Summer break is officially here! While we love the long, sunny days, keeping little ones entertained without hitting the screen-time button can be a challenge.
The good news? You don't need a closet full of expensive art supplies to make summer memories. In fact, some of the best activities are hiding right in your kitchen cabinet.
Today, we’re sharing two easy, kid-friendly summer crafts that repurpose your favorite Bumkins dishware into the ultimate backyard activity gear!
Silicone Cup Mini Greenhouse
The Bumkins Silicone Straw Cup w/ Lid is a summer staple for keeping kids hydrated in the heat, but it also makes the perfect toddler-proof plant incubator! Thanks to the flexible lid that locks in moisture and a sturdy, weighted base that keeps it from tipping, it acts as a micro-greenhouse to sprout summer seeds in record time.
Materials Needed:
🌱 Bumkins Silicone Straw Cup w/ Lid
🌱 Flower seeds (like marigolds) or herb seeds (like basil)
🌱 Potting soil or a few sheets of paper towel
Instructions:
1. Choose Your Adventure: You can do this craft two ways! For the Soil Method, have your child scoop potting soil into the cup and moisten it until it feels like a damp sponge. For the No-Mess Paper Towel Method, simply line the inside walls of the cup with a damp paper towel.
2. Plant Your Seeds: Tuck 2 to 3 seeds into the soil, or press them against the side of the cup between the damp paper towel and the silicone wall.
3. Seal the Greenhouse: Pop the flexible silicone lid on securely. The built-in straw hole provides the perfect touch of natural ventilation, locking in the humidity your seeds need while still letting them breathe!
4. Find the Sun: Place your cup greenhouse in a sunny window and watch bright green sprouts or white roots push outward in just a few days!
5. Watch it Grow: Because the lid creates a self-watering ecosystem, you barely have to water these at all during the sprouting phase.
6. Move to the Garden: Once your sprouts grow tall, simply press the flexible silicone cup to gently pop the root ball out for the garden, and toss the cup straight into the dishwasher! 🌱
Easy-Wash Sidewalk Chalk Paint
If your kids love sidewalk chalk but you're tired of broken, dusty pieces everywhere, this vibrant, homemade chalk paint is a total game-changer. By mixing the paint directly into our First Feeding Sets and Grip Bowls, you get the perfect built-in paint palette to keep all your bright summer colors beautifully organized for little artists.
Materials Needed:
🎨 Bumkins First Feeding Sets and Grip Bowls (or any bowl)
🎨 2 tbsp Cornstarch (per color)
🎨 2 tbsp Washable paint (per color)
🎨 3 tbsp Water (per color)
🎨 Paintbrushes
Instructions:
1. Prep Your Palette: In each of your silicone bowls, combine the cornstarch, washable paint, and water.
2. Stir to Smooth: Let your toddler help stir the mixture until it forms a smooth, liquid paint. It feels like magic as the cornstarch dissolves right into the liquid!
3. Paint the Patio: Hand your little artist a paintbrush and let them transform the driveway, patio, or sidewalk into a giant canvas.
4. Watch it Dry: Watch as the paint goes on bright and vibrant, then dries into a beautiful, matte chalk texture under the summer sun.
5. Hose it Down: When playtime is over, a quick spray of the garden hose washes the paint completely off the pavement.
6. Easy Cleanup: Don't worry about the mess! Our durable silicone dishware is naturally stain-resistant, so the colorful paint rinses right out before going straight into the dishwasher. Zero stains, zero cleanup stress! 🎨
Beyond the beautiful results, these crafts are a win for development. Measuring and mixing the chalk paint ingredients introduces early science and math concepts, while planting seeds teaches little ones about nature and responsibility as they watch their sprouts grow.
The best part? You don’t need a specialized craft kit to make memories, just a little imagination and some simple items you already have lying around the house. Don’t forget to share your beautiful creations with us by tagging @bumkinsbaby on Instagram!
