30 summer crafts for toddlers

If you've got dandelions growing in your garden or local park, pick a few for this fun craft idea.

Draw and cut out a bee shape from card. Kids can add a face and make yellow stripes for the bee's body by sticking on dandelions. Add leaves for wings.

It's a great way to learn about flowers and wildlife, too.

This is a lovely, messy way to paint.

Draw a tree trunk on piece of paper for your toddler (older pre-school kids will probably enjoy drawing it themselves).

Put out different colours of paint and get them to paint leaves and the sky using their fingertips.

Sunny days are perfect for painting on patios and pavements.

Grab some large chalks and let your toddler go wild and express themselves.

You can wash it all away with the hose pipe later – which your toddler will probably enjoy just as much!

Kids will love threading dry pasta shapes onto string or wool to make a necklace they can wear all day.

Make your necklace even more fun by painting the pasta shapes and adding biodegradable glitter.

Be careful of using very small pasta shapes as these can be a choking hazard for younger children.

Great for young kids who are learning to identify different colours.

Collect together paint, fabric, scraps of magazines – whatever you can find.

Cut out the shape of a rainbow from card and get kids to fill in the colours by sticking and painting.

Paying a trip to the beach this summer? You can use your beach finds to create some beautiful beach art.

Collect shells, sand, dried seaweed, stones and driftwood with your child. When you're home, glue them to a large piece of blue card to create a beachy picture.

If you're using sand, this one is best done outdoors!

This is a good one to do in the summer when you can get outside, to prevent getting paint splatters all over the kitchen!

Mix up some watery paint and place a blob on paper. Blow using a paper drinking straw to create cool shapes.

We've got step-by-step instructions for making blow paintings here.

This is a fun one for you and your toddler.

Draw and cut out an ice lolly shape from card and then stick an lolly stick to the back.

Provide kids with a selection of tissue paper, paints, glitter pens etc so they can decorate their ice lolly.

Play at explorers or pirates by making some simple binoculars from toilet rolls.

Glue or tape the two toilet rolls together and then add a strap made from wool, string or ribbon.

Kids can decorate them with paint, stickers and biodegradable glitter, too.

All you need for this craft is a piece of card, a pen or pencil, and some scissors.

Draw out your butterfly shape, then cut out the wings. Have your little one add some decoration using paint or pens if they prefer too!

You might need to store up some used toilet rolls for this one!

Once you've got around 10 empty rolls, have your toddler paint them in different colours (adding funny faces if they like). Then, stand them in the garden and have everyone try to knock them down with a ball.

Discover more toilet roll crafts here.

You probably remember this from your own childhood.

Cut some shapes into the top of halved potatoes. Give your child some coloured paints to paint on the shape, then press onto paper to print.

It's a great way to teach toddlers about shapes as well as making some pretty pictures.

A great way to use up old egg cartons, these egg box flowers are really simple.

Cut up some egg boxes into squares with four holes, then paint them in some summery colours and attach a green lolly stick to make the stem.

Kids will love running around outside in the sunshine, swirling these sticks.

Take a cardboard tube – cling film and foil tubes are ideal.

Cover it with pretty paper or get kids to paint the tube. Then cut lengths of crêpe paper, tissue or ribbon – or go the whole hog with all three – and tape to one end for a fun, swirly stick.

This craft is easier than it looks!

Simply take a piece of card or paper, draw around your child's hand and cut it out. This will make your dinosaur's legs and body – then you can cut out a head shape and stick it all together.

Help to teach your toddler about colours with this fun colour sorter.

Draw different coloured squares on a piece of card, then cut a slot in the middle of each square. Next, colour in some lolly sticks in corresponding colours, and have your toddler match up the right ones.

This craft is a great way to get out and explore in the garden or local park.

Draw a number of faces on some paper or card.

Collect leaves, flowers, grass and twigs with your toddler and then stick them on the faces to make funny hair.

Toilet rolls make a cheap and easy template for all kinds of crafts – and you'll need to save up a few for this idea.

Grab five toilet rolls, then paint each one a different colour and stick them on a piece of card to create a colourful racing track. Next, take any of your toddler's toy cars and make them whizz up and down!

Another great toilet roll craft.

Cover a toilet roll in coloured paper or get your child to paint it. Cut out wings and antennae from card and get your child to decorate before sticking to the toilet roll to create a beautiful butterfly.

Help young children learn about floating by creating some toy rafts.

Get them to help your collect some twigs from outside. Bind or glue them together to make a raft and see if they float in a puddle, the bath or a stream. You can try the same with corks fastened together with elastic bands.

This is one the whole family can get involved with!

Head outside and roll out a huge piece of paper, then let everyone work on it together. Grab, pens, paint, glue, biodegradable glitter, and whatever else you fancy, and have everyone get creative!

If you've got a packet of popcorn lying around in the cupboard, use it for some crafts by creating a fun popcorn tree.

Simply draw a tree trunk and branches on a piece of card, then use glue to stick the popcorn blossoms on.

Potatoes aren't the only vegetable good for painting!

Veg like broccoli and carrots can also make great paintbrushes. Simply dip chopped veg in paint, then stamp the prints on a piece of paper to create a fun picture.

If you've got any paper plates left over from picnics or parties, kids will love decorating them.

You can make great animal faces, such as this lion, by painting the plate yellow with orange around the edge and drawing on a face.

Help younger kids make cuts around the edge to create the appearance of a mane.

Let your kids get crafty by whizzing them up some DIY playdough.

It's so easy to make and uses only four store cupboard ingredients. Find our favourite playdough recipe here.

Simple but effective, you can make paper flowers with just a handful of items. Grab a few pages of different coloured paper, some scissors, glue and some coloured pipe cleaners – and you're good to go!

Cut out some flowers, varying the colours, sizes and shapes, then stick them onto your pipe cleaners to finish your colourful bunch!

Go outside and see how many different stones you can find – then bring them home to make some pictures with.

Once you've picked a design you like, simply glue the stones to a piece of card to create a finish picture!

If you've got some empty drinkable yoghurt bottles, or some small drinks bottles, why not use them to make a fun butterfly, dragonfly or insect?

Simply draw a face on the bottle top and make fun wings out of cardboard, paint and biodegradable glitter.

Before you throw away your used lolly sticks, consider hanging on to them to make some cute lolly stick puppets!

This jellyfish design works well. Simply cut the jellyfish body from coloured card, then draw on a face and glue it to your lolly stick. You can add pieces of wool, ribbon or string to make cute tentacles!

It doesn't need to be a jellyfish – fish, crabs, boats and more will work well too.

Kids will love having their face painted, and it's the perfect summer activity for days out at events or just at the park!

Transform your little one into their favourite animal or superhero – and why not let them have a go at painting your face too?