Ah, summer, when it's hot and your kids are home 24/7! Help them get into some art—and out of trouble—with these ten fresh summer-friendly projects.
1. Bubble Art
Add food coloring to small bowls of bubble solution, dip your wand and blow bubbles onto watercolor paper. This turned into a fun experiment in color-combining for my kids, as well. Note that food coloring stains, so make sure your kids do this outdoors in mess-friendly clothes.
2. Grape Sculptures
Take snack time to new heights by using toothpicks and grapes as building tools. Your child will love creating three-dimensional architectural masterpieces… and then eating them Godzilla-style.
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3. Sidewalk Chalk Paint
Paint the town rainbow'd with this awesomely bright, easy-to-make sidewalk chalk paint from Learn Play Imagine. (Image via Learn Play Imagine)
4. Nature Mandalas
Collect sticks, shells, leaves, petals, feathers and other natural objects while walking through the woods or along the beach, and then create a beautiful design using the materials you found. This project is a fun way to explore concepts of both ephemeral and public art. You and your kiddo can find additional inspiration by checking out Tibetan mandala art or works by Andy Goldsworthy, too.
5. Ice Chalk
From drawing to sculpting to stamping and more, your kids will find countless ways to create (and keep cool!) with this colorful idea from Reading Confetti. (Image via Reading Confetti)
6. Portable Easels
Up-cycle a cardboard box into a personal, portable easel—this great project comes to us from Art Bar—then grab some paints and head outside to the beach, the park or just the backyard. (Image via Art Bar)
7. Painted Rocks
Search for smooth stones along the shore and then paint them with colorful acrylic paints. Give them to someone you love as paperweights, line them up around your garden or just display them in your home for instant smiles all year long. (Image by Stephanie Sicore via Flickr)
8. Sun Prints
Use photosensitive paper to create super cool nature-inspired prints on bright sunny days. (Image via Today Was Good)
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9. Stepping Stone Mosaics
Turn beach treasures like sea glass and shells into a beautiful mosaic stepping-stone with an easy-to-use kit. Hint: you can find these on Amazon.com. (Image by Jasleen Kaur via Flickr)
10. Cardboard Box Dioramas
Rainy day? Create a summer scene with your craft supplies and a box. Here's my son Kaspar showcasing as ocean full of mythical sea creatures of his own design.
