Fresh Lemonade! A Sunny Summer Craft

When the weather turns hot, this is my favourite way to end the school year — a craft that looks like summer and teaches it too: lemonade, lemon, ice, cold, hot, summer, drink.

What you need

• Construction paper (a tall “glass” shape, plus yellow for lemons)
• White paint and a small piece of sponge
• One real drinking straw
• Glue, and glitter if you’re feeling brave

Make it together

1. Stamp the ice cubes. Dip the sponge into white paint and stamp square “ice cubes” onto the paper glass. Count them in English as you go — one, two, three ice cubes!
2. Add the lemons. Cut circles from the yellow paper, glue them on top. Slice one in half for style points.
3. Stick the straw. A real straw, glued right on. This is the moment the craft becomes real for a small child.
4. Sparkle. A pinch of glitter — because lemonade fizzes.

The language is in the doing

Narrate everything, slowly and happily: “Dip… stamp! Cold ice. Yellow lemon. Sssss — the straw!” Action words stick when hands are moving: dip, stamp, cut, stick, drink.

When it’s done, “drink” the lemonade together with a loud slurp — “Mmm, cold!” — and hang it somewhere proud.

At home: make real lemonade afterwards and use the same words — lemon, water, cold, sweet, sour. A craft your child can taste twice.