A Summer “Mom Break” Idea: Simple Side-by-Side Crafting With Kids (No Prep, No Pressure)
This is not about ‘me time’, its about slowing down and actually enjoying the ‘us’ time.
If you’ve ever felt like summer means constantly planning activities, keeping kids busy, or trying to turn every moment into something educational, here’s a gentle shift in perspective:
You don’t need more structured activities.
You might just need more shared moments of simple creativity.
This is your invitation to take a different kind of Mom Break—one that involves glue sticks, scraps of paper, and kids who are happily making something right next to you.
Not for a goal. Not for a lesson.
Just for the joy of creating together.
If you’re not good at crafts, that’s okay. Or your good and your kids did not inheritate that skill from you…also okay. You might want to read what I’ve written about that too…https://sillygeesepublishing.com/why-arts-and-crafts-are-important/
Or not, just be open and honest and take the perfectionist pressure off of everyone, including yourself.
What Is a “Mom Break” in the Summer?
A Mom Break isn’t about stepping away from your kids.
It’s about stepping into something simple with them.
Instead of trying to organize the perfect craft or manage a complicated project, you sit down side by side and make things together.
No leading. No correcting. No “helping them do it right.”
Just creating in the same space at the same time.
Sometimes you talk. Sometimes you don’t.
Sometimes you make something recognizable.
Sometimes it turns into a purple giraffe spaceship and everyone agrees that’s exactly what it was supposed to be.
Why Side-by-Side Crafting Works So Well
Children don’t always need structured instruction to be engaged.
Often, what they really want is:
- Your presence nearby
- Permission to experiment
- Space to create freely
- A shared experience, not a performance
When you craft side by side, something shifts.
It stops being “an activity to get through” and becomes a shared rhythm of creativity.
And surprisingly, it often leads to longer attention spans, fewer interruptions, and more natural conversation.
Not because it’s managed—but because it’s shared.
You might try putting on some soft or loud music, it’s your choice. We have days when soft music takes away the need to talk, some days when the talk is nonstop– I Like those days best, and days when we are all standing around the craft table dancing a in place as we create…each of these moments become a core memory of time spent with mom.
Simple Side-by-Side Craft Ideas for Summer
You don’t need fancy supplies or elaborate prep. In fact, the simpler, the better.
Try keeping a small basket of basics nearby:
paper, crayons, scissors, glue sticks, and whatever scraps you already have.
Then try ideas like:
1. Summer Collage Stories
Use old magazines, scrap paper, or drawings to create a “story” without words. Each person builds their own version.
2. “Silly Animal” Drawing Challenge
Draw the silliest animal you can imagine. No erasing. No fixing. Just fun combinations.
3. What Summer Sounds Like
Draw or color what you hear outside—ice cream trucks, sprinklers, birds, laughter, wind.
4. Free Build Crafting
Put out random supplies and see what each person creates. No instructions needed.
5. Coloring Together, Differently
Print the same coloring page and see how differently each person interprets it.
A Note About “Helping” and “Teaching”
One of the quiet gifts of side-by-side crafting is this:
You don’t have to turn every moment into instruction.
You’re not there to fix or guide every decision.
You’re simply there to share the space.
Children often learn creativity, confidence, and problem-solving best when they are given room to try things without constant correction.
And honestly? Adults benefit from that kind of space too.
A Lighthearted Truth About “Mom Breaks”
Some people insist a strong cup of coffee is essential before doing anything productive in the morning.
If that’s you, I fully respect it.
If it’s not you… that’s fine too.
This isn’t about caffeine.
It’s about carving out small pockets of time where you sit down, breathe a little, and make something just for the joy of it— coffee or no coffee, glitter or no glitter, its up to you.
The only requirement is that you enjoy it.
Final Thought
You don’t need to turn summer into a schedule of activities to make it meaningful.
Sometimes the most memorable moments come from sitting on the floor with scraps of paper, a glue stick that’s a little too sticky, and a child proudly announcing that their creation is “definitely a dragon rocket ship.”
And you just nod, because it absolutely is.
Looking for More Simple Summer Craft Ideas?
If you’re wanting easy, low-prep ways to keep creativity flowing this summer, you’ll find printable activities, coloring pages, and simple craft ideas in my Free Resources Page—ready for those moments when you just want something fun to do together without overthinking it. Sign up for my newsletter for access to the Free Resources Page. I send the password in every newsletter.
