Let’s get creative with grandkids on summer break with these fun craft ideas!
Spending time with grandchildren or other kids in your life can be an exciting and rewarding time. Consider planning some crafts together to help with bonding, using up some of their boundless energy, and helping them discover new hobbies, crafts, and creative outlets. We’ve created a list of some summer craft ideas to do with the grandkids that are perfect for their school break this year.
Fresh Flower Pressing
Maybe you have a beautiful garden full of flowers, a favorite floral stall at a local farmer’s market, or a meaningful bouquet; pressing these favorite flowers can be a fun activity to preserve summer’s beauty and create a fun craft. Here’s a great tutorial on how to press flowers. You’ll need just a few simple crafting supplies and a few things you likely have around your home. This is a great craft for younger children because they can help gather and prepare flowers for this simple activity.
Pressing flowers can be just the start of your crafting activity. Consider painting picture frames together or memory boxes where you can display your pressed flowers for years to come.
Herb Drying
Similarly, herb drying can be a fun activity and a great way to store surplus gardening bounty for the cooler months. You can choose from a variety of methods, but selecting herbs, tying them together, and hanging them to dry in a cool, dry place can be a fun way to check up on your progress each time grandchildren come to visit. Pull herbs from your summer garden like basil, thyme, rosemary, mint, and sage for this activity. Ask your grandkids to help in selecting the best branches for drying. You can experiment with different drying techniques for different types of herbs. Then, you and the grandchildren can cook delicious meals together later in the year using your dried ingredients!
Candle Making
Making candles is a fun activity for slightly older grandchildren due to the heat required to melt candle wax. You can pick up unscented candle wax in clear or white colors from most large craft stores, and you can ask your grandchildren which scents and colors they would like to choose. Then, you can work together to melt, mix the color and scents in, and pour the wax. For extra fun time together, consider visiting a thrift store and picking out unique containers for your candles, like old teacups, reused mason jars, or mugs with funny sayings. This is a great bonding time, and you may come home with some fun and unique pieces.
Watercolor Painting
Watercolor painting is a fun craft, especially in the heat of summer, where your paint can dry quickly. Consider sitting outside with all your crafting materials and using nature as an inspiration. Talk with your grandkids about painting techniques, nature and ecosystems, or about their favorite summer activities so far. Painting together can be a fun way to talk, bond, and work quietly together while you complete your masterpieces. Working outside gives the added benefit of the artwork drying quickly, meaning you can layer color easily or quickly frame your pieces once dry.
Flower Arranging
Prefer your flowers in a vase rather than pressed? We have you covered. If your grandchildren prefer quieter activities, consider arranging flowers together. They can pick their favorite flowers from your garden and arrange their own, or visit a farmer’s market for bountiful flowers.
Paint Birdhouses or Feeders
If your grandchildren enjoy watching birds or other wildlife, they may like painting (or even making) birdhouses or bird feeders. It can be a great way for them to unleash their creativity and create or paint useful objects for their yard. Be sure to select non-toxic paint supplies for this project.
Make Friendship Bracelets
Making friendship bracelets, whether they’re made from embroidery floss or with beads, can be a fun way for your grandchildren to make accessories they’ll love and use all summer long. You can make coordinating color palettes, matching pieces, or crazy wild colors for a fun activity.
These are just a few ideas of crafts you can try with your grandchildren. Talk with them to understand some crafts they’ve been wanting to try or other hobbies they’re interested in to customize the experience, or help them branch out into something new on this list. You’ll be sure to have a great time! For more tips and crafting ideas, visit the CapTel blog.
