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10 Creative Summer Boredom Busters for Kids

31/7/2015

2 Comments

 
10 outdoor art ideas for kids


Summertime, and the living is............

Let's face it, pretty hectic if you've got children! 


Are you juggling work and childcare this summer, trying not to spend a fortune on activities?
Wondering how to keep your brood and their friends entertained?

Here are 10 simple, creative activities to encourage kids away from screens, and get some fresh air.


They are designed to mix up art and imaginative play to occupy kids for longer.
All of these ideas have been tried and tested on my two children.

I'd love to hear your feedback if you give any of them a go.

1. Build a Native American Teepee Camp

A great group activity.
Download this popular teepee template - both outline and colored versions are available on my website.
They look great topped with feathers and twigs and little lego characters fit well inside :-)
make a teepee
teepee template
teepee template
teepee template
teepee template

2. Festival Time

Dressing up is always fun. A backyard can feel like a festival with a little imagination.
Mine love orchestrating fashion shows at the moment.
Leave an old mirror and some child friendly face paints outside  - hilarious outcomes!
face painting and dressing up

3. Decorate a Tree

Wrap some string around a nice old tree trunk - peg up your postcard or bunting masterpieces.
You could introduce a theme, such as ''family', 'beach', 'when I grow up'........
Download blank postcard and bunting templates here.
decorate a tree with  postcards
blank bunting template
blank postcard template

4. Clay Faces

Our kids love to take a little bag of natural clay to the woods.
Press a ball firmly onto the trunk of a tree and let the kids do the rest.
Get foraging on the forest floor for all manner of materials to make a unique piece of outdoor art.
make clay faces in the woods

5. Edible Jewelry

A two stage activity - make, then eat !
Small children can thread cheerios, or any cereals or corn snacks with a hole in the middle onto licorice laces if you're happy letting your kids have a sweeter treat.
Older children can thread popcorn onto shirring elastic with a needle.
edible jewelry
edible jewelry

6. Sand Sculptures

At the beach or in the sandpit - cookie cutters make lovely little sand sculptures
cookie cutter sand sculptures

7. Collect and Decorate Pebbles

These pebbles have been 'decopatched' using patterned tissue papers - however, torn magazine cuttings and tissue paper with some pva glue works just as well.
They make great paper weights and little room ornaments.
collect and decorate pebbles

8. Simple Mask Making

Brown paper bags make a great base for animal masks - combine collage with finding natural materials such as twigs and feathers.
simple mask making with paper bags

9. Make a Crazy Bug

Give your kids a zip lock bag and send them out and about foraging for interesting natural materials to make a bug.
We used a popsicle/lollipop stick to form the body of this crazy bug - invent your own species, discuss their habitat, are they dangerous, what do they eat?
forage and make a crazy bug

10. Beach Combing

Ziplock bags are such a great invention.
We collected all these pieces of colored wood, plastic and string on the beautiful West Coast of Ireland a couple of years back - it was really relaxing making modern art pictures on the ground by arranging the shapes and colors - it's true, one man's junk is another man's treasure.
colorful beach combing
collecting and arranging, beach combing for color and shape
write your name with tiny pebbles

If you enjoy doodling, making, constructing, coloring, click below for more templates and printables

Summer free printables
Free downloads
Travel friendly activities


Which activity are you most likely to try? 
I'd love your feedback in the comments below.

If you are a homeschooling parent or teacher looking for fun Back To School Ice Breaker Games and All About me Activities, you might like to browse my creative art lesson / activity packets at my Teachers Pay Teachers Store

Picture

Have a great summer :-)

2 Comments
Meg link
13/8/2015 06:13:40

Those edible necklaces have made me hungry ...! Might have to pop to Aldi for some peach loops! All these ideas are fab. Love the festival idea!

Reply
Vicki
27/4/2018 06:17:47

Interested in the natural clay. Where is it from? Art supply shops

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Diane Pagan, The Imagination Box
    Welcome!

    Welcome!

    Hello! I'm Diane Pagan from Manchester, UK.
    My ideas are road tested by my 11 and 9 year olds - or at workshops I run with all kinds of kids and adults in schools, hospitals and community settings :-)

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about Diane Pagan

Diane Pagan uk

Hello! I live in Manchester, UK with my partner, and our two children. Luckily our house has a converted basement, where my art studio is packed full with art materials of all shapes and sizes!
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