“Summer is the perfect time for kids to stretch their creative muscles and have lots of fun doing it,” says Laura Byrne, director of marketing at Michaels Arts and Crafts Stores. “The days are long, school’s out and they are free from the pressures of homework and other school activities.” There are countless ways to spark the imagination using things you probably already have around the house, but if you need a jumpstart, a visit to your local arts and crafts store will get the ideas flowing. “One of the most popular art materials right now is craft foam,” she adds. “It’s incredibly versatile, comes in a wide range of vibrant colors, and easy to work with for all ages.”

Craft foam is available in sheets, some with adhesive backing, to be used as desired in art projects, such as handcrafted mouse pads and pinwheels. Precut foam pieces are great for decorating journals and scrapbooks, with a wide variety of flowers, animals and cool shapes. It’s also available in products ready to be personalized, such as pennants, can hugs, door hangers, picture frames and visors. Craft foam is easily decorated with permanent colored markers, stickers, glitter glue and paint.

A fun project for teenagers and younger children alike is to create summer fashions by decorating color-coordinated foam visors and flip-flops in their own individual styles. Let them experiment with markers and glitter as well as sequins, buttons, foam cutouts, feathers and anything else that captures their imagination. If it’s a hit, extend the fashion theme by creating jewelry. You can purchase the supplies separately, such as beads and elastic thread, or look for kits ready to go with everything you’ll need to make slap bracelets, friendship bracelets, beaded necklaces and more.

Kits make it easy since they contain all necessary supplies a child needs to finish creative projects, including instructions. A stroll down the kid’s aisles at your local arts and crafts store will probably reveal a kit to suit the interests of every adolescent in your family. There are crystal-growing kits for the scientific, needlecraft kits -- including cross-stitch, needlepoint and latch hook -- for the nimble fingered, and stained glass and calligraphy kits for the artistic.

To make the most of the summer sunshine, set up a work area outdoors. A picnic table covered in newspaper is the perfect al fresco setting for budding artists and is easy to clean up. Look for ways to incorporate the great outdoors into art projects. Kids can make birdfeeders and birdbaths out of terra cotta pots or decorate garden stepping-stones with sidewalk chalk. A sheet of craft foam makes a great canvas for a nature collage: collect flower petals, leaves and feathers and glue them onto the foam sheet with a thin coat of glue applied with a brush. Cover with a sheet of wax paper and place a heavy book on top so the collage will dry flat.

Don’t forget the old favorites during your summer of invention. They are still popular after decades for a reason -- they are great fun and always reliable. What else, besides modeling clay, can you sculpt into terrifying creatures one day and miniature tea sets the next? Everyone should do at least one paint-by-number masterpiece in his or her lifetime as well as fly a balsa wood glider on a summer’s day. Crayons, the King of Kid Art, will always reign supreme for youthful coloring and are rightful companions to the ever-popular activity book.

But that’s not all: one way to put a new spin on the classic crayon is by making a scratchboard. Cover a heavy piece of paper completely with various bright crayon colors. When the paper is covered in several layers of different colors, color over the whole sheet with black crayon. Next, use a pencil or household nail to draw a picture onto the paper. The black crayon will be scratched away showing the brilliant colors beneath.

For more crafty ideas, stop by your local Michaels Arts and Crafts Store and pick up a copy of Ready! Set! Craft! It’s a free booklet filled with over 90 projects that will engage children of all ages. Organized by themes such as travel, sports and girl power, it’s a full color booklet filled with fun projects that children will love. Parents will as well: creative activity isn’t just fun for kids, it’s also an opportunity for them to learn and discover. Check out www.michaels.com/summerfun  for all projects featured in the book and many other great craft ideas for kids.

Courtesy of ARA Content