Summer camp is a wild mix of sunscreen, scraped knees, and pure joy. But if you’ve ever been responsible for a group of campers, you know this – art projects can either be the calm after the storm… or the storm itself.
So, here are 30 actually fun summer art projects , tested, tweaked, and enjoyed by kids, teens, and even the “too cool for art” crowd. Each project comes with creative twists, smart hacks, and yes, a few mini-stories from my own camp days.
Let’s dive in , and don’t worry, not every project involves popsicle sticks.
Also see: 11 Summer Art Projects for Kids (Quick and Easy)
1. Sun Print Cyanotypes (aka Magic with the Sun)
Let’s start with pure summer magic. Cyanotypes , or sun prints , are made by placing objects (leaves, flowers, paperclips, feathers, whatever’s lying around) on specially coated paper, exposing it to sunlight, and rinsing it off in water.
That’s it. What’s left behind is a ghostly white silhouette against dreamy blue.
The best part? Zero electricity needed. It’s just the campers, nature, and the sun doing its thing.
You can also get campers to write their names with twigs or string for personalized prints.
One time, a camper arranged their lunch (apple core, chip bag, and juice straw) on the paper. The result? A surprisingly profound commentary on snack time.
2. DIY Tie-Dye – But with Ice!
This is your anti-chaos version of traditional tie-dye. No buckets, no squeezing bottles until your arms hurt.
Here’s how it works:
- Lay the shirt on a rack or somewhere.
- Place ice cubes on top.
- Sprinkle powdered dye over it.
- Walk away. Let the melting magic happen.
You come back later to abstract, watercolor-style shirts with way less mess. Plus, campers are genuinely surprised by the results because no two shirts turn out the same.
some older campers calls it “low-effort, high-drip fashion.” Which felt like the highest compliment.
3. Painted Rock Creatures
Sure, rock painting isn’t new. But when you encourage campers to create rock creatures with names, personalities, and even backstories, it gets weirdly adorable.
Some turn into “camp pets.” Others? Entire rock families. One kid made a haunted potato.
What you’ll need: smooth rocks, acrylic paints or paint pens, and optional googly eyes (warning: they will end up everywhere).
There is one hacek, use egg cartons to hold paint and dry mini rock sculptures.
By the way, painted rocks can also be hidden around the campsite for a mini scavenger hunt , instant engagement booster.
4. Solar-Powered Shrinky Dinks
This project is part science fair, part art magic. Take clear #6 plastic (like certain takeout containers), have campers draw on it with Sharpies, cut it out, and… here’s the twist , instead of using an oven, place it on foil under the hot sun.
Yes, really. It takes longer than an oven, but watching it curl and shrink is like slow-cooked sorcery.
We once had a camper make a miniature skateboard. He wore it on a string necklace like it was a family heirloom. Sometimes it’s the smallest stuff that hits hardest.
5. Mud Painting
Look , if it rained last night, this is your chance to lean into the mess instead of fighting it. Mix dirt with water to form paint-like consistency, hand out big brushes, and give kids cardboard or canvas scraps.
They’ll create earthy art which is real adventure and childhood freedom.
Add a few natural pigments (crushed leaves, turmeric, beetroot juice) and suddenly, it’s a lesson in eco-painting.
A kid called his piece “Mudness Rising.” Another made a mural of Bigfoot. This is the kind of art that smells like memory.
6. Nature Looms
It starts with a simple Y-shaped stick. Then, you add some string across like a mini loom, and let campers weave in whatever they find , grass, flower petals, bark, feathers, even candy wrappers.
The result? Textured, layered art that reflects the landscape and the personality of the maker.
It’s an especially great project for the quieter campers , they get absorbed in the rhythm of weaving. No pressure to talk, just hands moving and brains unwinding.
Here’s an idea, have a “Loom Walk” at the end, where everyone shows their nature weaving like an open gallery.
7. Shadow Tracing Time-Lapse
This is a low-effort, high-impact art experiment that mixes creativity with time awareness.
Here’s how you do it:
- Tape a giant sheet of paper on the ground.
- Have a camper lie down or strike a funny pose.
- Trace their shadow with a marker.
- Wait 30–60 minutes and repeat.
By the end of the day, you’ve got a layered timeline of shifting shadows , it’s art, science, and storytelling all at once.
Use different color markers for each hour , it makes it pop.
Also, we once had a camper strike a yoga pose and title her piece: “The Sun’s Slow Goodbye.” Yeah, that stuck with me.
8. Group Splatter Art on Bedsheets
Is it messy? Yes.
Is it chaotic? Absolutely.
Is it unforgettable? 100%.
Hang up old white bedsheets or shower curtains. Arm your campers with squirt bottles filled with diluted acrylic paint or watercolors. Then… SPLAT.
They can take turns, work in teams, or go all-out free-for-all. The key is to set a boundary zone , because, well, let’s just say paint has a habit of traveling farther than you think.
Here’s a game, “Hit the Target” , draw circles on the sheet and let them aim. Turns art into a sport.
We used one finished piece as the backdrop for the end-of-camp talent show. Instant legacy.
9. DIY Sketchbooks from Recycled Cardboard
This one’s a sleeper hit. Let kids turn cereal boxes into sketchbook covers, punch holes, insert printer paper, and tie it all together with yarn or string.
Give them some stickers, markers, and washi tape, and they’ll suddenly care a lot about having “the best-looking book.”
Set a goal: one drawing, poem, or journal entry a day. By the end of camp, it’s a keepsake , rough edges, wild scribbles, personal notes and all.
A camper wrote her “camp diary” in hers and cried on the last day saying it felt like her heart was in those pages. We gave her an extra sketchbook for the school year.
10. Glow-in-the-Dark Galaxy Jars
Think mason jars filled with magic. You’ll need:
- Cotton balls
- Water
- Glitter
- Glow-in-the-dark paint or glow powder
- Optional: food coloring
Layer the cotton, add color + glitter water mix, then close the lid. Shake it up.
At night, these jars glow like a little universe in your hands.
Older campers dig this because it’s relaxing and aesthetic. Younger ones think they captured a star. Both are right.
For advanced version, add a tiny poem or wish inside on a rolled-up note. That takes it from craft to keepsake.
11. Leaf Pounding Art
This one feels like nature’s version of printing. You grab fresh leaves and flowers, place them face-down on fabric (plain cotton works great), cover with paper or wax paper, and hammer away.
What happens? The natural pigments bleed through, leaving beautiful, botanical imprints.
The first time I did this with campers, one kid shouted, “I’m beating up a leaf and making art?!” Yes. Yes, you are.
Use wooden mallets or even rocks if you’re going full rustic. Just protect little fingers.
12. Mini Clay Campsites
Give campers air-dry clay or homemade salt dough and let them sculpt mini tents, trees, logs, marshmallow sticks , even tiny sleeping bags.
It’s like building a whole tiny campground in your palm.
One time, a group made their cabins exactly to scale, down to tiny name signs and clay backpacks. We didn’t ask. They just got into it.
You can challenge idea, “Recreate your best camp memory in miniature.”
You’ll be surprised how much storytelling happens in a space the size of your hand.
13. Stick Puppets + Outdoor Puppet Show
Here’s how to win over shy campers: give them sticks, felt, googly eyes, and yarn… and let them make their own wild puppet characters.
Then, let them put on an outdoor puppet show behind a cardboard “stage” with cut-out windows. Let them choose the story. Chaos encouraged.
We had one show called “The Haunted Canoe” that involved a fish who spoke French. Kids howled.
Try this twist, let older campers help write the scripts. It’s great leadership moment.
14. Mood Collage Boards
This one’s part art, part quiet therapy. Campers flip through old magazines, newspapers, or even use printouts, and create mood collages based on a idea like:
- “Mountain days”
- “My dream summer”
- “Night time vibes”
Give them glue sticks, scissors, and zero judgment. They’ll do the rest.
Here’s an add-on idea, let them title their boards and explain them if they want , but no pressure.
I’ve seen this turn a moody teen’s whole day around.
15. Plastic Bottle Planters with Faces
Cut plastic bottles in half, decorate the bottom half with painted-on faces, and plant a bit of soil + seeds (chives or grass work great).
The “hair” grows in a few days and you’ve got a planter full of green-haired weirdos smiling back at you.
One camper drew a mustache on hers and called him “Planty McGreenbeard.” That thing sat on the camp steps like a mascot.
Let them take these home to show parents what “eco-friendly” actually looks like.
16. Camp Flag Design Contest
Campers love a little friendly rivalry , and designing a flag for their cabin (or their invented camp team) is perfect fuel.
Give them fabric scraps, markers, fabric paint, and let them go wild. They can add inside jokes, mascots, team names , the works.
By the way, it’s not really about winning. It’s about claiming a little identity during the camp chaos.
You can parade the flags during a “Camp Games Day” and let staff be the neutral judges.
I remember, once a team named “The Toasty Marshmallows” won because their flag literally had glitter flames.
17. Emotional Weather Maps
This one gets deep in a gentle way. Campers draw a giant silhouette of a person (themselves or a fictional character) and fill the inside with weather symbols that represent their mood.
Clouds = confusion. Rain = sadness. Lightning = anger. Sunshine = joy. You get the idea.
It’s an honest, visual way for kids (especially the quiet ones) to check in with how they’re doing , without needing to say too much.
Let them update the map during the week , moods change, and so can the forecast.
One camper told me, “I felt like a thunderstorm this morning but now I’m mostly sun with wind.” That’s a win.
18. Toilet Paper Tube Totem Poles
Save those toilet paper rolls , they’re about to become a storytelling tower.
Stack and glue them into a vertical totem pole, and let each camper decorate a section that represents a piece of themselves:
- An animal they feel connected to
- A favorite memory
- A color for their current mood
Once done, you have a collaborative sculpture that screams personality.
Display it near the mess hall or cabin porch , it becomes a conversation starter.
You’ll see campers showing their parents: “That’s my part right there with the purple owl!”
19. Bead and Yarn Dreamcatchers
Traditional dreamcatchers get a camper twist here. Use paper plates (cut out the center), wrap with yarn, and let them weave, tie, and bead freely. Feathers, ribbons, and even nature finds can hang from the bottom.
Explain the idea: these hang above beds and “catch” bad dreams.
Even the rowdiest campers slow down during this one , it’s calming, repetitive, and surprisingly introspective.
Optionally, you can encourage them to whisper a wish into their dreamcatcher before hanging it. Makes it feel a bit more… sacred.
20. Camp Comic Strips
Let campers become cartoonists of their own camp experience. Provide comic strip templates (panels drawn out), pencils, markers , and encourage storytelling through comics.
Some kids will draw the actual events (like falling into the lake). Others go full superhero: “Campfire Girl vs. The Evil Mosquito Swarm.”
You can also let them photocopy their comics and trade them like baseball cards.
One year, a comic titled “Attack of the Gluten-Free Brownies” made it into every kid’s backpack on the way home.
21. DIY Nature Brushes
Why stick with store-bought brushes when campers can make their own using twigs, leaves, pine needles, grass, or even feathers?
Wrap the “bristle” part to the end of a stick using rubber bands or twine, dip in paint, and let them create wild, textured art that looks like it came from a forest fairy’s toolbox.
One camper called her leaf-brush “Nature’s Toothbrush” and painted a whole forest with it. No notes. She nailed it.
Let them experiment with different textures on large butcher paper , bark brushes vs. fluffy flower brushes = art meets science lab.
22. Sand + Glue Mandalas
Simple but mesmerizing. Draw mandala patterns or let campers sketch their own, outline it with glue, then sprinkle on colored sand (or even crushed dyed salt if you’re DIYing on a budget).
It’s part meditation, part fine motor workout, part “I’m making magic with just glue and dirt.”
Use trays underneath to catch the extra sand , reuse it, and save cleanup time.
We once had a camper spend two hours on a perfectly symmetrical rainbow mandala. Said it was “the only time my brain felt quiet.” That stuck with me.
23. T-Shirt Silhouette Spray Art
Give campers a plain tee, a cut-out stencil (animal shapes, stars, their own initials), and fabric-safe spray paint. Place the stencil on the shirt, spray lightly, and peel it away , boom! Instant wearable art with clean silhouettes.
One group made a matching batch of “Team Mosquito” shirts with a giant bug silhouette. Weird? Yes. Iconic? Also yes.
Cardboard inside the shirt helps avoid bleed-through. And keep a few masks handy , spray art can get foggy fast.
24. Recycled Junk Robots
Dig into that glorious bin of bottle caps, old wires, cardboard, broken electronic toy parts, foil scraps , and challenge campers to make their own robots.
No rules. No blueprints. Just creativity, hot glue guns (or strong tape), and wild imagination.
Give them questions like:
- “What job does your robot do?”
- “What superpower does it have?”
- “What’s its name and greatest fear?”
I had seen a reddit post where a camper made “Crumb-Bot,” who only cleaned snack crumbs and feared milk. Genius.
25. Tape Resist Name Art
Want something that looks super polished with zero art degree required? Here’s the hack:
- Write the camper’s name on canvas or cardboard with painter’s tape.
- Let them go crazy with paint all over it.
- Once dry, peel the tape off and , ta-da! Crisp, bold name art.
This one’s extra satisfying. Like popping bubble wrap but with color.
Let them decorate the background based on their favorite hobby or camp activity. Makes it more personal.
26. Emotion-Inspired Paint Pouring
This is as close as you get to a summer therapy session without the clipboard. Each camper picks an emotion , joy, anxiety, boredom, excitement , and chooses colors that “feel” like that feeling.
Then they pour the paint onto canvas or board and tilt it to swirl the emotion into shape. No brushes, no pressure, just flow.
Use flow acrylics or water-diluted tempera. And lay down lots of plastic sheets.
One camper titled her piece “Soggy but Trying.” I nearly framed it.
27. Found Object Sculptures
Campers go on a 20-minute “object hunt” and return with random finds , bottle lids, acorns, twist ties, string, broken clips, maybe a feather or two.
Then they build. Could be animals, fantasy creatures, abstract towers , doesn’t matter. It’s about seeing potential in what usually gets tossed.
You can set rules like, no glue for 5 minutes. They have to problem-solve how to connect pieces first , forces some clever engineering.
We had a group make a “Recycling Dragon” that breathed glitter. I still think about it.
28. Water Gun Watercolors
Watercolors + squirt guns = pure joy.
You fill clean spray bottles or squirt guns with diluted watercolor or food coloring, set up a canvas or old bedsheet, and let the campers go Jackson Pollock on it.
It’s physical, it’s fun, and they get to say they made “art by shooting stuff.”
For boundary, set clear zones so the trees , and your face , don’t become accidental targets.
We had one camper turn this into a target game called “Hit the Rainbow.” Pure dopamine.
29. Memory Jar Labels
Each camper gets a jar and throughout the week, they write one note per day to put inside. It could be:
- A funny moment
- A new friend’s name
- Something they learned
- A mood or feeling
On the last day, they decorate a custom label and lid. Then they shake the jar and read the notes like summer confetti.
Use colorful paper scraps or pre-cut “memory slips.” The more color, the more festive the vibe.
One kid called hers “The Happy Jar I Open When Life is Boring.” Honestly? Same.
30. Collaborative Camp Mural
The finale. A giant mural created by everyone. Stretch a long paper roll or hang a huge sheet, and assign sections or themes , “Best Camp Memory,” “Nature,” “Campfire Stories,” “Inside Jokes,” etc.
No rules. Just music playing, paint flying, laughter echoing, and a giant shared story coming to life.
Add a date + camp name somewhere , it turns the mural into a time capsule.
Last year’s mural had everything from a three-eyed raccoon to a beautifully drawn night sky labeled “Where I Felt Brave.” It stayed up till the last camper left.
What Makes These Projects Actually Work?
Here’s the deal. I’ve run enough camps to know that no project is foolproof. Some kids will hate glue. Some will eat it. But the secret isn’t the project , it’s how you frame it:
- Give choices. Let them feel in control.
- Don’t chase perfection , celebrate weird.
- Show your own excitement. If you’re bored, they will be too.
One summer, I had a group of “too-cool” 13-year-olds groaning at “rock painting.” I challenged them to create “cursed relics” that told spooky backstories. Guess who stayed late to finish?
Final Tip
Art at camp isn’t about the final piece. It’s about the process.
The mess, the giggles, the “oops,” and the “aha!”
Give them the space to create, mess up, laugh, and try again. That’s the real masterpiece.
If you’re planning a summer of art , print this list, scribble your own spin on it, and just roll with it. Because in the end, when campers look back, they won’t remember what they made. They’ll remember how it made them feel.
And maybe , just maybe , they’ll keep that rock named Spaghetti forever.