Let the tale of "Jack and the Beanstalk" inspire you and your child to create this magical mosaic.

Sunlight fades construction paper, as anyone who's hung a piece of artwork in a window has discovered. Turn this drawback to your advantage by making sun prints that use everyday objects as stencils.

Help your child transform her beach discoveries into adorable shell creatures.

On the Fourth of July, teach kids how to make these patriotic whirligigs that spin in the wind.

Any beachcomber will enjoy this beachy project, which requires nothing more than shells, sticks, and string.

On your next nature walk, don't keep the treasures your child picks up in your pockets -- make instant jewelry with just a little tape.

Any outdoor walk can turn into a craft project -- just gather up some interestingly shaped rocks, add some paint, and let your imagination run wild.

This fun project is easy to make with items you have on hand -- all it takes is white bread, glue, a few drops of lemon juice, and acrylic or tempera paint.

Give any plain pair of specs movie-star status with a few embellishments.

Create a unique new pair of shoes with your child with just a touch of paint and some imagination.

Whip out those pinking or scalloping scissors and start cutting this simple summer craft.

Teach your child to recycle by transforming those odd buttons in your sewing kit into a cute bracelet.

Blowing the perfect bubble depends on equal parts science and magic. With a few twists of wire, you can make fantastic bubble wands and spend long, lazy days practicing your technique.

You can keep vacation memories a little stronger a little longer with vacation memory jars. Filled with souvenirs collected on trips and pictures developed afterward, they are like little worlds that can be visited again and again. Kids can also add to them or rearrange them anytime they like.

A picnic at the beach deserves the proper dishes -- what could be more fitting than colorful plates posing as a lobster, sun, and seagull?

All kids need to create a seaside-inspired diorama are food tins, natural objects, and old maps.

This toy jungle was made out of toy packaging; kids can cut their own frame from cardboard and tape or glue it to a box.

Great for a game of tag on a scorching hot day, squishy sponge balls (made from kitchen sponges) are summer's alternative to snowballs. They also make a family chore like car-washing more fun.

In need of a revolutionary decorating idea for Independence Day? A garland of star-spangled paper lanterns is festive and fun for kids to make.

Old toy blocks are delightfully seaworthy. Let your deckhands help accessorize their vessel using household items with undiscovered nautical potential.

Flip-flops adorned with fabric flowers are the perfect accessory for bright-colored shorts and bathing suits.

Summer reading lists can be daunting even for avid readers, but turning the list into a game will make this task more enjoyable.

Wet, wild, and, yes, a little messy, tie-dyeing is the perfect way to keep kids entertained on a summer day.

Kids can put together a scrapbook on the road with loose-leaf rings, making the drive as much fun as the destination. Bring some supplies, such as a hole punch, along for the ride. Let kids draw vehicles they see on plain tags with prepunched holes and record the day's highlights on postcards from every stop, creating picture-perfect pages. Or tuck souvenirs from a multi-city trip into envelopes color-coded by town: Have your child mark each city with a sticker on a map, and add a matching sticker to the envelope.

Building a sailboat is a breeze with just a handful of household supplies.

To make this summer camp craft, kids will need a small stick with a branch on either side. A parent should cut the stick an inch above and below the branches, then trim the branches to a few inches. Draw a friendly face on paper (we made a puppy), and cut out around your drawing; glue it to the top of the stick. Try to balance the stick on your finger; keep trimming the branches until it stays in place.

Add some stylish flair to children's cotton T-shirts using glitter and a simple stencil.