Simple Fun DIY Projects The Kids Could Be Doing This August
There are lots of ways to keep the kids busy during summer when you’ve got a bundle of DIY projects and chores in your back pocket!
Why do it?
You’re on the final furlong in the Summer holidays before the kids return to school. If you’re not heading out on a trip at home or abroad, you’ll probably be looking for ways to save those children at home from boredom, especially when their friends are away.
Check out some of these DIY chores and fun projects and why they could be beneficial too!
DIY Projects are great for Children in Summer!
Let’s face it, apart from keeping the kids busy; there are a host of reasons you’re on to a good thing if you can get the kids working on household projects:
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You’ll keep them active and out outdoors if you can find some good gardening projects
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There’s nothing like working with your hands; this is a great excuse to steal them from the gaming screen or mobile phone
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There could be some good creative outlets for children in more decorative projects
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It costs less and could even save you both time and money. You could give them a LITTLE pocket money in exchange, though
Start with Fun Outdoor Projects For Kids
Get Creative Outdoor Art and Craft Projects
Let’s get those hands busy and creative juices flowing with practical crafty fun.
Here are some ideas for a range of ages:
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Collecting materials from nature could be the start of something beautiful. Help them create a Nature Collage - this could be done at various levels, from pressed flowers to building a wall art collage made of naturally found objects like feathers, leaves, etc
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Get out a box of watercolours and challenge them to create some landscape painting
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Make prints with textured natural materials such as leaves, flowers, and seashells. Get a large Ikea paper roll and create your wrapping paper
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Create a suncatcher using shiny paper, coloured plastic, old Cds, glass beads and foil - perfect for decorating the garden in time for birthday parties and barbeques. Also suitable for warding off the birds in vegetable gardens too. There is an excellent example from the Suncatcher Craft blog
Progress onto Nature-Inspired DIY Projects
Younger children could be doing loads around the garden to help out, too, from helping you gather leaves and pull out weeds. Older Kids can be shown how to rake leaves more systematically.
They could even help you harvest fruit and vegetables, should you have a bountiful yield in the GIY vegetable garden.
Don’t forget to let the little (And the big ones) help out with daily tasks like watering plants.
Here are some more proactive projects for the backyard
The crafts are a great way to get the younger kids busy. Older children, especially tweens with a growing interest in woodwork, could be inspired to create a more substantial installation. Here are some ideas:
Home Garden DIY Projects for Older Children
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Create a DIY birdhouse - you could even buy ready-made DIY birdhouse kits or download plans from the internet. Birdfeeders also make for easy junior projects
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Inspire them to build a fairy garden door and furniture with their tools
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Inspire them to start their own vegetable patch or plant in their own container garden. This could be created from an old sink or trough. Given the seeds for the late summer
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Inspire them to build their own rock garden in the corner of the yard the next time you visit a garden centre
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Build an insect hotel and help them become budding biologist by inspiring them to document its inhabitants as it develops
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Older kids could also design and build a Lemonade stand. Show them how to organise themselves, make the lemonade, decorate the stand, add street signs and more! They’ll get such a kick from selling their own wares, and it feels even better if the mates come around to help
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There are more practical jobs too. Older children will be a great help in painting or treating fences, pergolas or raised garden beds
Home Garden DIY Projects for Younger Children
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Younger children could be inspired by building birds nests for the local birdie inhabitants
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Paint an older existing birdhouse and add decorative elements
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Next time you head to the local beach, collect some large pebbles and bring them back for decorative painting. Paint in messages or decorate in solid colours and use them to decorate a Rock or Fairy garden
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Give them a few fairy garden elements to decorate a dedicated garden patch with
Create a Backyard Adventure
Fancy a DIY Obstacle Course?
Design a simple obstacle course. Get creative with components like a low seat beam bar for balancing, tyres or hula hoop rings for hopping into, paddling pools, and simple nets or tarpaulin for crawling under.
Who’s going on a Bear (Treasure) Hunt?
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Put together an outdoor backyard treasure hunt for the younger ones and get the older kids involved in helping you construct one. All you need are simple signs, riddles, and prizes along the way—a perfect distraction at family parties
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Older kids could be tasked with a Nature Scavenger hunt by giving them a list of flora and fauna to document. Smartphones could be your friend if you ask them to photograph their findings
A DIY Backyard Camping Party
Few things are as exciting in a sleepover part than a backyard camping adventure on a muggy summer night. All you need is a simple tent to pitch and some sleeping bags. You could even have them sleep on the trampoline on a muggy night.
Here’s how you could make this special:
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Incorporate stargazing if you can access a telescope or time, ideally during a celestial event like a blood moon or a full moon
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Have a spooky storytelling session
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Make Smores and more on the BBQ, or use the Outdoor Chiminea or Firepit
Create a DIY Outdoor Movie
If you want them to use their smartphones and iPads for more than just gaming and social, get them into a movie-making mood and inspire them to storyboard and film a movie set in your garden.
You’ll be surprised at how easily they find this, as all the editing tools are already easy to download. Apps like Capcut or Canva work well.
Don’t Forget to Stay SAFE
Regardless of your children's age, monitoring and checking in on them is imperative. One should always prioritise safety during these DIY projects! Ensure these activities are enjoyable for children and they come away with lasting positive memories without any traumatic accidents thrown in.