Winter Crafts and Snow Day Activities for Kids

When it's too cold to stay outside for long, winter crafts are a cosy way to spend an afternoon. These snowy ideas work whether you have real snow or just grey skies, and most use paper, cotton wool and things from the kitchen. Each one includes tips for younger and older children.

Paper snowflakes

The classic winter craft, and no two are the same.

1. Start with a square of thin paper (printer paper or coffee filters work well).
2. Fold it in half diagonally to make a triangle.
3. Fold it in half again, then once more.
4. Snip shapes from the edges: triangles, half circles and notches.
5. Unfold carefully and see your snowflake.

Easier: pre-fold for little ones and let them snip. Harder: fold into thirds instead of halves for six-sided flakes, like real snowflakes.

Cotton wool snowman

Draw three circles stacked on blue paper. Children glue cotton wool balls to fill them, then add a paper hat, scarf, twig arms and button eyes. Toddlers love the soft texture.

Snowy night picture

Paint a winter scene on dark blue or black paper. Dab white paint with a cotton bud or a fingertip to make falling snow. Add a little house with yellow windows.

Handprint penguins

Paint your child's palm black and fingers white (or the other way round), press it on paper and turn it into a penguin with a beak and feet.

Winter suncatchers

Cut a snowflake or mitten shape out of card, stick contact paper behind it and fill it with torn blue, white and silver tissue paper. Tape it to a window.

Paper plate polar bear

Cotton wool or white paint on a paper plate, plus two ears, a black nose and eyes. Add a lolly stick to make a mask.

Ice sculptures

On a freezing night, fill containers with water, a little food coloring and some leaves or berries. Freeze them outside or in the freezer, then turn them out to make colorful ice decorations. Hang an ice "suncatcher" by freezing a loop of string into it.

Puffy paint snow

Mix equal amounts of shaving foam and white glue. Paint it onto a snowman or snowy hill picture. When it dries, it stays soft and puffy. (Supervise younger children so they don't put it in their mouths.)

Mitten matching

Cut out pairs of mitten shapes, decorate them with matching patterns, then mix them up and play a matching game. Great for younger children learning patterns. See our patterns pages for ideas.

Winter coloring

Color winter scenes with snowmen, penguins and cosy hats. For a calm afternoon, try a mandala in blues and silvers.

Snow-day science

If you're lucky enough to have snow:

• Melting race: put snow in three cups and place one in the fridge, one on the counter and one near a radiator. Which melts first?
• Snow painting: fill spray bottles with water and food coloring and paint the snow.
• Snowflake catching: catch flakes on black paper or a dark glove and look closely with a magnifying glass.
• Measure the snow: push a ruler into the snow in different places and record the depths.

Ideas by age

Toddlers (2–3): cotton wool snowmen, sticking tissue paper on contact paper, finger-painted snow.

Preschoolers (3–5): handprint penguins, paper plate polar bears, simple snowflakes with pre-folded paper.

School age (6–9): six-sided snowflakes, puffy paint, ice sculptures and snow science.

Tweens (10+): detailed paper-cut snowflakes, winter landscapes and designing a winter window display.

Snow day plan

Pair crafts with active play and cosy rest:

• Morning: build a snowman or go sledging.
• Late morning: warm drinks and a craft.
• After lunch: quiet time with books and coloring.
• Afternoon: snow science, then a movie or board game.

See winter break activities for more ideas.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Thick paper for snowflakes. It's hard to cut through many folds. Use thin paper.
• Staying out too long. Little hands get cold fast. Come in for warm-up breaks.
• Forgetting to protect surfaces. Cover the table before painting.

Frequently asked questions

How do you make a six-sided snowflake?

Fold a square into a triangle, then fold the triangle into thirds (like a paper cone) before cutting. Real snowflakes have six sides.

What winter crafts can toddlers do?

Cotton wool snowmen, tissue-paper suncatchers and finger-painting snow are all easy and safe with supervision.

What can we do on a snow day with no snow?

Paper snowflakes, cotton wool crafts, winter coloring and a blanket fort make any day feel snowy.

What can older kids make in winter?

Detailed paper-cut snowflakes, ice lanterns made in buckets, winter landscape paintings with salt texture, and a winter nature journal with drawings of tracks and birds.

How do I keep winter crafts from making a mess?

Work on a tray or an old tablecloth, use glue sticks instead of liquid glue, and choose cotton wool or paper over glitter for snowy effects.