Fun Summer Art Projects for Kids and Young Artists

June 28, 2024 byCassandra Polzin

4 min to read

Summer is the perfect time for children to dive into an art project. With plenty of time to focus, summer art projects can keep your student occupied and entertained, while they practice their creative skills.

Discover several art projects for kids that your child can do this summer.

Our List of Top Summer Art Projects Perfect for Kids

Learn a Musical Instrument

Learning to play an instrument as a child can provide life-long benefits to the brain, such as improved memory, concentration, and coordination. Playing an instrument can even be called a full body-brain workout! It can also provide stress-release and boost your student’s confidence.

Mastering an instrument takes time, but in as little as an hour each day, your child can make significant strides toward learning an instrument. Starting with learning how to read sheet music, before learning how to hold the instrument and play notes, your student can hone their skills day-by-day.

Encourage them to set a goal for the end of the summer, such as mastering a beginner-level song. If your student chooses, they could plan a small recital to showcase their new skills to family and friends.

Participate in Community Theater

Many towns have community theater programs open to students over the summer. While children may have to audition, there is often no shortage of opportunities to participate in community theater.

Performing in a local play is a great opportunity for your child to dip their toes into live theater and discover if it’s something they’re interested in. If your child isn’t interested in the spotlight, there are often roles in set design, stage management, and more that they can volunteer for.

Learn to Sew

Sewing is a fun, mindful art practice. It takes a lot of concentration and patience to do it, but the end result can be incredible. There are tons of patterns available along with online tutorials your child can use to learn how to sew almost anything.

Outfits, quilts, tapestries, costumes, and more — there are many incredible projects your child could work on, depending on their interests and skill level. If they focus all summer, they could complete a beautiful work of art at the end of the season.

You can find fun, beginner-level projects, patterns and step-by-step instructions for your child to follow, such as:

If your child is particularly entrepreneurial, they may find they can turn their new sewing skills into a small business selling their creations!

Take Up Photography

Photography is a fun skill to learn. Your child could take up photography and set out to refine their skills over the summer. Whether your child has a film camera or a smartphone, there are tons of tutorials online for learning how to use the camera at their disposal. Some libraries even offer cameras for checkout, and you can find plenty of books on different photography styles.

If you have a digital camera, check out the manufacturer’s website — they likely have tutorials and resources your child can leverage for refining their skills.

Make a Short Film

If your child is interested in writing, film, or animation, summer break is the perfect time to work on a short film. Creating a short film is a fantastic opportunity to flex your child’s creative muscle and explore a unique art form.

You don’t need any fancy equipment to get started; your child can create a short film with just the camera on their smartphone. While a digital camera and a tripod can make things easier, fewer resources will encourage your child to be inventive.

To create a film, your child will need to:

Plan out the plot
Write the script
Find partners to collaborate with
Practice scenes
Shoot the film
Edit the footage
Complete a final cut
Showcase their finished work

Select Art Projects for Teens

The best art project for your child to do this summer will depend on their interests. There are plenty of different projects they can try, with varying skill and resource requirements. Look into classes and workshops offered by your local library, recreation department or art stores.

If your child doesn’t want to work on one larger project, they can always do several small projects throughout the summer, such as summer arts and crafts, drawing, painting or outdoor art activities.