Author: This easy popsicle stick sun craft is such a fun and cheerful activity for little kids. With bright yellow paint, googly eyes, and a happy smile, this simple sunshine craft is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers during a weather theme, summer unit, or just a sunny afternoon at home.
It’s quick to make, uses basic craft supplies, and turns out so cute every time. It will quickly become one of your favorite sun crafts for sure, because it is so easy for little ones and it turns out adorable.
One of the best things about this craft is how simple it is. Younger kids can help paint the popsicle sticks, glue the pieces together, and add their own silly smile or face. It’s a great activity for practicing fine motor skills in a fun way while still being easy enough to keep frustration levels low for little hands.
Materials Needed for this Summer Art Project
For this easy sun craft, you’ll need popsicle sticks, yellow paint, a paint brush, googly eyes, scissors, a marker, glue, and yellow paper. These are all simple supplies that many families already have at home, which makes this a great last minute craft idea for toddlers or preschoolers.
If you do need to stock up on anything, I’ve listed the supplies below with amazon links for convenience. You can re-use these craft supplies for tonnes of summer crafts too so it’a always worth stocking up especially for summer break.
You don’t need a printable template for this sunshine craft. It’s so simple, you can just draw the sunshine face by hand.
Any type of paint works, but for really little kids or if you want less mess these kwiksticks are great for how easy they are.
How to Make a Popsicle Stick Sun Craft
Start by cutting four popsicle sticks in half. Paint all of the popsicle stick pieces bright yellow and leave them to dry completely before moving on to the next step.
In our photo we’ve used acrylic paint but with younger kids I would recommend washable paint, or even the kwiksticks I linked to above. Acrylic gives a great coverage in one coat but also is hard to wash out of clothes.
While the paint dries, cut a large circle from yellow paper to create the center of the sun.
Once everything is dry, glue the popsicle stick pieces around the back of the yellow circle so they stick out like sun rays. Spread them evenly around the circle to create the sunshine shape.
After that, glue on two googly eyes near the center of the circle.
To finish the craft, use a black marker to draw a happy smile underneath the eyes. You can make the face however you like – silly, sleepy, excited, or extra smiley. Kids always love giving their sun its own personality.
This simple sunshine craft fits perfectly into weather lessons, summer activities, or space and sky themes for preschoolers. It also works really well for daycare, preschool classrooms, or quiet crafting time at home.
You can even turn it into a whole sunshine themed activity day by reading books about the weather, talking about sunny days, or making other bright yellow crafts together. Because the craft is so simple, it’s especially good for younger children who are still learning basic cutting, painting, and gluing skills.
There’s something so fun and happy about making sunshine crafts. The bright colors and friendly face make this little popsicle stick sun extra cute, and kids love seeing the finished project come together so quickly.
Since there are only a few easy steps, it’s a great confidence boosting craft for toddlers and preschoolers.
You can also let kids customize their sun however they want by adding rosy cheeks, extra rays, glitter, or even funny expressions. It also goes perfectly with the saying You are my sunshine, if you wanted to add a slogan to the craft.
More Easy Crafts for Kids
If your kids enjoyed making this popsicle stick sun craft, there are so many other easy preschool crafts to try next. Find your next fun summer craft idea below! Simple weather crafts, paper plate projects, painted popsicle stick creations, and summer themed activities are all great ways to keep little hands busy while encouraging creativity.
- Paper Plate Ice Cream Craft for Kids
- Paper Bag Bald Eagle Craft (Free Printable Template)
- Rainbow Suncatcher Craft With Free Template
- Easy Nature Bee Craft
Be sure to save and share this fun sunshine craft with other parents, teachers, and caregivers who are looking for easy craft ideas for toddlers and preschoolers.
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