Last Updated on May 2, 2026 by Masha Eretnova
Toddlers and summer crafts are a match made in heaven — everything is colorful, nothing needs to be perfect, and the messier it gets the more fun they’re having. These projects use simple supplies like paper plates, paint, egg cartons, and popsicle sticks, so there’s no special shopping trip required. Pick one for a quiet morning activity or line up a few for a full craft day.
Butterfly Handprint Craft & Lifecycle Activity
With just handprints, little ones can create a beautiful butterfly at each cycle of its life, making this both a sweet keepsake and a gentle intro to how butterflies grow and change. A wonderful one to pair with a garden walk or a book about insects.
How to Make Sidewalk Chalk Paint
Mix cornstarch, water, and food coloring and you’ve got a batch of sidewalk chalk paint that kids can brush, splat, and splatter all over the driveway. It washes away with the hose, so you can say yes to the mess without any stress. Let kids mix their own colors for extra fun before you even head outside.
How to Make Puffy Paint
Three ingredients from your kitchen turn into a thick, foamy paint that puffs up when you microwave it — kids can watch it happen through the glass and it absolutely blows their minds every time. Set out some paper and let kids paint whatever they want before the big reveal. A great rainy day activity.
Parrot Handprint Craft
Bright handprints become a cheerful tropical parrot in this colorful art project perfect for older toddlers and preschoolers. The layering of colors makes each one completely unique, and kids get a kick out of adding the googly eyes at the end. Great summer handprint craft without getting hands dirty with paint.
DIY Weather Puzzles with Popsicle Sticks
Paint a few popsicle sticks with kids with a sunny image, and, once dry, mix them up and let the kids figure out how to put the sun or rainbow back together. The craft and the toy are the same thing, which is always a win.
Egg Carton Turtle Craft
Grab an egg carton cup, add pipe cleaners, and let the kids paint it into a turtle shell. It uses what you already have in the recycling bin, and toddlers go all-in on the bumpy shell texture. Budget-friendly and zero prep stress.
Easy Paper Sunflower with Pom Poms
Yellow pom pom petals around a center made with buttons make a unique sunflower even the toddlers can pull off. Amazing craft to use simple materials beyond paper.
DIY Rocky Bug Garden
Kids can find some rocks on the walk and paint them into ladybugs, bees, and caterpillars and arrange them into a little garden display. Hunting for the right rocks outside is half the fun. A good one for kids who love being outdoors and need a reason to dig around in the dirt.
Fork Stamped Tulips Kids Craft
Dipping a fork in paint and pressing it onto paper creates tulip blooms — no drawing required. The stamping motion is easy for little hands, and layering a few colors builds up a whole flower garden scene fast.
Lemonade Craft
Paper and paint come together into a cute lemonade cup that’s as summery as it gets. Quick to set up, quick to finish, and pairs perfectly with an actual glass of lemonade for the most on-theme snack break ever.
Puffer Fish Paper Plate Craft
A paper plate becomes a round, spiky puffer fish with paint, cut paper fins, and easy-to-draw eyes. Easy for little hands as you need just a fork! Great for an ocean theme week or just a Tuesday that needed something fun.
Sunflower Painting Flowers
No brushes, bright colors, simple flowers — just set out the paint and let toddlers use sunflowers to paint. No skills required. Best for outdoors as it does get messy.
Fingerprint Flower Craft for Kids
Tiny fingerprints dipped in paint can easily become flower petals arranged around a simple stem. It’s a sweet process that toddlers and preschoolers can both do, and each print is different. These make a lovely keepsake card for grandparents or a Mother’s and Father’s Day gift.
Handprint Butterfly Art
Just press both hands down in whatever colors the toddler picks and you’ve got butterfly wings. No two come out the same, and toddlers can go completely wild with the color choices.
Rainbow Cloud Craft
Fluffy cotton ball clouds and strips of colorful paper ribbon create a sweet hanging rainbow cloud that looks adorable in a bedroom or playroom. Preschoolers can help pull apart the cotton balls and glue on the rainbow strips without needing much help. It’s light, easy, and makes any room feel like summer.
Fairy Houses Nature Craft
Kids collect sticks, leaves, bark, and pebbles outside and build tiny fairy houses with whatever they find. There’s no wrong way to do it, which makes it perfect for toddlers who want to be in charge. Great for backyars, picnics, and camping.
Paper Plate Fish Craft
A paper plate, some paint, and a few cut paper fins make a colorful fish that toddlers can mostly handle on their own. Let them pick the colors and be creative, the more mismatched the better, honestly.
Egg Carton Boats for Kids
Cut an egg carton into sections, add a paper sail, and you’ve got a little boat ready for the bathtub or a puddle outside. Toddlers can help paint and decorate before launch day. Simple materials, genuinely fun result.
Paper Plate Bee Craft for Toddlers
Yellow and black stripes on a paper plate, paper wings, and a couple of paper eyes and antennas make an adorable little bee. Quick enough to hold a toddler’s attention start to finish. Cute for a spring or summer bug theme.
Fingerprint Ice Cream Cone Craft
Fingerprints in different colors stack up to make ice cream scoops on a paper cone — toddlers can press away and build their dream sundae. Every print is a different “flavor” which they find very funny. Easy to make with a free printable.
Easy Salt Dough Shell Pendants
Mix up a simple salt dough, press in a shell, and bake — toddlers can do most of the hands-on steps and love the pressing part most. Thread them on a cord once dry and you’ve got a little summer necklace. Also a nice way to use shells brought back from the beach.
Bubble Art Butterflies
Kids can blow bubbles into colored soapy water and press paper over the foam to capture the pattern — and the prints become butterfly wings. It’s one of those activities toddlers want to do over and over, which is fine because it costs almost nothing. Genuinely magical results for a two-ingredient setup.
Quick and Easy Homemade Playdough
Five pantry ingredients and ten minutes on the stove and you’ve got a big batch of soft, smooth playdough that’s way better than the store kind. Make it in summer colors and set out some shells or sticks from outside for pressing. Toddlers will play with it for days.
Masha Eretnova, born in 1991, is a Buenos Aires-based certified teacher, artist, and member of the Professional Artist Association with 20+ years of personal painting journey.
She started painting and drawing very early and is now an international abstract artist and educator passionate about acrylic painting, gouache, and crafts.
Her works are part of international exhibitions and contests, including ArtlyMix (Brazil), Al-Tiba 9 (Spain), Exhibizone (Canada), Italy, and many more.
Besides her artistic pursuits, Masha holds a post-grad diploma in Teaching Film Photography and 2 music school diplomas: piano and opera singing.