Snow Activities & Fun Ideas for Kids

snow

You have come to the right place if you are looking for fun, engaging and exciting Snow activities to do with toddlers, preschoolers and kindergartners. Our activities are used by teachers, moms, dads, child care providers and more!

All our activities are available at no cost and are free to print and share. Select below to get started.

Snow Arts & Crafts

arts
Snowflakes
Materials:
Paper
Scissors
White tempera paint
Dish detergent
Toothpicks
Marshmallows

For paper snowflakes, fold a piece of white paper several times. Then make a variety of cutouts along the folds. Open up the piece of paper and it’s a snowflake. If you want to decorate your windows with painted snowflakes do it with white tempera paint and a squirt of liquid dish detergent to make it easier to wash off the windows later. Use a paint brush and a corner of a sponge. Makes snowflakes with toothpicks and miniature marshmallows connected to each other.

Three Dimensional Snowman
Materials:
Blue construction paper
White paint
Sponge
Glitter
Button eyes
Pompoms
Popcorn
Pipe cleaners
Black beans

Sponge paint the snowman shape. Poke two holes to thread yarn through. Cut mittens from folded construction paper and glue to the ends of the yarn. Use construction paper scraps or found objects (buttons, cloth, beans, beads, popcorn) to create a face, hat buttons for snowman. e.g.: cut cloth and pompom for a hat, glue triangle out for a nose, pipe cleaner arms, button eyes, black bean mouth, popcorn buttons.

Frosty Winter scene
Color a scene with crayons, press hard, then paint with white paint. The paint won’t stick to the crayons. sprinkle with clear glitter while paint is still wet.

Whipped Soap Snowman
Empty two to three cups of Ivory Soap in a large bowl. Gradually add just enough boiling water to soap to make it thick and creamy. Make a picture using the whipped soap.

Snowman Craft Ideas
Snowman stick puppets
Torn paper snowman
Cotton ball snowman
Coconut snowman
Splatter paint snowflakes

Toothpick Snowflakes
Glue and arrange on black or dark blue paper. you could paint them white if desired.

Snow Idea
You can use white shoe polish with sponge dispenser for snow.

Drink Mix Jar Snowman
I took those white plastic kool aid jars (the ones that sweetened kool aid comes in, tang, and other drinks)-painted them white and while the paint was still sticky, sprinkled fake snow on them. I dabbed on black paint eyes and buttons, orange nose, tied a plaid fabric “scarf” around the neck and of course filled with little marshmallows. I put the poem on the outside as a tag on the scarf–but added money inside with a note saying “just kidding”

More Snowman Poop
Get a clear ziplock baggie with mini marshmallows and attach the following message, “You’ve been so naughty so here’s the scoop… all you get for Christmas is snowman poop”

Snowmen
(per snowman)
1 tongue depressor
White paint
Black paint
Black felt
Wiggly eyes
Ribbon
Round toothpick
Orange paint

Paint tongue depressor white. When dry – paint the top 1″ black (on both sides) Take a small strip of black felt and make a brim for the hat. Glue around the tongue depressor where black and white line up. Glue on wiggley eyes. Paint tip of toothpick orange and break off making it about 1/2″ long – glue in place for nose (looks like a carrot nose). Make 5 dots below nose with a black marker for the smile. Take a length of ribbon and tie on for the scarf. Make 4 larger dots down underneath the scarf for buttons. Take a length of ribbon and glue to the back of the hat to form a loop for hanging on the tree.

Snow Scenes
Have children draw and color winter scenes. Then have them paint over the entire picture with a mixture of 16 ounces Epsom salts dissolved in 4 ounces of very hot water (or have an adult do it). As the picture dries, frosty crystals will appear.

Ice Candle
You will need:
5 gallon plastic bucket or pail
nonstick cooking spray (optional)
water
candle
Some nice freezing weather

Spray the inside of the bucket with the no-stick spray or rub with a little oil. This helps if you have problems with the ice sticking to the bucket when it’s time to remove. Fill the bucket three quarters of the way full and set outside to freeze. Leave overnight (depending on how cold it is!). In the morning remove the ice block from the bucket. On the bottom there should be an area that is still liquid. Drain out the liquid and slush and turn it over. Allow to freeze for at least for four more hours. The pocket where the water was now makes a great place to insert a candle. Light and place outside in your yard when it’s dark for a beautiful ice “crystal” candle luminary! Be sure to have an adult help you light the candle!

Snow Scene in a Jar
empty small jar ((like a baby food jar)
Hot glue gun
Epoxy glue
Small plastic toy animal (they have them in toy stores everywhere)
White rocks, big pieces of gravel, plastic tree etc.
Glitter (some of the new iridescent ones are beautiful & available at hobby stores)
Water
Food coloring if desired

Use hot glue gun to glue rocks and animal to the bottom of jar. (have an adult help with the glue gun!) Fill with water and add food coloring if desired. Spoon in some glitter and use epoxy glue to glue lid onto jar. Be sure to have an adult help with the epoxy glue. Shake to make it snow!

Bird Treats
Make peanut butter cookie cutter treats for the birds. Take old bread slices and cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Let them dry and harden enough to spread with peanut butter. Cover the peanut buttered shapes with black sunflower seeds and hang outdoors on trees or anywhere birds might come! Use a bird book to identify the birds.

Borax Crystal Snowflake
You will need
string
wide mouth jar
white pipe cleaners
blue food coloring (optional)
boiling water (with adult help)
borax (available at grocery stores in the laundry soap section)
pencil

With a little kitchen science you can create long lasting snowflakes as sparkly as the real ones.
Cut a white pipe cleaner into 3 equal sections. Twist the sections together in the center so that you have a “six-sided” star shape. If your points are not even, trim the pipe-cleaner sections to the same length. Now attach string along the outer edges to form a snowflake pattern. Attach a piece of string to the top of one of the pipe cleaners and tie the other end to a pencil (this is to hang it from). Fill a wide mouth jar with boiling water. Mix borax into the water one tablespoon at a time.

Use 3 tablespoons of borax per cup of water. Stir until dissolved, (don’t worry if there is powder settling on the bottom of the jar). If you want you can add a little blue food coloring now to give the snowflake a bluish hue. Insert your pipe cleaner snowflake into the jar so that the pencil is resting on the lip of the jar and the snowflake is freely suspended in the borax solution. Wait overnight and by morning the snowflake will be covered with shiny crystals. Hang in a window as a sun-catcher or use as a wintertime decoration.

Sparkle Snow Paint
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup water

Mix together and put in a squeeze bottle. Squeeze doughy paint out on to black construction paper. Make anything snowy, snowflakes, snowmen, – we made snow covered mountains
with the moon and northern lights. Let dry thoroughly and it will sparkle. May also be painted (when dry) and allowed to dry again. This is a great 3 dimensional effect for snow.

Three Dimensional Snowmen
Materials:
Blue construction paper
white paint
Sponge
Glitter
Button eyes
Pompoms
Popcorn
Pipe cleaners
Black beans

Sponge paint the snowman shape. Poke two holes to thread yarn through. Cut mittens from folded construction paper and glue to the ends of the yarn. Use construction paper scraps or found objects (buttons, cloth, beans, beads, popcorn) to create a face, hat buttons for snowman. Cut cloth and pompom for a hat, glue triangle out for a nose, pipe cleaner arms, button eyes, black bean mouth, popcorn buttons.

Ice Painting
Materials:
Ice Cubes
Craft Sticks
Tempera Paint powder, Several Colors
Spoon
Heavy paper

To make an ice cube paintbrush poke craft sticks into partially frozen ice cubes. Then continue to freeze solid. Take an Ice cube paintbrush by its handle and rub it back and forth over the powdered color on the paper. Try putting small amounts of other colors on your paper and rubbing those with another ice cube paintbrush. Let dry.

A “Self-sticking” Snowflake
Supplies
A snowflake pattern
Dimensional fabric paint (the kind that squeezes out of a bottle)
Ziploc baggie
Glitter

Put the snowflake pattern in the plastic baggie and zip closed. On the outside of the baggie trace
over the snowflake pattern with the fabric paint. My mom makes me wear old clothes or a craft apron to do this part because it’s easy to get some paint on your clothes. While the snowflake is still wet sprinkle glitter over the paint. Carefully shake off any excess glitter. Let dry. When completely dry peel off the baggy and put it up somewhere where every one can see it!

Cereal Snowflakes
Honeycomb cereal makes great snowflakes.

Snow Scenes
Have the children use white chalk on black paper.

Circle Snowmen
Give the kids a table full of different size white circles, black hats, small cutouts or eyes etc unless they use crayons. Use that clear glitter to make it glitter. Use brads to attach the circles

Snowflakes
materials needed:
Wax paper
Glue
Q-tips
Glitter

Put a quarter size dab of glue on wax paper and then give the child 8 q-tips to lay in the glue (ends that is) and then let the child sprinkle with glue and then let dry for a day. Then peel off the wax paper and hang on the window or hang from the ceiling.

 

Snow Games and Activities

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Shaving Cream Snow
Let the children play with shaving cream and pretend it is snow. They pile it up and make snowmen and all sorts of creations.

Science
See what happens to something plastic in the cold. Take an old plastic soda pop bottle and leave it outside for at least an hour. Then squeeze and see what happens. Why do you think it might have done something different than if it was warm?

Animal Tracks
See if you can find the tracks of dogs, cats, birds, and other wildlife in the snow. Check out a book from your local library on animals and animal tracks and see how many different animal tracks you can identify.

Snow Shoes
Rent, borrow, or buy some snowshoes and see if you can master walking on deep snow. You can even try making your own out of a curved branch and heavy twine. The trick to snow shoes is to be sure and lift your toes up when you try and walk!

Snow Bubbles
Blow bubbles outside, they won’t pop when it’s -30 to -40 degrees below zero outside.

Thermometer
Teach the older children to read a thermometer to check the outdoor temperature daily.
Make snow angels in the snow

Make a Snow Gauge

Take an old clear plastic soda pop bottle and cut off the top half. Mark the outside in centimeters or inches with a permanent laundry marker and place it outside in a place where it can collect the falling snow. Measure how much melted snow it takes to make water. Collect some snow in a container and record the level of snow on the container. Let the snow melt. How much water is there? Are you surprised at the difference?

Make a Glacier
Fill a bowl with snow and bring it inside to partially thaw, and then add more snow on top. Keep doing this all winter long. You will then have the “layers” of ice and snow like a glacier.

Jello in the Snow
Mix jello as per directions on package. Pour into CLEAN baby food jars-one per student. Place containers in a large tub. Together, fill tub with snow. Watch to see when jello sets.

Catch Some Snowflakes
What you will need:
Black velvet or black construction paper
Magnifying Glass
Snow

Since snowflakes melt so quickly you need to freeze your cloth or paper. Have it ready frozen and ready to go for the next snowfall, and go outside and let some snowflakes land on the dark surface. Quickly, before they melt, examine the flakes with a magnifying glass. Many snowflakes are “broken” and so you don’t see the whole six-sided crystal, but with persistence you’ll see some beautiful examples.

Keep Some Snowflakes
What you will need:
Piece of glass
Hairspray (aerosol, NOT pump)
Snow

You can have a permanent record of your caught snowflakes if you freeze a piece of glass and the hair spray before the next snowfall. (Both may be stored in the freezer until you need them.) When your ready to collect some snowflakes, spray your chilled glass with the chilled hairspray and go outside and let some snowflakes settle on the glass. When you have enough flakes bring the glass indoors and allow it to thaw at room temperature for about 15 min. Now you have a permanent record of your snowflakes!

Science
Provide children with spray bottles containing colored water, preferably red, yellow and blue. Allow them to spray the snow and mix colors.

Freeze
Play music and have the children walk around in a circle. When the music stops, the children freeze by standing still in a stooped position.

 

Snow Recipes and Snacks

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Edible Snowmen
My kids always enjoyed making edible snowmen. Marshmallows held together by a toothpick, licorice strip for the scarf, pretzels for the arms, raisins for buttons, candy corn for nose. Make and then eat!

Snowman Poop
We read a story, take a nap and then I leave snowman poop ALL over the >house (mini-marshmallows) and a little puddle of water on the kitchen floor with a top hat and scarf beside it.

Edible Glacier
Make a 6 oz. package blueberry flavored gelatin following package directions. Pour into a pan.
Put in refrigerator until solid (several hours). Crush about 1/2 package of chocolate wafers or chocolate sandwich cookies. Mix with one container of Cool Whip and spread over the set gelatin.
This is the icy blue center of the glacier, with silty snow on top.

Snow “Slush Cones”
Collect some freshly fallen snow and scoop it into bowls. Put a few spoonfuls of frozen juice concentrate on top, and you have your own slush snow cones.

Snow “Ice-cream”
Collect some freshly fallen clean snow and put in a bowl. Sprinkle some sugar in, add some vanilla extract (not too much it’s very strong – about 1/4 teaspoon), and milk. Slush it all together. Add just enough milk to make a nice slushy texture and add as much sugar as your parents will let you get away with! In our house we have bottles of coffee flavoring syrup in various flavors like raspberry and licorice. You can use a dash of these instead of the vanilla extract.

Popcorn Snowmen
15 cups popped popcorn
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 10 oz. packages marshmallows
Thin pretzel sticks, raisin, candy corn, mini jawbreakers, red hots, Gumdrops and fruit leather
Royal icing

Pour the popcorn into a large bowl: set aside. Melt the butter in a nonstick saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the marshmallows, stirring constantly until melted. Pour over the popcorn and stir to coat. When cool enough to touch, rub margarine on your hands and form popcorn balls. Stack three popcorn balls for a snowman. Using icing for glue, add pretzel stick arms, raisin eyes, and a candy corn nose. Arrange mini jawbreakers into a broad grin. For buttons, use gumdrops or red hots. For scarves, cut rectangles out of fruit leather and tie and fringe the ends.
Makes about 5 snowmen.

 

Snow Songs, Poems and Finger Plays

play
Dance Like Snowflakes (Sung to Are You Sleeping)
Dance like snowflakes, dance like snowflakes
In the air, in the air
Whirling, twirling snowflakes
Whirling, twirling snowflakes
Here and there, here and there

Frost (Sung to The Farmer In The Dell)
The frost is on the roof (point hands over head)
The frost is on the ground (point to the floor)
The frost is on the window (make a window with your hands)
The frost is all around (make large circles with hands)

Snowflakes (Sung to Sailing, Sailing)
Snowflakes, snowflakes
Falling to the ground
Each one rests so gently
They never make a sound

Snowflakes, snowflakes
Are so pure and white
The special thing about them is
No two are alike

Snowflakes Falling Down (Sung to Row, Row, Row Your Boat)
Snowflakes falling down
Falling to the ground
Big white fluffy flakes
That do not make a sound

The Wintery Wind (Sung to Happy Birthday)
The winter wind blows
The winter wind blows
It gives me the shivers
From my head to my toes!

Pudgie Little Snowman
A pudgie little snowman
had a carrot nose
Along came a bunny
and what do you suppose.
That hungry little bunny
looking for some lunch
Ate the little snowman’s nose
Nibble, Nibble, CRUNCH!

Making A Snowperson
Roll it, roll it, get a pile of snow. (make rolling motion)
Rolling, rolling, rolling, rolling, rolling we will go.
Pat it, pat it, face it to the south. (patting motion)
Now my little snowperson’s done, eyes, nose and mouth (point to each)

Zippers
Three little zippers on my snowsuit, (hold up three fingers)
Fasten up as snug as snug can be.
It’s a very easy thing as you can see
Just zip, zip, zip! (do three zipping motions)
I work the zippers on my snowsuit.
Zippers really do save time for me
I can fasten them myself with one, two, three.
Just zip, zip, zip! (do three zipping motions)

Two Little Snowflakes
Way up high in the winter sky,
2 little snowflakes caught my eye.
Down to the ground they fell without a sound.
And before very long,
It was snowing all around.

 

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