Looking for some clever ways to keep little hands busy this summer?  These 12 Summer Crafts for Kids are great for children ages 3-5.  They're great for a rainy afternoon or a lazy summer weekend.  Made with inexpensive materials and a minimal amount of steps, these summer crafts for kids are easy on little hands and your wallet.

From fun beach crafts to projects that you can easily make without leaving your home, the projects in 12 Summer Crafts for Kids, Ages 3-5 cover a wide variety of crafting styles, so there's bound to be something for everyone.

Best of all, crafting with your kids is a great way to inspire and motivate them and teach them the power of imagination.  Let little hands run wild with these simple and fun Summer Crafts for Kids. 

Have more great Summer Crafts for Kids, Ages 3-5?  Tell us about them in the comment section and we'll add them to our list!

12 Summer Crafts for Kids

Sea Shell Pets:  This easy summer craft for kids is great after a day at the beach.  Spend time collecting fun sea shells of all shapes and sizes and turn them into sweet maintanence-free pets when you get home!  All you need for this preschool kids craft is some shells, some googly eyes, and glue.

3D Flowers:  This is a fun project for kids of all ages.  Perfect for a rainy day, these 3D flowers can be made with construction paper and adhesive.  These summer crafts for kids are also great for Mother's Day and are a fun way to bring the colors of summer indoors.

DIY Chia Pet:  Kids will love this project!  With an old pair of pantyhose, you can have a cute Chia Pet that kids will love to take care of and decorate.  This is also a great project for Earth Day and a fun way to teach kids about plant life and caring for a living pet.

Blind Doodle:  This is a fun project for the whole family to do on a rainy day!  Simply close your eyes and try to draw whatever is on your mind.  With these easy summer crafts for kids, you'll be able to keep your young ones entertained and busy while you get your errands done around the house.

Pipecleaner Butterflies:  Get the kids involved with this easy and fun butterfly craft.  Use inexpensive pipe cleaners and beads to create many variations of butterfly, each one unique. Once you learn how to make butterflies, you can branch out to dragonflies, too!

Pencil Frame:  Looking for some summer crafts for kids, ages 3-5?  Try this easy peasy Pencil Frame.  Great for the summer and Teacher Appreciation Week, this simple pencil frame is a great way to show off a school photo or to thank your favorite teacher for all their hard work during the school year.

Bug Doorhanger:  Bugs can be an annoying part of summer, but with this cute doorhanger, you can enjoy some cute bugs that won't bite, buzz, or sting!  Kids can decorate their own doorhanger and place it on the front door or on the door to their room.  This is an easy and fun summer project for kids that is easy on the budget.

Wooden American Flags:  These easy American Flags are a fun and creative way to decorate your home for the 4th of July.  Made with simple popscicle sticks, these Wooden American Flags are great for kids of all ages.  Patriotic decorations like this are great for Fourth of July, Memorial Day, or even to give out at your favorite hometown parade!

Dough Flower:  This easy summer craft for kids is great for a rainy afternoon.  These dough flowers can be turned into magnets, jewelry, pins, embellishments, and much more.  With a simple recipe for flour dough, this DIY kids craft can be made with materials you have in your home already, so there's no need to run out to the store in the rain.

Hanging Bird Feeders:  This classic summer craft for kids is a great camp project or an activity to do with the whole family.  Welcome the wildlife back to your backyard with this clever and easy bird feeder.  With some peanut butter and a toilet paper roll, you can offer a sweet treat to the summer birds and enjoy some summer bird watching!

Rainbow Crayons:  Do your kids have a collection of broken stubby crayons?  Don't toss them, just melt them down into new fun crayons!  The rainbow technique offers a fun way for kids to create their own unique coloring designs. 

Tissue Paper Suncatchers:  These paper suncatchers make great summer crafts for kids, ages 3-5.  This simple mosaic pattern captures the sunlight and creates a fun design on the floor of your home when you hang them in your window.  You can create these in any shape you'd like, and kids of all ages will love them.