35 Free Summer Crochet Projects for Kids

If you’re wondering what to crochet during summer, this list of 35+ free summer crochet projects for kids is a great place to start!

Below you’ll find plenty to keep both you and your kiddos busy this summer!

Crochet pattern round up for 35 free summer crochet patterns for kids

I crochet all year round because I like to keep my hands busy.

During the summer, a small crochet project bag goes with me wherever I go. Whether it’s to the beach, camping, or on a short drive, I never run out of crochet ideas for summer.

small crochet project bag on the beach

And I hope with this fantastic list of summer crochet projects below, you won’t either!

Summer crochet projects for kids including water bottle holders and crochet sunhat.
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What can I crochet for hot weather?

If you stumbled upon this round-up of summer crochet projects, you must be asking “What can I crochet for hot weather?”, or “What can I crochet during summer?”.

In this crochet pattern round up, I’ll show you that the answer to those questions is “Just about anything!”.

This curated round up of free summer crochet patterns will help keep both you and your kiddos busy this summer.

Browse the topics below to find your next summer crochet project!

Summer Crochet Wearables to Keep Kids Cool

Help keep kids cool and shield them from the sun’s rays this summer by making them a summer crochet wearable.

The following are different projects you can crochet to help keep kids cool during the summer. Make a crochet cover up, tank top, or sunhat, using a cotton or cotton blend yarn, to keep your kiddos cool at the beach or by the pool.

young girl modeling a crochet swim cover up in beige

Summer Lovin’ Crochet Cover Up

Make your own crochet beach cover up and show off your personal style at the beach or poolside this summer.

Both adult and kids sizes are included so you can make a matching mommy & Me set! – Crochet Pattern by A Crocheted Simplicity

young girl modeling a white and yellow crochet beach cover up

Sunny Days Crochet Swim Cover Up

Make a matching dolly & me, or mommy & me set with this crochet swim cover up pattern. The pattern includes the following sizes: 18″ doll, four kids sizes, and four adult sizes.

This versatile crochet pattern is also cute as a summer crochet tunic for adults. – Crochet Pattern by A Crocheted Simplicity

granny stitch crochet tank top for girls

Crochet Granny Stitch Tank Top

This cute little crochet tank top for girls is beginner-friendly and is made using worsted weight yarn. Use a cotton or cotton blend yarn to keep it cooler to wear during the hot summer months. – Crochet Pattern by Repeat Crafter Me

Young girl modeling a crochet tank top

Bayside Crochet Tank Top for Girls

This cute summer crochet tank top pattern is perfect for young girls who love to stay cool. The summer crochet top pattern includes sizes 2T through 12 years. – Crochet Pattern by Blackstone Designs

Young girl on the beach modeling a bright yellow crochet sunhat

Makin’ Lemonade Crochet Sun Hat

The Makin’ Lemonade Sun Hat was designed to coordinate with the Sunny Days Crochet Beach Cover Up Pattern above. I used a tape yarn, but testers substituted worsted weight cotton yarns and their sun hats worked up beautifully. Sizes include 18″ doll through Adult. – Crochet Pattern by A Crocheted Simplicity

linen stitch crochet sunhar for kids

Linen Stitch Crochet Sun Hat

When my daughter was younger she loved when I made her and her doll, a crochet sunhat. This linen stitch crochet sun hat pattern was her favorite for summer. I made little butterfly appliques to add a little more summer fun!

This free crochet sun hat pattern includes 4 sizes: 18″ doll, baby, toddler, and child. – Crochet Pattern by A Crocheted Simplicity

Crochet baby shark sunhat

Baby Shark Crochet Sun Hat

This cun crochet hat with a brim is perfect to help keep the sun off your wee ones. This adorable baby shark crochet sunhat pattern includes 3 sizes, baby , toddler, and child. – Crochet Pattern by JO to the World

Crochet Patterns for Ice Cold Treats

Freeze pops, cold drinks, and ice cream are the quickest way to cool you down from inside out.

In the hot summer heat, these cold treats sweat and can become too cold for small hands.

Kids will love the following summer crochet patterns for their cool summer treats.

Crochet crayon water bottle cozies in 6 colors

Crayon Crochet Water Bottle Holder

Now kids can carry their water with color with the Crayon Crochet Water Bottle Holder pattern! The cute scribble strap adds to the fun and the crochet button closure ensures the bottle won’t slip out. – Crochet Pattern by Crystalized Designs

fruit slices ice pop holders

Fruit Slices Crochet Ice Pop Holder

I love these little fruit slice crochet ice pop holders. They also double as crochet napkin holders and will look super cute on your picnic table. – Crochet Pattern by Blackstone Designs

crochet alligator popsicle holder

Crocodile Freeze Pop Holder

This crochet crocodile freezie holder pattern makes a great gift for kids. It will keep their hands from getting cold and the freeze pop juice from dripping everywhere! But hurry! The crocodile may eat the freeze pop before your kiddo does! – Crochet Pattern by JO to the World

Crochet mermaid water bottle cozy

Mermaid Crochet Water Bottle Cozy

Perfect for summertime activities such as hiking, a trip to the zoo, or an amusement park, the mermaid crochet water bottle cozy pattern will be loved by all. – Crochet Pattern by 5 Little Monsters

monster crochet popsicle holders

Monster Crochet Popsicle Holder

Friendly little crochet monsters that will help you hold your cold treats. Quick to crochet and easy to personalize for every kiddo. – Crochet Pattern by Blackstone Designs

crochet sunflower popsicle holder

Flower Crochet Freeze Pop Holder

This cute flower is a quick and easy freeze pop holder crochet pattern. Hold your freeze pop without your hands getting cold! – Crochet Pattern by JO to the World

Summer fruit crochet ice cream cozies

Fruity Crochet Ice Cream Cozy

Make cute crochet ice cream cozies to keep your sweet treats cold this summer, and to keep the frost bite off your fingers. – Crochet Pattern by Blackstone Designs

unicorn crochet ice pop holders

Unicorn Crochet Ice Pop Holders

Unicorns really DO exist (in the minds of our youth, of course)! Easily customize these beginner-friendly crochet popsicle holder pattern. – Crochet Pattern by Blackstone Designs

Americana themed crochet popsicle holders

Americana Crochet Ice Pop Holder

Sparklers, sprinklers, and ice pops, kiddos will love celebrating the Fourth of July with these Americana Ice Pop Holders! These cute red, white, and blue freeze pop holders also make super cute napkin holders. – Crochet Pattern by Blackstone Designs

Summer Crochet Patterns to Beat the Heat

Next, I’ll share several fun crochet patterns to keep your kids active and busy this summer.

Whether it’s a beautiful sunny day, or a cool rainy day, these crochet games are guaranteed to help you beat the summer heat!

crochet water balloons

Crochet Water Balloons

Water balloons on a hot summer day are almost as fun for kids as hearing the ice cream truck come down the road!

Back when I was a kid, it would take my brother and I hours to fill enough water balloons to have just 5 – 10 minutes of outdoor fun and now they sell rapid-filing, self-sealing balloons. You still have to clean up all the little pieces when you’re done though. And that takes longer than the water balloon fight lasts.

Megan came up with a genius idea for all of us… Reusable Crochet Water Balloons! No filing required, simply toss them in a bucket of water and they’re ready for fun! Use them over and over and over again. – Crochet Pattern by Left in Knots

crochet picnic set for kids

Crochet Stuff & Spill Picnic Basket

The Stuff & Spill Picnic Basket is perfect for indoor and outdoor summer play for babies and toddlers. Babies will love playing with the soft plushies, while toddlers will have fun stuffing and spilling the picnic basket over and over again. – Crochet Pattern by Left in Knots

Cute crochet tic tac toe game with a tracvel bag

Tic Tac Toe Crochet Game

This Tic Tac Toe crochet game is perfect for long summer road trips, rainy days indoors, and to take along on camping trips. The pieces attach with magnets so they don’t get lost along the way! – Crochet Pattern by Nicki’s Homemade Crafts

cute crochet fishing game for kids

Rainbow Fishing Game

Do your kiddos love fishing? They’re guaranteed to catch a fish this summer with the Rainbow Fishing Game. Another fun take along crochet game to keep your kiddos busy both indoors and out this summer! – Crochet Pattern

crochet toy football

Crochet Football

Your kiddos will have a ball this summer playing catch with a crochet football. Made with yarn, this crochet football is soft and perfect for all ages. – Crochet Pattern by Left in Knots

indoor snowball fight crochet game pattern

A Snowball Fight During the Summer?

You can have a snowball fight, indoors and outdoors, all year round with snowballs crocheted using super soft blanket yarn and a little stuffing. – Crochet Pattern by Eye Love Knots

Summer Crochet Bags to Carry Kids’ Favorite Items

Crochet your kiddos a sun summer crochet bag so they can carry around all of their favorite summer momentos.

Whether they need a crochet backpack, crochet backpack purse, or a small crossbody crochet bag, you’ll find several different styles below to choose from.

mini crochet backpack with drawstring

Drawstring Mini Crochet Backpack

Accent this cute little mini-backpack with your child’s favorite colors. My niece loved that she could choose the colors for the small crochet backpack purse I made her. And the crochet rope pattern I used for the straps are soft so they won’t make your shoulders sore. – Crochet Pattern by A Crocheted Simplicity

fish crochet beach backpack

Fish Beach Bag Crochet Backpack Pattern

When your kiddos are old enough to help carry their favorite summer toys to the beach, this cute fish beach bag crochet backpack is perfect! You can use store bought cording, or crochet your own rope! – Crochet Pattern by Winding Road Crochet

mini crochet backpack with a zipper

Mini Crochet Backpack Purse

Mini-backpacks are the perfect size bags to take on short adventures when all you’ll need to carry are a few small items. They’ll easily hold a pair of sunglasses, small bottle of sunscreen, bug spray, chapstick, cell phone, earbuds, among other small items. 

The best part about this free crochet backpack pattern is that it has a zipper to keep everything in! – Crochet Pattern by A Crocheted Simplicity

small sun shaped crochet bag

Pocket Full of Sunshine Crossbody Crochet Bag

This fun crossbody crochet bag pattern is the perfect size crochet bag to hold the cool rocks, seashells, and beach glass your kiddos collect!

It’s also big enough to hold your cell phone and car keys. – Crochet Pattern by Blackstone Designs

unicorn crochet earbud holder keyring hanging from a backpack

Unicorn Crochet Earbud Holder

When Claire was into unicorns, she was always asking me if I could crochet a unicorn this or that. So, when she needed to have earbuds with her daily at school, I made her this little unicorn crochet earbud case. I attached it to a keyring with a clasp to make it easy for her to clip it to her backpack. – Crochet Pattern by A Crocheted Simplicity

peach and white crochet earbud bolder keyring

Crochet Air Pod Case

My daughter asked for a crochet air pod case to hold the air pods she bought with her birthday money. I added a keyring with a lobster clasp so she could easily hook it to her backpack or lanyard.

Don’t use earbuds? Not a problem! This small crochet project is perfect for holding many other things such as chapstick, chargers, fidget spinners, ansd more! – Crochet Pattern by A Crocheted Simplicity

Small crochet watermelon coin purse zippered pouch

Watermelon Crochet Coin Purse

This cute watermelon crochet coin purse reminds me of a cute little apple shaped coin purse I had as a young girl. I loved being able to carry around my small possessions. – Crochet Pattern by Raffamusa Designs

crochet ice cream cone keychains

Ice Cream Cone Crochet Keychain

Customize this free crochet ice cream cone pattern by using your child’s favorite color. They’ll love to adorn their backpack or bag with such a cute handmade keychain. – Crochet Pattern by The Friendly Red Fox

Embellish your Summer Crochet Projects

Use any of the following fun summer crochet appliques to embellish your summer crochet projects for kids. You’ll surely put a smile on their faces!

crochet appliques for summer whales, starfish, flip flops, sailboat

Summer Crochet Applique Set

This cute summer crochet applique set includes six crochet patterns: crochet flip flop applique pattern (in 3 sizes), a crochet whale applique, a crochet starfish applique pattern, and a crochet sailboat applique pattern. – Crochet Pattern by A Crocheted Simplicity

crochet butterfly appliques in 2 sizes

Crochet Butterfly Pattern

This free crochet butterfly pattern includes two sizes (as shown above). Make a crochet butterfly to embellish a sun hat, small purse, or the pocket of a cardigan. – Crochet Pattern by A Crocheted Simplicity

crochet cherry appliques

Crochet Cherry Applique

These cute little crochet appliques would be so cute on a little one’s crochet sun hat. Make a crochet cherry applique to embellish sun hats, t-shirts, dresses, bags, blankets, and more. – Crochet Pattern by Golden Lucy Crafts

strawberry crochet applique

Crochet Strawberry Applique

Strawberries are among my favorite summer fruit and this sweet little crochet strawberry applique reminds me of strawberry picking with my mom as a young girl. I think these little crochet appliques would be super cute on a small crochet purse. – Crochet Pattern by Golden Lucy Crafts

ice cream cone crochet appliques

Crochet Ice Cream Cone

Ice cream is a child’s favorite summer treat and these super cute little crochet ice cream cones are the perfect summer crochet appliques to add to summer crochet projects for kids! – Crochet Pattern by Raffamusa Designs

More Summer Crochet Patterns

I hope you’ve found lots of summer crochet ideas from the 35 free summer crochet patterns above, but if you’re looking for more, check out a few of the premium crochet patterns that are available in my Ravelry & Etsy shops.

Mandala Butterfly Girls Crochet Vest
Girls Butterfly Crochet Vest – Ravelry | Etsy (aff)
monster themed crochet kids swim cover ups
Friendly Little Monsters Crochet Cover Up – Ravelry | Etsy (aff)
Young girl modeling a crochet chevron tank top
Chasing Chevrons Crochet Tank Top, Tunic & Sundress for Girls – Ravelry | Etsy (aff)
4 pair of chevron crochet baby sandals on burlap sack
Chasing Chevrons Baby Crochet Sandals – Ravelry | Etsy (aff)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT TO CROCHET DURING SUMMER?

WHAT IS THE BEST YARN TO USE FOR A SUMMER CROCHET PROJECT?

  • There isn’t one right answer for this question as it really depends on what the summer crochet projects are.
  • Cotton, bamboo, and linen yarns are my favorite to use for summer crochet projects because they are cooler and more breathable than others.
  • You can find 100% cotton yarns and cotton blend yarns in all yarn weights ranging from fingering weight to super bulky weight.
  • I personally avoid using wool, wool blends, and acrylic yarns for summer crochet patterns because they are such warm fibers.

What crochet items sell in the summer?

  • Small crochet projects typically sell best at craft fairs during the summer. Here are a few of my favorite and most popular crochet ideas.
  • Small crochet kitchen sets such as the Sun’s Out Dish Scrubby & Hello Sunshine Kitchen Towel, are great small crochet projects to sell at craft fairs during the summer.
  • If you’re looking to sell crochet for kids, you can’t go wrong with crochet water balloons (free pattern linked above)! They are one of the most popular summer crochet projects that sell in the summer.
  • Crochet popsicle holders are also quick and easy summer crochet makes that sell well at craft fairs. – See free crochet patterns above.
  • Sunhats are also quick easy summer crochet projects that sell well. You can personalize them by adding fun crochet appliques such as a crochet butterfly, crochet flip flops, a whale, starfish, or cute little crochet sailboat.

I hope this round-up of 35 Free Summer Crochet Projects for Kids has answered your burning question “What can I crochet for summer?”. As you can see, the options are endless!

Did you find a pattern or two that has inspired you? Make sure to pin this round up on Pinterest to save it for later!

Please share your finished ACS projects with us in the A Crocheted Simplicity Crochet Community Group on Facebook! Use hashtag #ACrochetedSimplicity when sharing on social media so I can find your posts!

Happy Crocheting, Jennifer

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