3 Cool Summer Crafts For Some Family Fun

School is finally out for the summer and suddenly the kids are at home 24/7 with no distance learning to keep them busy. Summer is a great time for family bonding, and crafts are always a fun way to celebrate the season. Here are some fun summer crafts that will promote family time and keep everyone entertained.

Glow in the Dark Jellyfish Craft

If your children love the ocean, then this is the perfect fishy craft!

Materials:

• Heavy-weight paper bowls
• White yarn
• Glow-in-the-dark acrylic paint (we used FolkArt and Martha Stewart brands)
• Paint brushes and painting supplies
• Scissors
• Zipper sandwich bags
• Skewer or sharp pencil

Directions:

1. Paint the entire paper bowl. Two coats are recommended if you want your jellyfish to “glow” extra.
2. Next, make the tentacles. Cut 10-12 pieces of yarn (about 36 inches long). Unravel some of the yarn to make the tentacles look more realistic. Put them in a plastic bag with the glow paint. Seal the bag.
3. Move the yarn around in the bag until the strands are completely covered.
4. Hang the yarn to dry.
5. Using a sharp pen or pencil, punch two holes about a half inch apart in the center of the bowl.
6. Cut a 40-inch-long piece of yarn and thread it through the two holes so that both ends come out of the bottom of the bowl. (See the link below to get a clearer picture).
7. From the inside of the bowl, pull the yarn up to form a small loop.  Thread the “tentacles” through.
8. Flip the bowl over and tie a double knot
9. Flip the bowl over again and tie another a knot from the inside.
10. Place your creation in bright light for about 30 minutes to “charge it”. Whenever you are ready turn off the lights and watch your creation glow! 

(Source: Craftiments)

DIY Sidewalk Chalk “Pops”

These DIY Chalk popsicles might look tasty, but they are not edible. This is a great craft that makes using chalk more fun! This craft is a little more complicated, so it is probably best for older children.

Materials:

• Plaster of Paris (Do not put this down your drain!)
• Neon Tempera Paint
• Silicone Pop Mold
• Wood Craft Sticks
• Plastic Cups
• Plastic Spoons
• Cold Water
• Scissors
• Measuring Cups

Directions:

1. Cut popsicle sticks to be about 3 inches long.
2. You will need one plastic cup for every color chalk you want to make. Set up your cups wherever you are working. (It is best to do this craft outside because it can be messy.) 
3. Fill each cup with about 1/3^rd cup of cold water.
4. Add two tablespoons of tempera paint to each cup.
5. Use the plastic spoons to mix together each cup full of paint and water.
6. Add 2/3rds of a cup of Plaster of Paris to each cup and stir until the mixture becomes smooth.
7. Pour the contents of each cup into a space in your silicone pop mold.
8. Wait two minutes and then place your wood craft sticks in the middle of each mold spot.
9. Leave the mold out in the sun to set. To ensure the chalk is fully dry let the mold sit out for about 24 hours. After this your chalk should be ready to use. Have fun!

(Source: ProjectNursery)

No Sew I-Spy Bag

This DIY is a great way to make use of leftover school supplies such as pencil cases and small trinkets you have around the house (fun erasers, buttons, beads etc.).

Materials:

• A pencil case with a transparent front
• 8 oz of poly pellets (you can find this at Hobby Lobby)
• Random beads, buttons, magnets, toys, and trinkets you find around the house (you will want about 25 small items)
• Hot Glue Gun
• Piece of Ribbon
• Camera

Directions:

1. Take a picture and make a list of all the items you are going to hide in the bag.
2. You can glue the picture and the list of items together and laminate them. Then use a ribbon to attach the laminated paper to the bag. (You can stitch the ribbon onto the bag).
3. Put the items and the poly pellets in the bag and zip the bag up.
4. Then use a glue gun to glue the zipper and make sure the bag does not come open.
5. Done!  You can take this craft with you to keep your kids entertained wherever you go.

(Source: SixSisterStuff)

Looking for more summer craft fun? Try one of these 4th of July crafts!

Theron Pickett is currently a junior at Georgetown University, majoring in Government. She hopes to attend law school in the near future.