Incorporating the time of year into activities with children gives them artistic ways to explore the world as it is around them! Try one of our wintertime activities to combine the snowy joy of winter with the coziness of staying at home.
Snow Paint
One of our favorite winter-y creations, snow paint can be made two different ways! The first is with equal parts shaving cream and white liquid glue mixed together, and the second is with equal parts flour, salt, and water mixed together. This activity is a great opportunity to ask your child questions while they experiment and encourage process art over product art!
What you’ll need:
- shaving cream and white liquid glue OR flour, salt and water
- black or blue construction paper
For extra fun:
- glitter
- nature add-ons (small sticks or evergreen sprigs)
- snowman-ish parts cut from paper
- white chalk or oil pastels
Investigation questions:
- How does the paint feel on your fingers?
- What happens if you mix fast?
- Which tool is working best for you to spread the paint?
- How could we make our paint thicker? Thinner?
- Does the paint remind you of anything?
- Is your paint cold like snow?
Watch the videos below for walk-throughs on how to create each kind of snow paint and readings of The Magical Snow Garden by Tracey Corderoy and The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats!
Arctic Animals Frozen in Ice
A hit with pre-K children, this activity is an educational, engaging way for our youngest friends to work on their fine motor skills as they use saltshakers, pipettes, and other tools to try to rescue frozen animals! Simply freeze plastic animals in ice trays overnight for this easy, fun activity, and consider pairing the activity with an arctic animal book to encourage learning.
What you’ll need:
- small plastic animals
- ice cube tray
- water
- freezer
- pipettes or other ice rescue tools
- saltshaker
This activity can be modified to create “ice eggs” by placing plastic animals inside water balloons, filling the balloons with water, and freezing overnight.
Tree and Pine Cone Provocations
One of our favorite ways to celebrate winter is to bring elements of nature inside for sensory exploration and artistic transformation. Pinecones disappear under snow with white paint and glitter, and twigs become trees in the eye of the artist. This activity is an open-ended exploration and can be guided by probing questions.
What you’ll need:
- elements of nature (branches, leaves, pine cones, pebbles)
- white and blue paint
- glitter
- cotton balls
- scraps of colored paper
Ice Paint
For this activity, you’ll prepare by freezing liquid watercolors in ice trays overnight. When you’re ready to paint, put paper in the bottom of a cake pan or tray and shake the ice cubes around as they melt! You can also try freezing wooden tongue depressors into the cubes to create handles for your color cubes.
What you’ll need:
- watercolor paint
- ice cube tray
- cake pan or tray
- freezer
- wooden tongue depressors
I Built a Little Snowman
Learn and recite this fun chant during your wintertime activities for an extra element of engagement!
I built a little snowman
He had a carrot nose
Along came a bunny,
And what do you suppose?
That hungry little bunny
was looking for some lunch.
He ate that snowman’s nose,
Nibble, nibble, CRUNCH!
Book Recommendations
Bear and Wolf by Daniel Salmieri
This beautifully written story about two unlikely friends who take a walk together in the snowy woods leads to good conversation on perspective and differences. The illustrations are in soothing hues of wintery blues and purples.
The Magical Snow Garden by Tracey Corderoy
When Wellington the penguin sees a picture of a beautiful flower garden in a book, he decided he wants to grow a garden! This story teaches children that with determination and creativity, dreams can come true.
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
Follow Peter as he adventures into a new world covered by snow! This story beautifully depicts a child’s wonder and is perfect for reading together on a cozy winter day.
The Mitten by Jan Brett
While walking through the woods on a snowy day, Nicki drops his mitten without realizing it! Read this warm, humorous story to find out what happens when woodland animals find Nicki’s mitten in the snow.
Dragon’s Extraordinary Egg by Debi Gliori
Set in the land of snow and ice, this heartwarming story follows a dragon and an abandoned egg that become a family despite their differences.
Looking for more activities? Try these 6 Fun and Simple Snow Day Crafts for Kids by Parent Map!
