Do you have kids that love to do arts and crafts? Are they always up for a new project and never happier than when the paint and markers come out? The summer is the perfect time to let them bring out their inner artist.

Of course, the best crafts are the messiest crafts – but they’re also the ones you don’t want to tackle indoors. But during the summer, you can take crafting outside – and minimize the mess! 

And here are just a few ideas of fun crafts that are just a bit messy!

• Painting with Yarn: This is so fun and definitely creative! You’ll need: 
  • Tempera Paint
  • Pieces of Yarn
  • Containers to hold paint
  • Popsicle Sticks
  • Art Paper
• • This project has a Jackson Pollock vibe to it!
• Water Pistol Painting: This is another project that would make Jackson Pollock proud – and the kids will love it because it involves water guns. The small water pistols are what you want for this project, and you can usually find them at your local dollar store during the summer months. Michael’s carries canvases in various sizes (and they’re often on sale).
• Cardboard Box Splat Printing: The name alone of this craft is fun – but when you fill balloons with rice, grab some paint and a cardboard box, and let the paint fly – well, that’s even more fun! And the addition of printmaking is fantastic as the kids can make cards or stationery and send a letter off to faraway family or friends.
• DIY Glitter Window Clings: If you avoid glitter at all costs – it’s completely understandable. But when you can take the glitter outdoors, it hopefully means you won’t be finding glitter on the floor for weeks on end. Yes, to properly display them, you’ll have to put them up on your windows – but maybe the glitter will stay put!
• Puffy Cloud Paintings: You only need three things – shaving cream, glue, and paper – to make these Puffy Cloud Paintings. Find a day when there are a few clouds in the sky and have the kids recreate what they see. (You could also add some paint to the mixture and just make some crazy, puffy paintings.)
• Make a Malian Mud Cloth: This craft will have the kids making a cool Malian Mud Cloth (BÒGÒLANFINI) with just a few simple “ingredients” – one of which is mud! What could be more fun than that? Kid World Citizen suggests using old t-shirts for this project, but you could use pillowcases or sheets – or whatever you have handy.
• Sand Art: The kids can let their creativity run wild by creating interesting pictures out of sand. If you’re willing to make your own colored sand, you can turn this into two craft projects! And yes, sand is a lot like working with glitter – so it’s best done outside. 
• Kool-Aid Bubbles: How about an afternoon of fun blowing bubbles? But not just any bubbles – Kool-Aid Bubbles! These bubbles will be colored, and they’ll smell like the Kool-Aid you choose! So fun!
• Flubber: If your children have seen the Robin Williams movie, then it might be time to let them make their very own Flubber. It’s part science experiment and part craft – and a whole lot of fun.
• Sharpie Tie-Dye Shirts: Who doesn’t need a fun, new shirt for summer – and tie-dye is where it’s at! Unlike traditional tie-dye, this one uses Sharpie markers and rubbing alcohol – and gives full creative freedom to the kids on their designs.

This summer, let the kids get creative – and messy – with these fun crafts! They’ll have a blast – and love that you let them do some art projects that are a little bit out of the ordinary!