Take it from the farmer’s market—summer is peak cherry season! Why not celebrate nature’s bounty with a whole week of activities devoted to the sweet-tart fruit? Its bold color, delicious taste, and summer-y vibe make it a great summer party theme, and the perfect inspiration for activities, décor, and of course, tasty treats!

 

Cherry Crafts

Cherry Beads

It wouldn’t be camp without friendship bracelets! String two round red beads and two green bugle beads together the right way and bam, you’ve got the cutest beaded cherry! (For a how-to, click here.) The summer-y symbol looks great on a necklace or bracelet. Design jewelry that focuses on the cherry itself, or add it to a bracelet that spells out a name or sweet saying like ma cherie or mon cheri. It’s a fun craft for a crafternoon, party or a playdate, and they make great DIY gifts.

 

Cherry Balloons

Here’s a fun craft you can use as decor at a summer party—or just to brighten up the room or yard for a bit—turn two red balloons and some green paper into a pair of cherries! (Click here for the how-to and the printable leaf template.) Make several and you can tape them to the wall as fun decor or a photo backdrop!

 

Craft Cherries

There are so many ways to create cherries! Make red thumbprints using a stamp pad and connect them with green marker. Or, craft cherries out of pom poms and pipe cleaners. It’s a fun and easy craft that can also be turned into a garland, decor, or gift tag.

 

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Cherry Placemat Craft

Whip up these cherry “pies” for a fun craft project you can use as witty decor—or a great DIY gift. For the template to this no-sew felt project (just use glue!), click here.

 

You can make a whole pie to use as a placemat or trivet, or cut one up into several slices as coasters. Either way, it’s the perfect DIY hostess gift for someone who is sweet enough to host you for a summer party or weekend.

 

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“Cherry” Pie Boxes

All you need is some card stock and our downloadable templates, and you can fold cute boxes that look just like a slice of cherry pie! Make ahead to fill with candy as favors for a party, or have kids fold their own as an activity. They can collect summer souvenirs inside or fill them with DIY gifts (like the cherry bead jewelry above). For more cherry fun, print and cut out our pie slice notes and everyone can write letters home from camp or make cards that look like pie slices and take them to-go!

 

This pie placemat is definitely something to be thankful for! Print out the colored template and let everyone choose their playing pieces (nuts, candies, and small fruit all work) for rousing pre-dinner games of Tic Tac Toe.

Cherry Tic Tac Toe

How to keep kids busy while they’re waiting for dinner (or dessert)? Have them play Tic Tac Toe on a cherry-pie-shaped board. Just download our printable pie and they can play with nuts, quarters, foil-wrapped candies, red and white cherries—whatever! To entertain them even longer, print out a blank version and let them color it in.

 

Cherry Activities

If you’re celebrating cherries, you can have contests like

—A cherry pit-spitting contest (who can spit their pit the farthest)

—A cherry eating contest (put five in a bowl, cover in whipped cream and go! The trick is, you can’t use your hands.)

—Checkers with red and white cherries

—Find the cherry using overturned paper cups—a version of three-card monte only with cherries instead of cards!

 

Or, have a daily story hour where you read a kids’ book about cherries:

  • Cherries and Cherry Pits
  • How to Make a Cherry Pie
  • The Legend of the Cherry Queens: A Very Cherry Fairy Tale
  • The Cherry on Top: A Story About Embracing Differences
  • 5 Cherries
  • The View from the Cherry Tree (a mystery for kids in grades 3-7)
  • Life is a Bowl of Cherries: A Book of Food Idioms with Silly Pictures

Cherry Food

Darcy Miller Designs

“Cherry” Toasts

Whether you set out the fixings and let kids play with their food, or you put together these delicious snacks before a party, adorable cherry toasts are the perfect summer appetizer. With a ricotta base, a split cherry tomato as “cherries,” and chives plus basil as the cherry stems and leaf, these are as tasty as they are fun.

 

Darcy Miller Designs

“Cherry”-Topped Cupcakes

You know how the cherry on top is the most talked-about part of a sundae? That same idea works for mini-cupcakes. Dress them up with red, ball-shaped candies (we used sour balls here but there are tons of options!) and stems and leaves made out of green apple sour belts. Or, use gummy cherries instead. Putting them together is a fun activity for kids on a playdate, or, make them ahead, set them out at a party, and they’re dessert that doubles as decor!