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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Chocolate-Ginger Bathing Beauties

  Don't let these gingerbread people lie out in the sun too long -- their chocolate ice-cream filling will melt.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Wave Ware Picnic Plates

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Wave Ware Picnic Plates

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

  Get the How-To

  Next: Throw an Obstacle-Course Party

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Throw an Obstacle-Course Party

  On a golden afternoon, obstacle-course challenges are pure fun and energy.

  How to Throw an Obstacle-Course Party

  Next: Butterfly Cupcakes

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Butterfly Cupcakes

  These adorable pretzel-winged butterfly cupcakes will take flight -- right into your mouth.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Tic-Tac-Towel

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Tic-Tac-Towel

  This towel isn't just for drying off at the beach. It's crisscrossed with grosgrain ribbon for a giant tic-tac-toe board that's sure to produce hours of enjoyment in the sand.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Temporary Tattoos

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Temporary Tattoos

  Temporary tattoos make memorable party favors at a carnival-themed party.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Tree Swing

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Tree Swing

  Hang a tire from a branch, and let your kids experience the sensation of flight at home.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Summer Ice Cream Treats

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Summer Ice Cream Treats

  Creating ice-cream treats is a perfect project for parents and kids to do: Children are experts at dreaming up great combinations, based on favorite candies or snacks.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Rock Crafts

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Rock Crafts

  A creative way for kids to use the stones they stumble across is to turn them into animals, people, or objects.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Blueberry Fabric Stamp

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Blueberry Fabric Stamp

  Add whimsy, color, and a hint of summer's bounty to plain white or light-colored kids' clothing and sneakers with stamped blueberry patterns.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Balloon Fireworks

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Balloon Fireworks

  Satisfyingly loud and sparkly, these confetti-filled balloons are a fun alternative to fireworks.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Ocean Diorama

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Ocean Diorama

  Conceiving a diorama is an adventure in scale and spatial relationships. Choose a container, then put yourself in the shoes of one of its future inhabitants.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Easy Bird Feeder

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Easy Bird Feeder

  The neighborhood feathered friends will love visiting your yard for this homemade treat.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Sprinkler Party

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Sprinkler Party

  Make the most of the backyard's resilience to good messy fun with a sprinkler party that allows children to splish and splash all afternoon.

  How to Throw a Sprinkler Party

  Next: Blender Drinks

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Blender Drinks

  Whirrr! These cool, healthy drinks that kids can make are almost as sweet as summer vacation.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Painted Sneakers

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Painted Sneakers

  Give sneakers a one-of-a-kind look with fabric paint in bright colors and patterns.

  Get the How-To

  Next: No-Glue Scrapbook

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  No-Glue Scrapbook

  Create a no-glue scrapbook by sliding receipts, ticket stubs, postcards, and more into a binder with clear plastic sleeves.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Kids' Travel Kit

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Kids' Travel Kit

  A kids' travel kit will help keep your children entertained on the way to your destination.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Bamboo Fishing Pole

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Bamboo Fishing Pole

  These child- and fish-safe poles are really for attracting fish so kids can get a good look; there is no barbed fishhook.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Rubber Band Message Board

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Rubber Band Message Board

  Kids can make a no-thumbtack bulletin board that won't damage favorite pictures.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Lollipop Cupcakes

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Lollipop Cupcakes

  Bright, bold lollipops look adorable atop a sprinkle-covered cupcake.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Potato-Print Kids' Clothes

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Potato-Print Kids' Clothes

  By using some humble potato prints, you can create one-of-a-kind fashions that your kids will love.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Ice Pops

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Ice Pops

  In the summer, when fruits are plentiful, their juices are perfect for making vibrant pops.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Canvas Checkerboard

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Canvas Checkerboard

  Kids who make their own portable checkerboard will have a game to play almost anywhere.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Sponge Ball

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Sponge Ball

  Great for a game of tag on a scorching hot day, squishy sponge balls are summer's alternative to snowballs.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Customized Journal

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Customized Journal

  Made from ordinary composition books, these personalized journals make great kids' crafts and thoughtful gifts -- especially when their covers are designed to inspire their contents.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Lunch Labels

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Lunch Labels

  Make lunchtime even more appetizing by decorating kids' lunch bags or boxes with cheery stickers and labels.

  Get the Labels

  Next: Clothespin Pinwheel

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Clothespin Pinwheel

  So pretty they'll make you dizzy, these patriotic whirligigs spin in the wind.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Fish Bowl Gelatin

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Fish Bowl Gelatin

  This bowl filled with gelatin, soda, and gummy fish is a fun display for a kids' room.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Easy Napkin Crafts

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Easy Napkin Crafts

  Paper napkins can be cut out with regular, pinking, or scalloping scissors to create a variety of fun shapes for kids.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Carnival Party

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Carnival Party

  Games, balloons, and bright colors -- a carnival is just like a birthday party, but better!

  Get the How-To

  Next: Kids' Camp Luggage Tag

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Kids' Camp Luggage Tag

  Many pieces of luggage come with small tags already attached, but with a few simple steps, you can create a far more attractive and noticeable way to indicate the bag's owner.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Make a Kite

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Make a Kite

  Kids of all ages will love flying this stunning kite.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Shark and Beach Cupcakes

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Shark and Beach Cupcakes

  Look out for blue paper fins slicing through icing waves on this shark-inspired cupcake.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Kids' Paper Flowers

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Kids' Paper Flowers

  Adorn a beautiful basket with these easy paper flowers.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Travel Keepsake Shadow Box

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Travel Keepsake Shadow Box

  Collect souvenir trinkets, seashells, rocks, postcards, or leaves while on holiday, and then use them to create a three-dimensional display that you can enjoy every day.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Flag Cupcakes

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Flag Cupcakes

  Decorate patriotic cupcakes with stars piped in blue buttercream and stripes cut from red licorice laces.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Kids' Collector Desk

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Kids' Collector Desk

  Have kids create a collector's desk to display their shells, marbles, stamps, and other souvenirs collected over summer vacation.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Funny Summer Hats

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Funny Summer Hats

  Whether you use a baseball cap or sailor's hat to make this headgear, your kids will love wearing it -- and their delicate skin will be protected from the sun.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Flower Flip-Flops

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Flower Flip-Flops

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

  Get the How-To

  Next: Superhero Cape Towels

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Superhero Cape Towels

  Creating a proper superhero cape is an easy project involving little more than a bath towel, a washcloth, and reflective material.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Shell Wind Chimes

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Shell Wind Chimes

  Use shells found at the beach to create a handmade wind chime.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Clay Jewelry and Thumbtacks

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Clay Jewelry and Thumbtacks

  These easy-to-make clay pendants and thumbtacks make heartfelt adornments.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Holiday Lanterns

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Holiday Lanterns

  A garland of star-spangled paper lanterns is festive and fun for kids to make.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Cupcake Flags

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Cupcake Flags

  Signal a special occasion by topping your dessert with these cheerful medallions.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Toy Boats

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Toy Boats

  Old blocks are delightfully seaworthy. You and your deckhands can glue, paint, and decorate them, and -- splash! -- one plaything becomes another.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Sun Prints

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Sun Prints

  Make sun-print cards and projects that use everyday objects as stencils.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Paper Tops

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Paper Tops

  In minutes, you can make tiny tops that are durable and compulsively twirlable.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Bookworm Game

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Bookworm Game

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

  Get the How-To

  Next: Cardboard Tube Space Ship

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Cardboard Tube Space Ship

  You don't have to be a rocket scientist to build one of these svelte spacecrafts. All you'll need is the right stuff: cardboard, glue, tape, and a big dose of aeronautic creativity.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Beachy Kids' Bath Mitt

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Beachy Kids' Bath Mitt

  With a few brightly colored hand towels and our template, you can create fanciful bath mitts inspired by creatures of the sea.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Puppet Theatre

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Puppet Theatre

  Kids can transform a plain cardboard box into a puppet playhouse with curtains, moving scenery, and doors that open and close for each act.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Seashell Koalas

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Seashell Koalas

  Sea creatures are notoriously shy, but the ones you see here managed to come out of their shells to greet passersby.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Tie-Dye Designs

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Tie-Dye Designs

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

  Learn Unique Tie-Dyeing Techniques

  Next: Fancy Shades

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Fancy Shades

  Embellish plain sunglasses with sequins, seashells, or confetti hand-punched from colorful paper.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Bubble Wands

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Bubble Wands

  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.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Towel Poncho

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Towel Poncho

  Bath towels look chic on big kids, and hand towels are winsome on the not so big.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Beach Umbrella Pops

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Beach Umbrella Pops

  Inspired by beach umbrellas, these colorful ice pops are the perfect frozen treat for humid afternoons.

  Get the Recipe

  Next: Dress-Up Box

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  60 Summer Activities for Kids

  Dress-Up Box

  Set up a well-stocked dress-up box so kids can step into the magical world of pretend.

  Get the How-To

  Next: Bandanna Clothing Crafts

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  Bandanna Clothing Crafts

  Make these carefree days even sunnier by creating fun-to-wear children's play-clothes out of colorful bandannas.

  Get the How-To

  Next: More 60 Days of Summer

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  • Kids' Birthday Party Ideas
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