6 Simple Summer Art Activities to Delight Your Child for Hours
5 minute read
Summer is such a special season to spend extra time with your kiddos. But it can feel like a lot of pressure to keep your little one(s) entertained during the long summer days.
If you’re craving new ways to keep your child occupied with fun, engaging activities — without resorting to hours of screen time — we’ve got you covered!
Arts and crafts are an easy, affordable, and quick way to delight your little one’s imagination.
We’ve put together a list of 6 of our favorite summer arts & crafts activities that will inspire hours of creative play. These fun ideas are perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, and older kiddos too!
These whimsical art projects will keep your little one busy all afternoon — giving you plenty of time to cook dinner, rest, or even co-create with your child! Get ready to display your cutie pie’s beautiful new creations!
Make Do-A-Dot Art
Photo of Royal Shimmer Do-A-Dot Art Markers
Toddlers absolutely love Do-A-Dot Markers! They are a perfect summer activity for toddlers, preschoolers, and even kindergarteners. (Older kids love the Do-A-Dot Mini Markers!)
Your little one will enjoy letting their imagination go wild as they make colorful masterpieces with the vibrant markers. Or pick your favorite Do-A-Dot Creative Activity Book to fill in the fun coloring sheets with brightly colored circles (Choose from Farm Animal Friends, Picture Me Princess, Under the Sea, or Who’s in the Zoo themes!).
These dot worksheets are great for fostering your child’s creative thinking, hand-eye-coordination, and fine-motor skills. Plus, Do-A-Dot Markers are super chunky and easy to hold — perfect for helping your kiddo develop their grasping and finger strength.
Do-A-Dots are an easy go-to for a quick art activity at home. They’re also so easy to prep and clean, making them a great option for tossing them in your diaper bag to keep your little one occupied while you’re out and about!
Chalk-O-Rama Dustless Chalk Crayons
Photo of Chalk-O-Rama Dustless Chalk Crayons
We can’t get enough of these chalk crayons! They give you and your little one the freedom to write on almost anything — creating endless opportunities for fun art activities at home.
Try creating custom art on your sliding glass door or child’s bedroom window. Leave a sweet note for dada on the bathroom mirror. Play a game on a whiteboard. Bring natural wood toys or blocks to life with color.
Or for a delightful twist on coloring fun — try out a black paper sketchbook! Kiddos love experimenting with these vibrant chalk crayons (don’t worry, they’re dust-less!) or Brilliant Bee Crayons to see how the colors show up on the dark pages.
Whether it’s too hot outside or you simply need 15 minutes to do the dishes — there are so many fun possibilities to delight your child with these unique crayons.
And the best part? Chalk crayons don’t create a mess! You won’t see any chalk on your little one’s hands — just on their beautiful new creation!
Rainy Dayz Gel Crayons are a great option too for transforming windows, mirrors, and glass surfaces into works of art.
Extra Long Coloring Books!
Photo of Banana Panda “The Write Grip” Looong Coloring Books
Are you ready to introduce your little one to the magical world of coloring books? Look no further than these extra looong accordion style coloring books from Banana Panda!
We love that these fun coloring books naturally spark kiddo’s creativity while inspiring their next motor skill so they’re prepared to write and draw.
Whether your child is “Ready to Learn the Write Grip,” “Ready to Trace,” or “Ready to Draw” these coloring books are the perfect introduction to learning to write and draw as they begin to express themselves in creative ways!
And if you’d like to indulge your little one’s artistic whims while helping them learn about the alphabet, counting, opposites, and even feelings, OOLY’s coloring books are the perfect fit.
We love how each drawing features cutie-pie characters like silly snails and endearing elephants, so your little one will adore coloring in every page!
Get ready for hours of coloring fun!
Whimsical Next-Level Playdough
Photo of Land of Dough Unicorn Horn
If you’re looking for a fun sensory experience to take your hum-drum play dough to the next level… We are absolutely obsessed with Land of Dough’s play dough.
This natural play dough checks all the boxes. We love the beautiful, magical themes — like Unicorn Horn, Over the Rainbow, Mermaid Lagoon, Princess Pink, Dino Dough, that come in a variety of fun colors and patterns.
From the second your little one lays their eyes on their Land of Dough kit, they’ll be eager to dig, excavate, uncover and discover! Plus, play dough has endless possibilities:
- Roll it flat with a rolling pin
- Use cookie dough cutters to create fun cut outs
- Use small toys — bugs, animals, or seashells to “stamp” different shapes
- Create an indoor sand castle, snowman, flower or pyramid!
With the signature wood play tool, all-natural packaging, fun colors and compostable glitters…these are hand-down our favorite play dough kits (and will be your family’s too!).
On-the-Go Creative Sketchbooks
Photo of Carry Along Coloring Book Set
If your kiddo enjoys coloring and drawing, you probably have a well-loved sketch pad that may be looking a little worn and tattered. (We’ve been there!)
But, even if creating art is one of your child’s favorite activities, it can be a little difficult to pack up all your little one’s art supplies if you’re leaving the house for the day or going on a trip.
Surprise your little one with a fun on-the-go sketchpad to fill up with beautiful creations while you’re out and about!
The Carry Along Coloring Book Set is a great option if you want an all-in-one art kit! It comes with fun animal themes, a sketchbook and 9 jumbo crayons all together in a handy carrying case.
And the Mini Traveler Coloring & Activity Kit is one of our favorites for older kiddos — with the stackable crayons, stickers, mazes, word searches, and coloring pages, your child will enjoy hours of traveling fun!
The Carry Along Sketchbook is another great option — especially if you already have a travel-set of crayons. We love the carry handles that are perfect for little hands and the cute velcro clasp noses!
A Delightful Twist on Sidewalk Chalk
Photo of TWEE Rainbow Unicorn Horns
If it’s a beautiful day, take your little one’s creativity outside! A magical world of color and creativity awaits with TWEE Rainbow Unicorn Horns handmade sidewalk chalk.
Whether your toddler is just learning how to draw or your preschooler is sketching fantastical creatures or playing imaginative games with friends at the park… These rainbow unicorn horns are sure to capture the imagination of your little one.
And it’s easy to see why!
The vibrant colors and easy-to-hold shape inspire whimsy and delight every time they’re pulled out of the box. These are a go-to to brighten your child’s day and inspire an afternoon of FUN!
Final Thoughts on Simple Summer Art Activities
We hope you enjoy these fun summer art activities with your little ones!
These are some of our favorite arts & craft activities for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners. They are simple and easy to set up and clean… yet inspire hours of endless whimsy, creativity and fun for your child.
With these engaging activities, your summer is destined to be picture perfect! And your child’s art creations may be a thoughtful gift for grandma, your child’s bestie, or for the whole family to enjoy while displayed on the fridge!
Shopping for Toddler Art Supplies
Photo of Babies in Bloom Online Boutique
If you’re looking for more fun and exciting art supplies for your toddler, head on over to the Babies in Bloom Boutique! We know how difficult it can be to entertain your little one on a rainy day, a long plane flight, or summer vacation.
That’s why we hand-select a variety of whimsical and FUN arts and crafts that inspire new creative play. So you can have peace of mind that you’re taking home items that your little one(s) will love (and actually use!).
We’d love to help you pick out what you need! Come by the shop to chat with one of our experienced staff members or give us a call if you prefer to shop online.
Boutique Website: https://babies-in-bloom.myshopify.com/
Boutique Address: 127 Main Street, Vista, CA 92084
Boutique Hours: Monday – Saturday: 9 am – 4 pm (We are closed on Sunday!)
