Home > Summer Ideas and Activities for Kids > Summer Suncatcher Craft for Preschoolers

Summer Suncatcher Craft for Preschoolers

One of our favourite ways to celebrate the arrival of warmer days is with this bright and cheerful sun-themed sun catcher craft,perfect for toddlers and preschoolers. It’s low-mess, easy to prep, and makes a lovely seasonal decorations for your window. Best of all, it’s a great way to talk with your little ones about sunshine, colour, and the changing seasons, no formal lesson required.

Collage of a finnished summer solstice suncatcher made by a preschooler. The other 2 images show the little preschooler making the suncatcher and the materials needed including craft paper and tissue paper.

We first made these suncatchers years ago when my eldest was just a toddler, and every summer since, it’s become a little tradition and one of our favorite ways to celebrate the changing season.

Sun Suncatcher Craft for Kids

Contact paper suncatchers (sticky-back plastic) are so easy to make however you may not have any around. So if you don’t then this method which uses glue and makes the suncatcher more durable, will work just as well and create a beautiful suncatcher to decorate your window. If you do have some contact paper then our method for contact paper suncatchers can be found with our ladybug suncatcher craft. This sun suncatcher is a simple craft for your preschoolers and older toddlers to make and will really brighten up your days.

suncatcher sun made with contact paper and tissue paper on a window

If you are making this sun craft for the summer solstice then pick one of our best books to read with kids to celebrate the summer solstice and read the book together and then make this summer solstice craft to celebrate the longest day of the year.

Why We Love This Craft for Preschoolers

  • Supports fine motor development with peeling and placing tissue
  • Encourages creativity and pattern-making
  • Opens up natural conversations about the sun, light, and colour
  • Easy to adapt for different ages or themes

If you’re exploring summer, weather, or light and shadows with your preschooler this season, this is a great place to start.

Enjoying Simple Seasonal Activities with Your Preschooler?

If you love crafts like this and want more easy, story-inspired ways to explore the seasons with your little one, come take a peek at the Rainy Day Science Book Club.

It’s a monthly printable pack for ages 3–6 that blends:

  • Gentle science themes
  • Nature-based play
  • Beautiful books
  • Easy, hands-on activities designed to fit your week

Start with our Free Starter Pack, filled with printables and ideas for curious little learners.

Materials needed for Sun Contact Paper Suncatcher

We have included affiliate links to some of the products and resources as an associate we may earn from qualifying purchases.

materials needed for a summer suncatcher craft for kids to make.

Check out our summer books for toddlers and preschoolers to read alongside this fun and simple craft for kids.

How to make the Sun Suncatcher with Preschoolers

1. On a piece of yellow paper draw around the large bowl and then draw inside with a smaller bowl add in the rays of the sun like the image below.

template of a sun for a suncatcher craft ready to be cut out.

2. On the orange paper draw around just the 2 bowls to create the centre of the sun.

3. Cut out the circle from the the orange paper and a star shape from the yellow (make sure that you continue the rays down to the inside of the circle).

4. Now you have all the prep done it’s time to let your child tear or cut up some tissue paper to fill in the sun.

preschooler gluing a yellow star shape on a table with a paint brush.

5. Start gluing the outside of the yellow star shape first. Then place the orange ring in place.

A preschooler adding strips of tissue paper to a sun shape from yellow and orange card to create a suncatcher for the summer solstice.

6. Now lay the tissue paper on the sun. Don’t worry if it goes over the edges that’s a good thing!

Preschoolers adding more tissue paper to a suncatcher for a summer craft.

7. Leave the suncatcher to dry and then cut off the excess tissue paper and then attach to the window in direct sunlight.

Summer suncatcher craft

Optional – Hang the sun via some thread or ribbon so that it can turn and catch the sunlight.

More Suncatcher Ideas

More Summer Crafts for Kids

Looking for even more crafts check out these other ideas and activities for kids this summer.

Toddler sitting on the beach in the summer playing with a bucket of sand. Text reads 20+ Simple Toddler and Preschool Summer Activities
Collage of beach crafts for kids including star fish, hand prints, jelly fish and a vacation jar to preserve the memories
Collage of 4 simple summer paper plate crafts for kids of all ages, a shark, scuba mask, sunflower and colourful fish.

Don’t forget to Save or Bookmark this Summer Crafts for Kids to Find Later

Pinterest image for How to Make a Summer Suncatcher Craft with kids.
Logo for the Rainy Day Science Book Club from Rainy Day Mum and Rainy Day Homeschooling.

Discover Science Through Stories!

Grab your FREE Starter Pack from the Rainy Day Science Book Club. Perfect for curious preschoolers who love nature, books, and hands-on fun.

One Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.