Summer is a special time of year—long sunny days, time in the water, outdoor adventures, and plenty of opportunities for creativity!
For those days when it’s too hot to be outside or the summer showers are pouring, we’ve gathered a terrific list of summer toilet paper roll crafts to keep your kids busy!
These crafts are loads of fun and are eco-friendly, a fantastic way to introduce kids to the concepts of recycling and upcycling. They’re simple, using basic craft materials and everyday household items.
Perfect for summer camp, a rainy day, or a “crafternoon,” get started on one of these ideas or check out even more summer crafts for kids!
Bring the majesty of the ocean into your home or classroom with this cardboard tube killer whale.
Begin with a toilet paper roll covered in black paper and use the printable template to make the orca. Its sleek black and white design looks like the real thing and will provide hours of playtime for your little oceanographers.
With a cover of bright orange paper and tentacles made with curled paper strips, this octopus craft is bound to be a hit with the kids.
The cute octopus with its friendly smile is perfect for kids who are interested in marine biology. Curling the paper strips around the pencil is also great for promoting fine motor skills.
Fairy garden fanatics will adore this cute little mushroom house! Make a whole village of them in various colors and sizes. They'll look so cute on a windowsill or on a shelf in your child's bedroom.
Aspiring astronauts will have a blast making this cardboard rocket. Make them any color you like by wrapping the empty toilet paper tubes with construction paper and decorating them with shapes or stickers. We love this bright and colorful version.
One cardboard tube gets you two cute little crafts with this pineapple and watermelon project. Use colorful craft paper and a marker to draw in the details to recreate these popular summertime fruits.
Enjoy the magic of a summer rainbow anytime with these fun rainbow blowers. The toilet paper roll is decorated with blue paper and white clouds, while colorful streamers attached at one end flutter when you blow through the roll.
It's a simple, fun activity that's great for learning about weather and the science behind rainbows.
Combine cardboard with items from nature to make a collection of fun fish. Collect leaves, flowers, grass, moss, or anything that can be used to create some fin-tastic fish parts.
This bumblebee craft is totally buzz-worthy for summer. Using a toilet paper roll as the body, your child can create a cute and friendly bee with black and yellow stripes and big wings. Summer is the perfect time to learn about these busy pollinators.
Hop into a creative morning with this interactive frog craft. The toilet paper roll frog features a fly attached to a string for the frog to catch it in its mouth. This adds an element of play and gaming that kids will love!
A lighthouse standing tall and true on a beach is a beacon of hope. Teach your child about these structures with a cute craft that gives off major beachy vibes.
Use paint or construction paper to cover the cardboard tube in red and white stripes. Draw some windows, add a roof, and place it on a paper plate backdrop designed to look like an ocean scene.
How adorable is this crab? Turn your toilet paper roll sideways to make the body and attach its claws and eyes to pipe cleaners.
Making this crab is the perfect way to end an afternoon at the beach to help the kids calm down. Plus, the crab would make a great accompaniment to our mermaid craft listed above.
Cloud gazing takes a fun twist with these crafty binoculars. Paint the toilet paper rolls a soft light blue and add cotton to give the effect of fluffy clouds.
Perfect for little meteorologists in training, these homemade binoculars will open up a whole new world of cloud watching.
The fearsome shark, the king of the ocean, is always a subject of interest during the summer. This cardboard tube craft is perfect for Shark Week.
Paint a toilet paper roll gray, and with a snip here and a cut there, create a mouthful of big white teeth. Don't forget to draw some gills on the side with a marker.
The humpback whale is the friendly giant of the sea. The handy template makes this craft easy, and we've even added a playful waterspout emerging from its blowhole! This craft is a great way to teach kids about these fascinating marine creatures.
Provide a meal for our feathered friends. Cover a toilet paper roll in vegetable shortening and then roll it in birdseed.
Hang it outdoors and watch as birds flock to your homemade feeder. This activity is a fantastic way to learn about local birds and to help nurture nature.
Fireflies are part of the magic of summer. Watching them light up in the night sky is nothing short of amazing.
Make your own firefly to capture those fun memories of summer nights! While this version doesn't light up, you can cut a hole in the front of the firefly's body and put a battery-powered tealight underneath to make it glow. Another idea is to use glow-in-the-dark paint instead of construction paper.
Busy bees will have so much fun making this geometric honeycomb craft out of empty toilet paper rolls. Cut the tubes into rings, and then shape them so they have six sides (a hexagon). Glue the hexagons together to make a honeycomb pattern.
Go on an undersea adventure with this beautiful mermaid craft. Cover a toilet paper roll in blue paper, then use the printable template to make the mermaid.
It's so easy to personalize her by swapping out the skin color, hair color, etc. Your child will have so much fun making and playing with it!
These snakes look equal parts slithery and silly! Cut the toilet paper roll into a spiraling pattern and let the kids paint their snake designs. Add googly eyes and a forked tongue to complete this sly creature.
This simple project really captures the elegant essence of a swan. The bird is made with only the cardboard tube, some paint, a marker, scissors, and glue.
Follow the instructions to snip out the swan's shape and wings, and then bend the cardboard over the make the head and beak. Genius!
Learn about jungle animals with a vibrant and colorful parrot craft. Paint the tubes bright colors, and then add gorgeous paper feathers made from cardstock and cut with pinking shears to create a textured look.
Cut toilet paper rolls to create several bracelets, cover them with packaging tape or reversible tape, and then go outside to collect small leaves, flowers, and twigs.
Attach your findings to the cuffs to create beautiful, wearable nature art. This craft is a fantastic way to encourage nature appreciation while enhancing fine motor skills.
Kids who are into dress-up will love making and wearing these toilet roll glasses. The rainbow and pineapple themes are perfect for summer.
The rings are cut from the empty toilet paper tubes, while the rest of the glasses are made from recycled cereal boxes. It's a fun way to encourage recycling.
Nothing says summer quite like popsicles. This crafty version is so much fun to make; design your popsicle to look like your favorite flavor. You'll flatten the cardboard tube a bit, tuck in one end, decorate it, and insert your popsicle stick. So cute!
Ahoy matey! Create your very own seafaring pirate and his faithful parrot companion with this adventurous craft. Use patterned crepe paper to make the pirate's bandana, and don't forget to add colorful craft feathers to your parrot pal.
This is easily one of our favorites! Split a toilet paper tube in half, and add brown cardstock between the pieces to make a sandcastle.
Draw in some details (like the arches and ridges). Added to a blue and tan background, it really does look like a sandcastle on a beach.
Pin this list of summer toilet paper roll crafts to come back to on a rainy day or as a crafty idea for summer camp!