Origami Play Houses

Tuts plus shares simple folding instructions for making play houses for kids to color and play with. 

Good for ages 5 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://hub.tutsplus.com/tutorials/make-an-adorable-origami-doll-house--craft-9221

Printable Bird Puppets

Mr. printables shares a template for several bird finger puppets from an owl to a flamingo. 

Good for ages 3 and up.

Get the template here:
http://www.mrprintables.com/finger-puppets-birds.html

Explosive Sidewalk Chalk

Growing a jeweled rose takes her sidewalk chalk even further combining the ingredients with vinegar and baking soda and placing into a zipped bag to create eruptive art. 

Good for ages 4 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.growingajeweledrose.com/2013/05/play-recipe-sidewalk-chalk.html

Plastic Spoon Butterflies

Danielle's place turns a plastic spoon into a beautiful butterfly using construction paper and jeweled stickers and pipe cleaners.

Good for ages 5 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/bugs.html

Frozen Chalk Cubes

Growing a jeweled rose makes her own chalk / ice combo using corn starch, baking soda, water and food coloring.  It melts really pretty and kids will really enjoy it on hot summer days.

Good for ages 2 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.growingajeweledrose.com/2013/05/play-recipe-ice-chalk.html

 

Learn play imagine freezes liquid water colors and then melts two to explore color theory.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.learnplayimagine.com/2013/07/fun-in-sun-watercolor-ice-art.html

Reading confetti uses molds to make star shapes.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.readingconfetti.com/2013/05/ice-chalk.html

Typically simple draws fishing scenes.

Get the instructions here:
http://typicallysimple.com/summer-kids-craft-ice-chalk/

Ruffled Flip Flops

Angela yosten shares a fun and functional craft for the summer, embellishing flip flops with strips of fabric.  She also shows how to make a hair bow too and sells these on her etsy site. 

Good for ages 7 and up. 

Get the instructions here:
http://blog.angelayosten.com/2010/07/my-first-pattern.html

DIY Band-Aids

Twigg studios makes regular plastic band aids more colorful and pretty by gluing on flower fabric to the tops.

Good for ages 7 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.twiggstudios.com/2012/04/diy-fabric-plasters.html

The gunny sack uses washi tape for her bandaids.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.thegunnysack.com/2012/05/washi-tape-bandages-tutorial-pinspired.html

The pink couch uses textured fabric for her version.

Get the instructions here:
http://thepinkcouch.blogspot.com/2010/11/cute-easy-fabric-bandaids.html

Bug Night Lights

Crafts for all seasons has a great way for kids to decorate and light up your yard at night making outdoor firefly light using a clear plastic bottle, pipe cleaners, construction paper and a glow stick.  Place them on strings and watch them fly around.

Good for ages 4 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.crafts-for-all-seasons.com/pop-bottle-craft.html

Ivillage uses led lights, plastic eggs and pipe cleaners to make their little light bugs.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.ivillage.com/easter-crafts-easter-egg-fireflies/6-b-336801 

Crafts unleashed uses tea lights to light up her firefly.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.craftsunleashed.com/kids-stuff/firefly-kids-craft/

Face Paper Fans

Mr. printables has the cutest paper fan templates.  Each fan has a face and personality.  All you need is a colored printer and clothes pin to make them.

Good for ages 5 and up.

Get the template here:
http://www.mrprintables.com/summer-crafts-paper-fan.html

Bubble Rainbows

Housing a forest has a nifty way to create rainbows out of bubbles using a sock, food coloring, a plastic water bottle and bubble solution.

Good for ages 4 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.housingaforest.com/rainbow-bubble-snakes/

Make Your Own Photo Box

Keep it simple crafts creates a photo box lining the box with family pictures.  A great idea for Dad this Father's Day. 

Good for ages 7 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.keepingitsimplecrafts.com/2009/12/photo-box.html

Homemade Footballs

Mom on timeout has a cute idea for Father's Day making footballs from yarn and brown paper and newspaper stuffing.

Good for ages 5 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.momontimeout.com/2011/09/are-you-ready-for-some-football/

Father's Day Medal

Busy bee has a great idea for Father's day.  Have the kids make a medal for Dad to wear, using cut out card board circles, pipe cleaners bent into a special message and tin foil to make it shiny and metallic.  
Good for ages 5 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.busybeekidscrafts.com/Homemade-Medal.html

Kid Drawn Notepad

Martha Stewart has a fantastic idea for Dad.  Buy a sticky-note cube and let kids draw pictures or even scribbles for the little ones.

Good for ages 2 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://www.marthastewart.com/274269/fathers-day-gifts-and-crafts/@center/307033/spring-holidays#272680 

Water Painting

What's more fun than painting?  Water and painting.  Have the kids draw with markers or stampers onto paper towels or napkins and then give them water droppers to add water and see the colors bleed.  It's a good opportunity to see colors blend and combine and learn about primary and secondary colors too.

Father's Day Paper Cup Trophy

Easy preschool craft turns two paper cups into a trophy honoring Dad for Father's day.  Kids can decorate with foam stickers and markers to personalize a cute message.

Good for ages 4 and up.

Get the instructions here:
http://easypreschoolcraft.blogspot.com/2012/03/fathers-day-trophy-cup-craft-1.html

Cloud Paintings

Shaving cream is great fun for kids it's fluffy and can often smell intriguing.  One way to have kids have fun with shaving cream is to have them use it with paint brushes or just their own fingers and hands and paint clouds onto blue construction paper.