Fun and Engaging Summer Art Projects for Kids
Summer is the perfect time for kids to explore their creativity—and you don’t need a degree in art education or a trip to the craft store to make it happen. With just a few basic supplies that you likely already have at home, you can guide your child through hands-on projects that spark imagination, teach foundational skills, and lead to beautiful, frame-worthy results.
3 Ideas for At-Home Summer Art Projects
Whether your child is preschool-aged or heading into middle school, these fun summer art activities are easy to follow and packed with creative potential. These three projects that celebrate color, along with nature and self-expression!
- Preschool Watermelon Art Project
This bright and simple watermelon project is perfect for preschoolers who are learning how to stay in the lines and build fine motor control. Using construction paper, markers, colored pencils, and a glue stick, your child will create a slice of watermelon that’s as fun to make as it is to display.
Start by helping your child draw a large curved line on construction paper to form the fruit shape. Next, they can fill in the red with paint or colored pencil, add black dots for seeds with a marker, and crate the background with a horizon line with any colors of their choice!
This project encourages preschoolers to practice coloring with care while introducing basic shapes. Because the materials are non-messy and safe, it’s an ideal indoor summer activity. You’ll also love how easy it is to prep and clean up. It’s perfect for busy parents looking for creative time with their little ones.
- Backyard Birds Watercolor and Oil Pastel
This project is a great way to blend creativity with nature appreciation. Designed for elementary and middle schoolers, this lesson begins with looking up real backyard birds—either local species or famous national birds. Students then sketch a bird of their choice and use oil pastels to bring it to life with bold, blended color. The background comes to life with watercolor, where kids can experiment with techniques to blur and soften the scene around their bird.
This is also a great opportunity to introduce older kids to artists like Charley Harper or John James Audubon, whose works balance realism and stylization. You can even tie it into a mini social studies lesson by researching your state bird.
All you need is paper, oil pastels or crayons, watercolor paint, and a cup of water. The process is all about observation, artistic decision-making, and some light learning. You can easily make this a fun creative challenge for a summer afternoon at home.
- In-Bloom Floral Self-Portrait
This inspiring self-portrait project combines artistic expression with a touch of emotional growth—literally! Kids will draw their own face on construction paper, then transform the top of their head into a flower planter with colorful blooms.
Start by sketching a portrait from the shoulders up, leaving the top open like a pot. Next, kids can draw and paint a variety of flowers bursting from their “head garden” on a separate sheet of paper. Then they can cut out their self-portrait to glue down over the flowers.
For the flowers, use paint or oil pastels for the petals, and encourage your child to think about what each flower might symbolize. Maybe certain colors represent kindness, creativity, bravery, or goals they’re working toward. It’s a great conversation starter!
Creativity at Home—No Special Supplies Required
You don’t need to be an art teacher—or spend hours browsing craft aisles—to encourage creativity in your child this summer. With a few everyday supplies like markers, paint, scissors, and construction paper, these projects offer a fun, screen-free way to keep kids engaged while developing their artistic skills.
From colorful fruit slices to blooming self-portraits and nature-inspired birds, each lesson offers something special for kids at every age. Just clear off the table, gather your materials, and let the creativity begin right at home!
