Parenting Today
Summertime – the kids are home, you’re eager to find fun projects, and everyone is happier being outside. Try these five outdoor crafts when you’re looking for a way to be creative as a family; there’s something for everyone, big and small! Plus, spending time outside on summer evenings with the family is a great memory for growing children.
Tin Can Lanterns
Make your outdoor space extra special by creating tin can lanterns from recycled materials. Begin by removing the labels and cleaning the cans, fill them with water until about ½ inch from the top, and then freeze. The ice inside will make it easier for little hands to nail the holes without denting the can. The next day, have your kids draw their pattern with a permanent marker and begin hammering; remember, the more holes you have, the more light shines through! For the youngest kids, help them hold the hammer and nail so that you avoid injuries. After the ice has melted, pour out the water and admire your handiwork! Add real or battery-operated tea lights and optional hangers.
Bug Hotel
Kids are obsessed with bugs! Feed their interest by building a bug hotel for your garden. Plus, beneficial insects like ladybugs, bees, lacewings, and mantids are sometimes in short supply around urban gardens—a bug hotel will give them the spaces they naturally crave to lay their eggs and hide from predators. Have your kids collect items from your yard or the nearby park or natural areas—you could even make this a goal on a family hike or nature walk! You’ll want small twigs, lots of little pine cones or acorns, moss, lichen, and any other natural materials that could create hiding spots. Head to the hardware store to buy some thin wood to create the frame and cubby dividers. Fill each cubby spot with different configurations of natural materials, glue everything into place, and then hang it up near your garden! The kids will love checking on the progress in this special bug hotel.
Sun Print Cards
A favorite family activity for decades, creating sun print art to use as greeting cards is a wonderful summer craft. You can buy cyanotype solution to make your own card materials or buy pre-made sun print kits. The advantage to a kit is that it comes with an acrylic overlay that will help keep your items flat while they’re in the sun. After you have your card and tint materials, it’s time to search the yard for things that make interesting shadows! Flat leaves and thin flowers work well since they have a lot of detail and crisp lines. Follow the directions from your kit or cyanotype mix, but in general, you’ll want to place your objects on the paper, then leave it in direct sunlight for about 20 minutes. Run the page under water until the items begin to turn white, then set it out to dry and expose the rest of the way. The finished product will be a beautiful print of nature’s silhouettes!
Bubble Paint Flowers
Summertime and bubbles go hand-in-hand, so use some of that bubble solution for a craft as well! To make easy bubble paint flowers, mix up your own solution using dish soap, acrylic paint (both non-toxic!), and water in a shallow tub, then grab some thick cardstock (it holds up well to the water). Have your kids blow bubbles into the paint solution with a straw until they see large piles of bubbles, then gently press the paper onto the bubbles to begin creating flower shapes (touch the bubbles but not the water below). Experiment with different sizes and shapes, then add some leaves for a beautiful creation! Another variation is to use colored bubbles to create popped bubble art. Simply blow the colored bubble mix onto a paper, and the bursting bubbles will create fun shapes and patterns. This is the perfect messy, outdoor project for hot summer days!
Forest Faces
If you’re looking for an outdoor craft that you can incorporate into your next hike or nature walk, try making forest faces! Head to a wooded area with a few supplies in tow (the rest you’ll find along the way!). Before you leave the house, divide up some mud or naturally-drying clay into bags for each kid; try to use a clay that’s as unobtrusive as possible to keep this craft nature-friendly. Once you’re out and about, have the kids collect items that they can use for facial features, such as bark, acorns, twigs, leaves, berries, and grass. Once everyone has a substantial collection, let everyone pick a tree and start decorating! Leave some friendly faces on the trees for the next explorers to discover (and take some pictures for your memories!).
Whether you’re crafting in your backyard or out in nature, these ideas will let you mix family fun with the outdoors in a whole new way!
