Summer Vacation Candy Crafts for Kids of All Ages

School is out for summer. That means you get to spend some quality time with the kids. A lot of quality time. So much time in fact that you might just run out of things to do before the summer is over.

We put together a list of some of our favorite bulk candy crafts to keep kids entertained all summer long. Whether you need something simple to do with your five-year-old or an activity that even tweens won’t roll their eyes at, we’ve got you covered.

For the Little Ones – Ages 3-6

DIY Candy Necklaces – Little ones will love to build their own custom candy necklaces. All you need is some string and any bulk candy with a hole in the middle. Life Savers and Gummi Rings are great options. You can also use Twizzler Bites or full length Twizzlers if you cut them into shorter lengths. Just string you candies and tie the ends together.

Candy Butterflies – These adorable candy butterflies are colorful and easy to make. Simply fill a plastic sandwich bag with Skittles or M&M’s. Use a wooden clothespin to clip the bag in half. That makes the butterfly body.

Then use a marker to draw eyes. Add pipe cleaner antennas. For an extra decorative twist, glue Starburst candies to the front of the clothespin.

For the Kids – Ages 7-10

Candy Rockets – Perfect for summer, these candy rockets are as fun to make as they are to eat. You’ll need Air Heads, Life Savers, and Pop Rocks candy along with some straws. The larger paper straws make the best rockets because they’re the perfect size to fit inside the Life Savers.

This craft does involve some cutting. You’ll need to form a cone shape with the Air Heads to make the top of the rocket. For younger kids, you might want to do this step ahead of time. Get the full tutorial here.

Colorful Candy Bracelet –Turn a stretchy plastic bracelet or hair elastic into a beautiful bracelet. All it takes is some ribbon and some bulk candy. Dubble Bubble bubble gum works best. You can also use Tootsie Roll midges or almost any small individually wrapped candy with twisted ends.

For the Tweens – Ages 11-13

Candy Wrapper Bracelet – The best thing about this craft is that you get to eat the candy first. You can use gum wrappers to make a metallic bracelet, Starburst wrappers for a rainbow of bracelet links, or cut a bigger candy bag into squares to make a truly unique piece of jewelry.

This craft involves a lot of folding, making it too complex for little ones but perfect for tweens and teenagers. Get the full tutorial here.

Custom Airheads – Airheads candies are soft, sweet and tasty. There’s really only one thing that could make them better – cool shapes. Now your tweens and teens can use Airheads Candy to craft custom shapes. Just roll out the Air Heads into longer strips. Weave the strips to make a sheet. Then use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Or a knife for custom shapes. Get the full tutorial here.

With enough bulk candy, you can make it through anything, even the long hot summer vacation.