side; make it only as long as your mirror. Widen the cut as needed to accommodate the mirror. Slide the mirror into this slot; making sure the reflective side faces the hole you cut into the carton. Tape the mirror into place. Hold the carton to your eye. You should be able to see the ceiling in the mirror. Now repeat these steps on the second milk carton. When you're done with that, set one carton on the table, hole on the bottom and facing you. Turn the other upside down so the hole faces away from you. Slide the two together and tape. You now have a periscope!

This is only a very small sampling of what's available. There is a tremendous amount of information available online. Try some of the links below and you'll find enough to keep your kids occupied all summer long. A lot of these involve outdoor activities or adult supervision so you and your kids can have fun together.

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