Summer’s here, the season of sticky ice-block hands, backyard adventures, and endless choruses of “I’m boooored” during the holidays. But don’t stress, a splash of paint, a sprinkle of glitter, and a good craft session can save the day. Whether you’re cooling off indoors or taking the creativity outside, these easy DIY projects will keep kids (from toddlers to tweens!) busy and happy. At least, for long enough so that you can enjoy that coffee you made.
From colourful clay reefs to sea-themed creations made of egg cartons, these activities blend play with imagination. No screens, no stress, just pure, summer-themed fun.
Air-Dry Clay Reef
Age: 5–10 | Mess Level: Medium | Time: 45 minutes of making. 24 hours drying time.
Australia’s iconic reefs are teeming with life, colour and texture, and this project brings all that underwater wonder to the kitchen table. Use it as a paper weight or decorative trinket on a shelf later!
You’ll need:
- Air-dry clay
- Paint (bright tropical colours)
- Pasta (spirals, shells, pasta bows, macaroni and more)
- Paper to cover the table
- Paintbrushes, water cup, and a little imagination
How to make it:
- Roll and shape your clay into a mini coral reef – aka a wide sort of lump. Thick is best, as you need to push your pasta in nice and deep to avoid it falling out later.
- Before the clay dries, gently press dry pasta deeply into it. Spirals make great coral textures (twist spirals instead of pushing straight down as they are delicate), shells look like clams, bows look like seaweed and tiny macaroni pieces are the perfect finishing touch.
- Let it dry overnight, or until hard to the touch. If you can’t wait, go ahead and paint it now, avoiding clay base, or break it into a two-day creation.
- Once dry, paint it in bright reef colours like pink, turquoise, orange, and purple, and add tiny dots of white for bubbles or barnacles.
Creative twist: Paint on some glue, then sprinkle glitter over the reef to make it sparkle like it’s catching sunlight underwater.
Why kids love it: It’s sensory, with the squishy clay texture and hard, crunchy pasta, involves engineering, planning, problem solving and more!
Egg Carton Mermaids
Age: 4–8 | Mess Level: Low | Time: 30 minutes
Turn an old egg carton into a sparkly sea creature. This one’s great for preschoolers and early primary kids who love a bit of make-believe.
You’ll need:
- A cardboard egg carton
- Scissors (grown-up supervision needed)
- Paints, markers, or crayons
- Cardboard
- String
- Sticky tape
- Glue and glitter
How to make it:
- Use an old piece of cardboard to create the mermaids head and upper body.
- Paint her however you would like with skin colour, hair and a cute mermaid top!
- Cut up an egg carton, using the rounded egg holder parts as individual cups to create the long mermaid skirt.
- Paint your cardboard egg cups, then once dry, pop a small hole at the top of each one and thread through some string, knotting it at the bottom.
- Add your mermaid shape to the top of the egg carton skirt, by adding some sticky tape to the back of her body and attaching it to the string. You can even push the body into the top egg cup.
- Hang her from a door handle or even on a wall hook!
Bonus idea: Make a whole mermaid family and glue them to a strip of cardboard “ocean” with seaweed and fish drawn in the background.
Why it’s fun: Kids have fun using recycled materials, and working their fine motor skills with painting, planning, stringing together pieces together and tying knots.
Egg Carton Pirate Ships
Age: 5–10 | Mess Level: Low | Time: 30 minutes
Ahoy, mini makers. Set sail for adventure with this easy-breezy boat project.
You’ll need:
- A cardboard egg carton (the 6-cup size works best, or we cut down a larger carton.)
- Wooden skewers (for masts)
- Paper (for sails)
- Paint and a brush
- Glue or sticky tape
How to make it:
- Cut your egg carton lengthways so you get one long “boat” shape.
- Paint it, and don’t forget to add blue and white underneath for your waves!
- Poke two small holes in the centre of the “boat” and stick paddle pop sticks through for masts.
- Paint and decorate your paper with stickers, sparkles, pirate signs and more.
- Cut rectangles from the designed paper, bend in half then push through a baking stick/ wooden skewer.
Why it’s a hit: It’s imaginative play in 3D with plenty of architectural thought processes to keep little minds busy.
More craft ideas!
Want some more ideas you can do with these craft materials? Try painted pasta jewellery, magic wands, cardboard animal masks and noses and cardboard crowns.
Tips for Stress-Free Crafting
- Lay down lots of newspaper or butchers paper before you start. More than you think! It’s easy to scoop and put it in the recycling bin later.
- Set up zones: a “wet zone” for painting and a “dry zone” for sticking.
- Batch craft: double up materials because kids always want to make “just one more.”
The Takeaway
Crafting in summer isn’t about perfect masterpieces. It’s about play, curiosity, and a little creative chaos. With a few recycled bits, some air-dry clay, and a splash of colour, kids can turn an ordinary afternoon into an ocean of imagination.
So next time the “I’m bored” alarm goes off, grab your egg cartons and pasta stash, because every summer day deserves a splash of crafty magic.
For more crafty ideas for kids (and grown-ups!) follow Crafternoon Co:
@thecrafternoon.co
crafternoonco.com.au
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