Don't let these gingerbread people lie out in the sun too long -- their chocolate ice-cream filling will melt.
Next: 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?
On a golden afternoon, obstacle-course challenges are pure fun and energy.
Next: Butterfly Cupcakes
These adorable pretzel-winged butterfly cupcakes will take flight -- right into your mouth.
Next: 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.
Next: Temporary Tattoos
Temporary tattoos make memorable party favors at a carnival-themed party.
Next: Tree Swing
Hang a tire from a branch, and let your kids experience the sensation of flight at home.
Next: 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.
Next: Rock Crafts
A creative way for kids to use the stones they stumble across is to turn them into animals, people, or objects.
Next: 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.
Next: Balloon Fireworks
Satisfyingly loud and sparkly, these confetti-filled balloons are a fun alternative to fireworks.
Next: 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.
Next: Easy Bird Feeder
The neighborhood feathered friends will love visiting your yard for this homemade treat.
Next: 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.
Next: Blender Drinks
Whirrr! These cool, healthy drinks that kids can make are almost as sweet as summer vacation.
Next: Painted Sneakers
Give sneakers a one-of-a-kind look with fabric paint in bright colors and patterns.
Next: No-Glue Scrapbook
Create a no-glue scrapbook by sliding receipts, ticket stubs, postcards, and more into a binder with clear plastic sleeves.
Next: Kids' Travel Kit
A kids' travel kit will help keep your children entertained on the way to your destination.
Next: 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.
Kids can make a no-thumbtack bulletin board that won't damage favorite pictures.
Next: Lollipop Cupcakes
Bright, bold lollipops look adorable atop a sprinkle-covered cupcake.
By using some humble potato prints, you can create one-of-a-kind fashions that your kids will love.
Next: Ice Pops
In the summer, when fruits are plentiful, their juices are perfect for making vibrant pops.
Next: Canvas Checkerboard
Kids who make their own portable checkerboard will have a game to play almost anywhere.
Next: Sponge Ball
Great for a game of tag on a scorching hot day, squishy sponge balls are summer's alternative to snowballs.
Next: 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.
Next: Lunch Labels
Make lunchtime even more appetizing by decorating kids' lunch bags or boxes with cheery stickers and labels.
Next: Clothespin Pinwheel
So pretty they'll make you dizzy, these patriotic whirligigs spin in the wind.
Next: Fish Bowl Gelatin
This bowl filled with gelatin, soda, and gummy fish is a fun display for a kids' room.
Next: Easy Napkin Crafts
Paper napkins can be cut out with regular, pinking, or scalloping scissors to create a variety of fun shapes for kids.
Next: Carnival Party
Games, balloons, and bright colors -- a carnival is just like a birthday party, but better!
Next: 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.
Next: Make a Kite
Next: Shark and Beach Cupcakes
Look out for blue paper fins slicing through icing waves on this shark-inspired cupcake.
Next: Kids' Paper Flowers
Adorn a beautiful basket with these easy paper flowers.
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.
Next: Flag Cupcakes
Decorate patriotic cupcakes with stars piped in blue buttercream and stripes cut from red licorice laces.
Next: Kids' Collector Desk
Have kids create a collector's desk to display their shells, marbles, stamps, and other souvenirs collected over summer vacation.
Next: 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.
Next: Flower Flip-Flops
Flip-flops adorned with fabric flowers are the perfect accessory for bright-colored shorts and bathing suits.
Next: Superhero Cape Towels
Creating a proper superhero cape is an easy project involving little more than a bath towel, a washcloth, and reflective material.
Next: Shell Wind Chimes
Use shells found at the beach to create a handmade wind chime.
These easy-to-make clay pendants and thumbtacks make heartfelt adornments.
Next: Holiday Lanterns
A garland of star-spangled paper lanterns is festive and fun for kids to make.
Next: Cupcake Flags
Signal a special occasion by topping your dessert with these cheerful medallions.
Next: Toy Boats
Old blocks are delightfully seaworthy. You and your deckhands can glue, paint, and decorate them, and -- splash! -- one plaything becomes another.
Next: Sun Prints
Make sun-print cards and projects that use everyday objects as stencils.
Next: Paper Tops
In minutes, you can make tiny tops that are durable and compulsively twirlable.
Next: 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.
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.
Next: 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.
Next: 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.
Next: Seashell Koalas
Sea creatures are notoriously shy, but the ones you see here managed to come out of their shells to greet passersby.
Next: Tie-Dye Designs
Wet, wild, and, yes, a little messy, tie-dyeing is the perfect way to keep kids entertained on a summer day.
Next: Fancy Shades
Embellish plain sunglasses with sequins, seashells, or confetti hand-punched from colorful paper.
Next: 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.
Next: Towel Poncho
Bath towels look chic on big kids, and hand towels are winsome on the not so big.
Next: Beach Umbrella Pops
Inspired by beach umbrellas, these colorful ice pops are the perfect frozen treat for humid afternoons.
Next: Dress-Up Box
Set up a well-stocked dress-up box so kids can step into the magical world of pretend.
Next: Bandanna Clothing Crafts
Make these carefree days even sunnier by creating fun-to-wear children's play-clothes out of colorful bandannas.
Next: More 60 Days of Summer
Enjoy the season to the fullest with daily ideas, tips, and recipes.
© 2010 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. All rights reserved.
