A beach day is full of fun: sand between your toes, ocean waves, and building the tallest castle by the shore. Kids can recreate that seaside magic at home with this fun paper sandcastle craft.
It’s a mess-free way to encourage creativity and bring beach vibes to the craft table. With just a few supplies, kids can design their own sandy masterpiece. Looking for more ways to stay creative? Check out our sunny collection of summer crafts for kids to keep the fun going!
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and a participant in other affiliate programs, I earn a commission on qualifying purchases. Read our disclosure policy.
Sand Castle Craft Idea
This hands-on project is more than just fun. It helps children practice important skills like cutting, pasting, and spatial awareness. Plus, they’ll love decorating their sandcastle with turrets, flags, and even some drawn-on beach treasures.
Download our free sandcastle template to jumpstart the fun, then round up some construction paper, glue, scissors, and markers. Kids will all smile as they snip and stick their way to making something they’ll be proud to show off.
Supplies
- Colored cardstock or construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue stick
- Sandcastle template (click the “click here to get your freebies” image at the end of the post)
Directions
Start by downloading and printing the template. Once the template is printed, gather the materials for this fun activity. Get those scissors ready, and let’s help the kids bring this sandcastle to life!
First, guide your child to glue the triangle roof pieces onto the top of the side towers.
Glue the door in the center of the sandcastle base.
Next, glue the window to the tall central tower.
Place the small windows on the side towers and glue them down. Alternatively, kids can draw on the windows and doors with a brown marker.
Position the flagpole at the top of the center tower and glue it to the back.
Now, help your child to glue the red flag onto the flagpole.
Next, glue the wavy sand strip to the bottom of a blue background piece of paper.
Glue the clouds to the top portion of the blue background to complete the sky scene.
Finally, encourage your child to glue the completed sandcastle to the background.
Be sure to check out our summer handprint crafts while you’re here! Your kids will love creating more fun DIYs like this one!
Easy Watermelon Craft
Summer Books For Kids
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.
Paper Crafts For Summer
Summer Gnome Craft – Make a splash with these sunny gnomes! Kids will love dressing up their gnome in bright swimwear with a beachball, ready for a day filled with fun at the beach or pool. Just print our free template, grab a few supplies, and let those creative summer vibes shine!
Related: Summer Cutting Activity Pages
Ice Cream Paper Plate Craft – Scoop up some fun with our paper plate ice cream! This sweet summer activity lets kids create their favorite frozen treat, minus the sticky mess, with the help of a common kitchen item. Grab our free template so your little artists can design the coolest cones around.
Smores Name Craft – Bring the campfire fun indoors with these personalized s’mores! Kids will love stacking paper s’mores while spelling out their names one marshmallow at a time. It’s a sweet way to sneak in letter recognition and name spelling practice.
You can use our editable template or let kids write the letters in themselves!
Pineapple Handprint Craft – Say aloha to tropical fun with this pineapple made with a personal touch! Kids can use their handprints to create the spiky green top on their fruity masterpiece. It’s a fun way to get creative, celebrate summer, and make a keepsake that’s as sweet as a pineapple!
Summer Printable Activities
Arr matey! Hoist the sails and chart a course for fun with our pirate tracing worksheets! These playful printables turn learning into a swashbuckling adventure as kids trace their way through letters, lines, and treasure maps. There are four engaging pages for your little pirates to explore.
Try this Strawberry Handprint Craft
They’ll build fine motor skills, practice handwriting, and sharpen their focus while also having a boatload of fun. So grab your pencils, don your pirate hats, and sail into this treasure trove of learning!
Soak up some sunshine and learning fun with these summer worksheets! Whether your little ones are cooling off indoors or winding down after a day of play, these playful printables are just the ticket.
Kids will stay engaged while strengthening essential skills with a letter S handwriting page, an exciting letter maze, and a summer themed finish-the-pattern activity. These worksheets bring the joy of summer to the page to keep brains active and pencils moving all season long!
Our ice cream matching game is scoops of fun! This sweet twist on a classic memory game is the perfect way to keep kids smiling and learning all summer long. Just print the cards and start flipping.
Kids will collect matching ice cream pairs while sharpening their memory, focus, and taking turns. It’s a cool way to beat boredom and sneak in a little brain boost. Who will collect the most scoops? Let the fun begin!
Brighten up your day with these sun cutting strips! They’re a great addition whether you’re wrapping up circle time or adding a cheerful touch to your centers. These strips help preschoolers snip their way to stronger fine motor skills.
Since they’re easy to prep and full of sunshiney fun, they’ll be a shining star in any weather themed lesson!
Share With Us
Did you make this activity with your kids or students? We’d love to feature them on our social media!
For a chance to have your child’s project 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!
Paper Sandcastle Craft
Materials
- Colored cardstock or construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue stick
- Sandcastle template
Instructions
- Download the sandcastle template, print, and cut out the pieces.
- Begin by gluing the triangle roof pieces onto the top of the side towers.
- Glue the door in the center of the sandcastle base.
- Next, glue the window to the tall central tower.
- Place the small windows on the side towers and glue them down.
- Position the flagpole at the top of the center tower and glue it to the back.
- Now, glue the red flag onto the flagpole.
- Next, glue the wavy sand strip to the bottom of a blue background.
- Glue the clouds to the top portion of the blue background to complete the sky scene.
- Finish off by gluing the completed sandcastle to the background.
Notes
Free Paper Sandcastle Template
Sam is the crafter and founder of Simple Everyday Mom. She has been featured in Oprah Mag, Good Housekeeping, The Spruce Crafts, Country Living, The Bump and more. Read more.
Amber
Thursday 29th of May 2025
Use sandpaper to make this craft more realistic
Kamille - Community Support Assistant
Friday 30th of May 2025
Great suggestion—sandpaper would be perfect for a little extra detail!