Looking for a super cute, summer-themed craft that’s easy enough for toddlers and fun enough for preschoolers? This DIY popsicle stick craft checks every box—simple materials, mess-free prep, and a colourful result your kids will love showing off on the fridge.
This popsicle craft for kids is not just about cutting and glueing—it’s also a fun fine motor activity thanks to a clever yarn threading twist that mimics popsicle toppings. Bonus? You probably already have everything at home.
Let me show you how we made ours!
What You’ll Need:
- Brown cardstock or cardboard (for the base)
- Coloured construction paper
- Yarn
- Black marker
- Glue stick or school glue
- Scissors
- Hole punch (optional)
Step-by-Step: How to Make This Summer Popsicle Craft
Step 1: Cut out your popsicle shape
Start by cutting two pieces out of your brown cardstock or thin cardboard:
- One oval shape for the top of the popsicle
- One rectangle for the stick
Step 2: Glue the pieces together
Glue the popsicle top and stick together, overlapping just a little so it looks like one solid popsicle shape.
Choose a fun-coloured construction paper and glue it onto the top popsicle part. This becomes your “flavour.” Think: pink for strawberry, blue for bubblegum, yellow for mango—whatever your kid’s pretend favourite is!
Step 3: Draw the toppings and prep your yarn
With a black marker, draw some wiggly lines across the top of the popsicle. These will become your tracing lines— or “sprinkles”! Then, cut the yarn into small pieces (we did halves).
Step 4: Thread the yarn along the lines
Apply some glue along the lines and gently thread the yarn along the black lines. You can either:
- Use a hole punch to help guide the threading (for older preschoolers), or
- Simply glue the yarn over the lines (for toddlers—still looks great!).
Watch It In Action: How We Threaded & Painted the Yarn!
Here’s a quick YouTube video showing exactly how we threaded the yarn and painted it for our popsicle stick summer craft. It’s simple, colourful, and a total hit with preschoolers and toddlers
to see how easy (and fun!) this craft is in real life.
You’ll see how we traced the lines with yarn, added a pop of colour with markers, and turned plain cardboard into sweet pretend summer treats.
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Step 5: Add extra colour
Once the yarn is in place, grab some markers and colour each section of yarn a different colour to create the look of rainbow toppings or sprinkles. This part is super fun and adds a pop of summer flair.
Optional: You can skip the threading part and just colour or paint in the curly lines.
And that’s it—your summer popsicle is ready to show off!
Why This Craft Works for Toddlers & Preschoolers
- Fine motor skills: Cutting, glueing, and threading all help with coordination and finger strength.
- No mess: No paint or glitter required (unless you’re feeling brave).
- Creative play: It sparks imaginary ice cream shop play afterwards.
- Customizable: Kids can choose their favourite “flavour” colours and designs.
More Summer Craft Ideas for Kids
If your little one loved this popsicle stick activity, try these next:
And if you’re feeling like mixing learning with crafting, Happy Tot Shelf has some amazing educational activities that you can try with your toddlers and preschoolers.
Final Tip:
Let your child lead the way—there’s no wrong way to design a popsicle. Whether they make rainbow drizzles or scribbly sprinkles, this craft is about fun, not perfection. Display it proudly or hang a bunch as a “pretend freezer” on the wall!
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