3 Adorable Art Projects and Memory Book for Your Toddler or Preschooler this summer.
Create these 3 simple summer crafts and a memory book with your toddler or preschooler on a rainy day or when you just need a break from the sun.
The summer art projects are easy and fun to create. Even the uncraftiest of parents will have no trouble helping to make these iconic symbols of summer. To preserve these cute projects and the memories you made with your child this summer, I’ll show you how to help your child create an easy memory book or scrapbook.
I have created one shopping list for all of the below summer crafts. For a free printable of your shopping list, the directions, and the printout pages, please click on the link in my bio below.
Complete Shopping List for Your Summer Crafts
- Tissue Paper – pink, white, blue, and yellow
- 2 pipe cleaners – any color
- Printout – in the bio below
- Glue stick, glue, OR double sided tape
- Scissors
- A paper plate or an extra piece of paper (to help keep the table clean)
- Crayons – Colors that include brown and orange
- 2 pieces of construction paper
- Stapler
- Pictures of what your child did this summer – 4 x 6 photos
Directions for the 3 Summer Arts and Craft Projects and the memory book
To prepare for all 3 crafts and the memory book, follow these steps
- Cut your tissue paper into about 3” squares (keeping your tissue paper folded, cut about 2” to 3” strips, then cut the folded ends off)
- Cut out all the shapes (ice cream cones, suns, and flip flops) from the paper
- Help your kid(s) make a ball with each piece of tissue paper
- Print all of the pictures you want in size 4×6 (I like to have mine printed at CVS Pharmacy in an hour or from Shutterfly directly to my door)
Ice cream cone
Supplies
- Paper plate or an extra piece of paper
- Pink tissue paper balls
- White tissue paper balls
- Ice cream cone printables
- Glue stick, glue, or double sided tape
- Brown crayon
Directions
- Place the ice cream cone cutout on the paper plate or extra paper
- Have your child color the ice cream cone using the brown crayon
- Have your child mark a line of glue or tape
- Next, have your child place the tissue paper balls on top of that line
- Repeat using both colors of tissue paper until the “ice cream” is covered
- Ta-Da! You and your child have now created an adorable ice cream cone to put in your child’s memory book
Sun
Supplies
- Paper plate or an extra piece of paper
- Yellow tissue paper balls
- Orange crayon
- Sun printables
- Glue stick, glue, or double sided tape
Directions
- Place the sun cutout on the paper plate or extra paper
- Have your child color the sun’s rays using the orange crayon
- Have your child mark a line of glue or tape in the middle of the sun
- Next, have your child place the yellow tissue paper balls on top of that line
- Repeat until the middle part of the sun is covered
- Ta-Da! You and your child have now created a fun sun to put in your child’s memory book
Flip Flop
Supplies
- Paper plate or an extra piece of paper
- Pink tissue paper balls
- White tissue paper balls
- Yellow tissue paper balls
- Blue tissue paper balls
- Flip flop printables
- Glue stick, glue, or double sided tape
- 4 pipe cleaners any color
Directions
- Cut each pipe cleaner into 4 pieces
- Twist one end of the two halves together
- Using the twist, poke a hole in the middle of where the flip flop strap is shown in the picture
- Bend the pipe cleaner on the back of the flip flop to keep the strap in place
- Repeat steps 3 and 4 for each of the side straps of the flip flop
- Repeat steps 3, 4, and 5 for each of the other 3 flip flops
- Place the flip flop cutout on the paper plate or extra paper
- Have your child mark a line of glue or tape
- Have your child place any color tissue paper balls on top of that line
- Repeat using both all the colors of tissue paper until the flip flops are covered
- Ta-Da! You and your child have now created stinkin’ cute flip flops to put in your child’s memory book
Memory Book/Scrapbook
Scrapbooking has always been a passion of mine. I use these books to tell the stories of my pictures. I enjoy reading them from my perspective at that time they were made. Years later, I look back at these books and they tell a story explaining what you may not see in the pictures. It’s also great to share these stories with family, friends, and my young ones when they get older.
I want to pass my love of memory keeping and scrapbooking to my daughters. It would be wonderful to see from their perspective of life and read their story. That is why I created this simple way for toddlers and preschoolers to record their story using pictures and coloring pages.
Supplies
- Your pictures printed (size 4 x 6)
- The fun summer crafts your child made this summer
- Crayons, markers, or colored pencils
- Construction paper
- A stapler
Directions
- Have your child mark a line of glue or tape on top of the grey rectangles
- Next, have your child place a picture in the grey rectangle
- Fill out the questions on each page with a picture
- Attach crafts to the pages without grey rectangles
- Place the pages in order by date (check the date on the pictures)
- Use 2 pieces of construction paper as the cover of your child’s memory book
- Use 3 to 4 staples to “bind” the book together on the spine
- Have your child mark a line of glue or tape on the cover
- Have your child attach a favorite picture from the summer
- Finally, have your child color or decorate the cover of their book
- Ta-Da! You and your child have now created an amazing memory book for both of you to look back on
The goal of these summer art and craft projects is not perfection. The goal is to spend quality time with your kids and make some memories with them. Don’t focus on making each project perfect! Instead, focus on the fun you all are having!!
Hey, I’m Melanie from Crafty Melo Mommy! I am a mom of two little girls and the wife of my high school sweetheart. I love to bake and have a serious addiction to sticky notes (so many awesome things you can do with them!) One of my passions is to help parents make memories with their kids with fun and simple crafts and activities. To get started making memories with your kid(s), try these 3 fun summer crafts and a cute memory book and also check out my blog at https://craftymelomommy.com.
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