Summer is just around the corner, and once the novelty of no school wears off, parents can expect to hear choruses of “I’m bored,” and whines for screen time. It may be tempting to let the “idiot boxes” of television, tablets and smartphones become your children’s babysitters this summer, but screen addiction is real and we all know an endless amount of screen time just doesn’t make for healthy kids. Instead, combat summer boredom with activities that encourage creativity! Today we’re sharing ten art activities for kids that are perfect for summer because they can all take place in the great outdoors.
This color scavenger hunt activity from I Heart Crafty Things is such a fun challenge for young children who are learning their colors! And the prep is super easy. Just use markers on white paper bags to create a few color swatches, then send the kids outside to look for something in nature that matches each color! They can collect their items inside the bag and compare their treasures when they finish. We love the way this activity could invite discussion about tints, hues, and shades–for example, parents could say, “The flower you found is a lighter pink color, how do you think you could make that color if you were painting with bright pink paint like the color on your bag?” (tint the pink paint with white paint)
This sidewalk puff paint from The Tiptoe Fairy is such a fun alternative to sidewalk chalk! The paint is made with a mixture of flour, washable school glue, shaving cream, and food coloring. The paint cleans up easily with water.
This nature paint brush activity from Messy Little Monster is a creative way for kids to explore textures and patterns as they paint with the unusual brushes they put together from items found in nature.
These sun prints made from cyanotype paper are an art project and science experiment rolled into one! Little Green Notebook gives all the details, but the unique effect is created by placing an object on top of the special sun print paper and leaving it out in the sun, then soaking the paper in lemon water. Older kids may especially enjoy this activity.
This activity from Munchkins and Moms is so simple yet so genius, and perfect for an afternoon when it’s too hot to be outside! Have your kids collect petals and leaves outside, then bring them in and slide them into IKEA Toslby frames. The kids can use colored pencils or any other art medium as they investigate and draw the details of the items they found outside.