Sunny Rainbow Summer Craft: A Simple and Fun Arts & Crafts Project for Kids

Kick Off Summer with Color!

Ah, summer—the season of sunshine, colorful rainbows, and endless opportunities to craft and create with your little ones. If you’re looking for a fun, easy, and totally achievable craft project that both you and your toddler will enjoy, look no further than this sunny rainbow summer craft! Not only is this preschool craft simple enough to keep your child engaged, but it also provides a sneaky (and fun) way to work on fine motor skills. Plus, it’s perfect for at-home learning or those lazy summer afternoons when you need something quick and fun to fill the time.

Let’s dive into how you can make this craft, what you’ll need, and the awesome benefits it has for your child. Trust me, you won’t regret it!

Why You’ll Love This Sunny Rainbow Craft

I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that toddlers love all things colorful and hands-on—and this summer craft hits both marks. It’s simple, fun, and perfect for those times when you need an arts and crafts activity to occupy your little one while sneaking in some learning. This sunny rainbow craft is the perfect way to let their creativity shine, while also strengthening those fine motor skills.

Whether you’re looking for a fun art project to add to your summer learning routine or just need a go-to activity that doesn’t require a ton of prep, this sunny rainbow craft is your answer. Here’s why:

• Builds Fine Motor Skills: The activity involves cutting, gluing, and drawing, which are all great ways to improve your child’s fine motor skills. These skills are critical at this stage as they help your child with tasks like holding a pencil, dressing themselves, and eventually writing.
• Encourages Creativity: Your little one will love experimenting with colors and shapes as they make their own version of a sunny rainbow. Plus, this project is fully customizable, so you can let their imagination run wild.
• Teaches Color Recognition: The rainbow streamers provide the perfect opportunity to practice color recognition with your toddler. As you work through the different colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple), you can sneak in a little summer learning without them even realizing it.
• Easy to Set Up: This craft uses simple supplies you likely already have at home, making it one of those arts and crafts for kids that doesn’t require a trip to the store. Score!

Let’s get to the good stuff: how to create your very own sunny rainbow summer craft!

Supplies You’ll Need for This Summer Craft

Before you get started, gather up these basic supplies. They’re simple, inexpensive, and won’t take up too much space in your crafting corner.

• 1 paper plate
• Yellow crayon (for coloring the paper plate)
• Black construction paper (for cutting out the sunglasses)
• Orange construction paper (for cutting out the sun’s rays)
• Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple streamers (or construction paper strips work too!)
• Glue stick
• Scissors (adults only, unless your child is ready for some supervised cutting practice)
• Black marker (for drawing the smile)

How to Make Your Sunny Rainbow Summer Craft

1. Color the Paper Plate: Let your little one go wild with yellow crayon. Don’t worry about staying inside the lines, we’re going for sunshine vibes!
2. Cut the Paper Plate in Half: Cut the plate in half—this is now your sun’s face.
3. Create the Sunglasses: Grab some black paper and cut out sunglasses. Perfect doesn’t exist here—just a basic shape will do. Set them aside for later (your sun needs its shades!).
4. Make the Sun’s Rays: Now for some sunshine magic! Cut orange triangles and glue them all around the edge of the plate to form your sun’s rays. Space them out—this sun’s gotta shine!
5. Add the Rainbow Streamers: Time for your little one’s creativity to shine! Cut colorful strips in rainbow order—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple—and glue them from the flat part of the plate to the sun’s rays.
6. Attach the Sunglasses and Add a Smile: Pop those sunglasses on the sun and give it a big, happy smile with a black marker. Boom, you’ve got yourself a sunny, smiley masterpiece.

The Benefits of Doing This Craft With Your Child

As we mentioned, this sunny rainbow summer craft is an arts and crafts project that checks all the boxes. Here’s a quick recap of the benefits:

• Fine Motor Skills: Cutting out the shapes, gluing the pieces together, and drawing the smile all help develop fine motor skills, which are essential for your child’s growth.
• Color Recognition: This craft is a great way to practice colors in a fun and engaging way. Your toddler can learn to recognize the rainbow’s colors while working on their craft.
• Creativity and Self-Expression: This project gives your child the freedom to be creative. They’ll love choosing where to place the rainbow streamers and how to decorate their sun. It’s the perfect way to foster creativity at an early age.
• Bonding Time: Crafting with your child is a perfect way to spend quality time together. Plus, you’ll both get to admire their finished project!

Taking This Craft to the Next Level

If you want to expand this activity into a mini learning lesson, try one of these variations:

1. Talk About the Weather: Use the sunny rainbow craft as an opportunity to talk about the weather. Why is the sun yellow? How do rainbows form? You can tie this craft into simple weather science that toddlers will find fascinating.
2. Count the Colors: While creating the rainbow, count out the colors together. This can help reinforce early counting skills in a fun, interactive way.
3. Make It a Sensory Activity: If your child enjoys sensory play, make a textured rainbow by using different materials for each color (felt, tissue paper, fabric, etc.).

Wrapping It Up

This sunny rainbow summer craft is a perfect way to spend a creative afternoon with your toddler, all while sneaking in some valuable learning opportunities. Whether you’re working on fine motor skills, practicing color recognition, or just having fun, this arts and crafts project is sure to bring lots of smiles. So, grab your supplies, let your little one’s creativity flow, and enjoy some quality time making this sunny rainbow craft!

Remember, it doesn’t have to be complicated to be fun. Keep things simple, keep them engaged, and watch as your toddler’s love for arts and crafts grows throughout the summer. Happy crafting!

Paper Plates

Crayons

Giant Glue Sticks

Construction Paper

Streamers

Black Permanent Markers

Training Scissors

Adult Scissors