Summer is a time for fun in the sun, where we can break out the slip ‘n slide or take a dip in the pool! When it’s time to come inside and cool off, keep the kiddos entertained with a fun craft.

This paper plate cactus craft goes great with a desert theme or Cinco de Mayo study, or if you’re just looking for something cute to make!

Make this summer memorable by planning some fun summer crafts for kids. These crafts are a great way to keep kids engaged and entertained over the summer break.

Cinco de Mayo Cactus Craft

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Supplies

• Paper plate
• Green paint
• Paintbrush
• Colored cardstock or construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Markers
• Pencil
• Cactus template (enter your email in the form at the end of this post to have the link sent to you)

Directions

Download the cactus template, print, and cut out the pieces you need.

Paint the paper plate with 1-2 thin coats of green paint. Let dry completely.

Place the cactus template on the dry paper plate, trace it, and cut it out.

Use a dark green marker to draw vertical stripes on the cactus. Use a black marker to draw spines on both sides of the vertical stripes.

Next, glue the eyes in the middle and towards the top of the cactus.

Create the mouth by gluing the tongue to the bottom of the mouth. Glue the completed mouth in the middle of the cactus, just below the eyes.

Position the cheeks on both sides of the mouth and glue them in place.

Make the flower by gluing the orange inner flower to the red outer flower. Place the flower on the top and back of the cactus and glue it down to secure it.

Finish up by gluing the dirt to the back and bottom of the cactus.

This spiky plant won’t hurt if you touch it! This cactus is one of the many things that you can make with an everyday paper plate. It’s an inexpensive craft that’s fun and easy to make.

Your little artists will love to have the chance to use their paint and paintbrushes to make their paper plates green. This craft fosters a love for art, plus builds important skills like fine motor control, hand-eye coordination, and creativity.

Summer Ideas For Kids

Get ahead of summer boredom and get some ideas to keep kids busy and having fun. We have several summer-themed crafts and activities that will keep kids’ minds and hands active and learning something new.

Add some of these summer ideas to your list and you’ll always have something up your sleeve ready to go!

Summer Books For Kids

Reading books to your kids is a fantastic way to give them the gift of knowledge while also bonding with them.

Reading will help children to develop critical thinking skills, while also helping them to build their vocabulary. It will also help to boost their cognitive development!

Can you imagine the lifelong impact these benefits could have on your child? Imagine them growing up with a love for reading and a thirst for knowledge. See below for some of our top summer book recommendations.

How To Catch A Mermaid is the summer version of the classic “How To Catch” series! It’s perfect for mermaid fans and summer lovers alike!

Gorilla Loves Vanilla is all about, you guessed it – ice cream! This silly book will have kids laughing and asking for you to read it again and again.

Goodnight Pirate is a fun bedtime book to read to kids all summer long! They’ll love the illustrations, story, and rhyming words.

Summer Crafts For Kids

Crafting is more than just an activity to pass the time, it’s actually quite beneficial. Kids are able to develop their dexterity which is required to use pencils, scissors, glue, etc.

As they practice using these tools, their motor skills will improve, and this helps in becoming more independent as they grow older. Crafting is also a good way for kids to use problem-solving and their imaginations.

These skills are helpful to see things from a different perspective and decision-making. So be sure to add crafts as a part of your child’s education.

Ice Cream Craft for Kids – I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Ice cream crafts that is. This sweet craft will have kids excited to create something so cute and fun! This papercraft is great for your preschoolers through elementary-aged kids.

Paper Plate Shark Craft – Your shark-loving kids will have a blast transforming a boring white paper plate into a cool shark! This is a perfect addition to an ocean-themed study or to celebrate Shark Week.

Handprint Pirate Craft – Don your pirate hat and eye patch to get rrready for this next craft! Yer mateys will customize their handprints into pirates ready to set sail. Just be sure they trace the hand and not the hook!

Mermaid Paper Bag Craft – Get imaginations bubbling up with this fun paper bag craft! Your little mermaids and mermen will love customizing their puppets any way their imaginations take them. Grab the free template, a few supplies, and get into the fun this summer!

Summer Activities For Kids

Did you know ice cream can help kids practice using scissors? It can if they use our free printable ice cream cutting activity pages. In addition to cutting practice, they’ll also learn shapes, symmetry, and counting with this sweet treat.

Our treasure chest is filled with fun worksheets to keep kids learning all summer long. These pirate worksheets for kids will keep kids busy learning pattern recognition, beginning reading skills, beginning math skills, handwriting, memory, and more.

This set of 24 pages is a no-prep way to engage kids and have fun while learning.

The perfect way to save your spot in a good book is with our mermaid bookmarks! Kids will love designing their own bookmarks featuring beautiful mermaids.

There are 3 different bookmarks kids can color in and embellish with stickers, glitter, or jewels. The next time you’re reading a good bedtime story, you’ll have a beautiful bookmark to mark your place.

A fun way to get kids off their screens is with some good old-fashioned coloring with our summer color by number printables.

We stepped these coloring pages up a notch by incorporating number recognition into them. As kids color in each number, they’ll reveal 7 different summer-themed illustrations. Download this fun-filled set for a great no-prep activity.

Fun Summer Finds

• Summer Activity Tokens For Kids
• Giant Bubble Wand Kit
• Personalized Ice Pop Holder

Share With Us

Did you make this craft with your kids or students? We’d love to feature them on our social media!

For a chance to have your child’s craft featured, simply snap a picture of the completed project and post it to our Facebook page, email it to us directly by clicking here, or use #simpleeverydaymom on your social media!

More Summer Activities For Kids

Paper Plate Cactus Craft Template