Winter is the time of Snow! When it isn't around all the time and making it difficult to get to and from work, snow is so much fun. Build snow forts, igloos, snowmen, and have snowball fights! Go sledding and make snow angels. However, once you're frozen to your core from playing outside, the fun can continue inside where it's warm with some winter crafts. There are plenty of snow-themed crafts to keep you busy until the kids say, "you ready to go back outside??"
Paper Plate Snowman 1
Use the back of a white paper plate as your snowman's face. You're already almost done! Add buttons for the mouth and eyes. Googly eyes always do well for eyes instead of buttons if you'd like. As an alternative to the buttons for the mouth, you can use black construction paper to look like rocks or coal. Add a "carrot" nose and a black hat from construction paper. Construction paper could make suitable eyes too and also a way to add some color by making the eyes blue. With that your snowman is done and all smiles!
Paper Plate Snowman 2
Two paper plates make your snowman's body. Fill these paper plates in with cotton balls to add a cool snow effect. Then, use white construction paper to make a smaller ball for the snowman's head. Add accessories like your carrot nose and eyes. Since you have a whole snowman body, you can also add stick arms or construction paper mittens! I have twins, so we generally make two of everything. The cool thing about that is you end up with added decoration with which you can create decorative scenes or "snow families" as my boys say.
Penguin Hands
It's nice to always include a craft that doubles as a keepsake with which you can look on for years to come and say, "aww, look how small their hands were!" This craft fits that need for our winter crafts. Trace your kids' hands on black construction paper and cut them out. Add a white circle to the center of the hand. Then above the circle, at the edge of the palm, add an orange construction paper beak and 2 googly eyes. Sure your penguin has 3 legs...but no one is going to notice that because the end result is just too adorable.
Popsicle Snowman
Glue 7 or so Popsicle sticks side by side. Paint the bottom 2/3 of the sticks white and the top 1/3 black. The black part is going to be the snowman's hat, so you can paint at an angle to give a tilt to the hat. On the white part, add dots for eyes and a mouth along with your carrot nose. Then, add a black stick horizontally across the dividing point between the black and white paint. This last stick acts as the brim of the snowman's top hat.
Marshmallow Snowman
Ready for a winter craft that doubles as a tasty treat? Time for a marshmallow snowman. Pile 3 marshmallows on top of each other. Add pretzels sticks as arms and broken bits of chocolate for buttons. Lastly, find brightly colored candies to act as your blue eyes, red mouth, and orange nose. Or, in lieu of candies, I don't think anyone would complain if the face was made out of chocolate too! Either way, your kids end up happy!
Pine Cone Bird Feeder
Now that you've had a marshmallow snowman snack, don't forget the birds that have a hard time finding food when there's snow on the ground. Making a pine cone bird feeder is a great way to help them out while having fun with your kids at the same time. Spread peanut putter around on a pine cone, sprinkle bird seed onto the peanut butter, where it will stick. Then, hang your bird feeder where the birds can find it.
Paper Snowflakes
This is one of our favorite winter crafts, and you can get very creative with it. Fold paper and whittle away at it. When you unfold the paper, you'll have created an elaborate snowflake. If you make plenty, each with different designs, they make great decoration for a room.
Popcorn Snowman
Spread popcorn out on a piece of paper and shape it into the figure of your snowman. Glue it down, which can be a bit tedious. Once you've gotten through that, draw on (or glue on) accessories. Since there's glue, be sure the kids know this selection from our winter crafts isn't a snack.
Q-tip Snowflake
Find a sky blue colored piece of construction paper and cut out a circle of it wider than the length of a Q-tip. Then, glue a Q-tip down the middle of the circle. Cut (or break) other Q-tips and add them diagonal and perpendicular to the first to make a full, rounded snowflake.
Our suggestion? Do these crafts in stages to keep giving you excuses to go back inside and get warm. I'm not sure what the chemical makeup of kids is exactly, but cold doesn't seem to phase them. The same cannot be said for our tired old parent bones. So, come back in, thaw out. Have some coco and make another craft. The kids won't mind because they'll have fun either way. You though? You'll know that your master plan of not dying of hypothermia is working as you put together a non-ice version of a snowman.
Make your winter crafts and share pics with us. Remember, we have craft suggestions for every occasion throughout the year.