Summer break is here! You will want to have these summer craft ideas in your arsenal for every time you hear “Mom, I’m Bored”!  Here are 50+ kid-tested and Mom approved boredom busters sure to create hours of summer fun!

I even have two awesome guides for summertime – a free printable summer bucket list and a list of 100 summer activities for kids. Trust me, you don’t want to miss these as there are fun and easy crafts and activities for little and big kids.

With so many things to choose from, you’re sure to discover a new favorite summer craft for kids.

Summer Crafts and Boredom Busters for Kids

Here is a long list of DIYs to do when you’re bored!  You will find art projects and craft projects that will keep kids busy this summer. Look through the list and grab some crafting supplies to keep on hand for when you hear, “I’m bored”.  They will love the summertime!

Make and play crafts

1. Go back in time and make can phones
2. Have some ooey gooey fun with homemade slime
3. We love this fluffy slime.
4. Learn about science and let your kids think you are amazing by making some oobleck
5. Explore underwater with a DIY aqua scope
6. Catch butterflies with a homemade butterfly net
7. Have fun with a bubble blower and more tips with a bubble snake.
8. Hold a backyard regatta with these clever juice box boats
9. Make your own dazzling kaleidoscope
10. Paint it up with amazing homemade puffy paint
11. Strike up the band with your own homemade musical instruments
12. Tell your fortune with this printable fortune teller
13. Make an entertaining yo-yo balloon
14. Bring on the rain with a homemade rainstick
15. Make your own scratch-off paper –so cool!
16. Make chalk paint to decorate sidewalks and patios
17. Personalize your own Yo-Yo
18. Watch Brave and make a DIY bow and arrow
19. Go on an adventure and keep your boys happy all summer with this duct tape bullwhip
20. Go outside and play catch with this DIY bleach bottle catch game!
21. Stamp out boredom and make your own homemade rubber stamps
22. Have a water fight with these summer sponge bombs
23. Guaranteed hours of fun make homemade playdough
24. Do more than color make your own crayons in cool shapes for all sorts of fun
25. Make your own Lemonade Stand

Art activities

1. Make a summer journal covered with your child’s artwork
2. Set your back yard aglow with beautiful tin can lanterns
3. Get creative with this cute rock tutorial
4. Get creative and make your own stepping stones
5. Keep in touch with friends with these homemade postcards
6. Marbleize Paper with this recipe
7. This crab paper plate craft is super cute.
8. Kids will feel proud when they see their very own DIY kid-created wall art hanging on the wall. These even have good reminders.
9. Rock Painting is always hit. Remember making pet rocks?

Crafts You Can Wear

1. Make friendship bracelets for all your friends
2. Create a beautiful bracelet on your next nature walk
3. Decorate your flip flops with this duct tape flower
4. Learn how to tie-dye and turn it into a cool bag.
5. We also love squirt gun tie-dye.

Sewing and crocheting projects

1. Get sewing with these beautiful printable sewing sheets.
2. Make your beach towel super easy to carry to the pool by making it into a clever beach towel tote bag
3. Practice crochet and create a beautiful crochet mosaic
4. Make your own beary cute softie with this printable
5. Make your own fabric scrap dolls
6. Sew a simple bookmark for your favorite book
7. Create your very own creature!

Useful Crafts

1. Make a summer journal covered with your child’s artwork
2. Set your back yard aglow with beautiful tin can lanterns
3. Make your own scratch-off paper –so cool!
4. Get creative and make your own stepping stones
5. Keep in touch with friends with these homemade postcards
6. Make your own Lemonade Stand
7. Kids will love to decorate their room with a washi tape light switch cover.

Crafty Foods

1. Play with your food with this edible food paint
2. Make smores on a stick
3. Cool off with the best ice cream sandwich recipe
4. Make bread in a bag
5. Make ice cream in a bag
6. Keep kids reading by reading the book “Arnie The Doughnut” and then make felt donuts
7. Make rock candy

Nature Crafts

1. Make your own DIY Chia Pet
2. Plant some fun and create a flower pot person
3. Get involved with nature with DIY birdhouse

More DIY Summer Crafts and Fun Activities

• Outside Tic Tac Toe Toss Game – This is such a quick and easy gam.e for kids! Super fun too!
• Homemade 3-D Chalk Paint – Kids who love sidewalk chalk will have a blast with this paint.
• DIY Pom Pom Flip Flops – This DIY craft is an easy summer make and wear craft. The girls will have so much fun showing these off!
• Have fun with these Water Jokes for Kids.

Fun summer Crafts for Indoors

If you find it too hot or rainy to be outside, these indoor art and crafts projects will entertain and engage little hands for hours!

• Paper Towel Butterflies
• Get a head start on your Christmas gifts this summer by making DIY Child’s Art Candles
• Painted Pasta Necklaces

For more summer fun check out these genius summer hacks. And don’t forget, if all else fails, you always have crayons and paper on hand for kids to make their own masterpieces (affiliate links included).

So many fun crafts to do when kids are bored! You will be able to turn off the screens and turn on creativity. You are ready for an awesome summer.

Need some help managing screen time this summer? This printable Screen Time Rules is very helpful.