More Children’s Winter Activities
Children’s Winter Activities: Treats
Allergy Alert: Check for allergies before allowing kids to create or consume these snacks.
Popcorn Snowmen
Ingredients:
- 6 cups popped popcorn
- a large package of marshmallows
- a half cup of margarine
- candy decorations
- plastic sandwich bags
On low heat or in a microwave oven, melt a large package of marshmallows and a half cup of margarine. Stir well, then add six cups of popped popcorn. Mix well. You may add more popcorn to make the mixture less sticky, but make sure the popcorn sticks together well enough for children to mold.
Let the mixture cool to room temperature. Give each child plastic sandwich bags to use as gloves and a mound of the mixture to form into a snowman. Children can add candy features with M&M’s candies, gumdrops, licorice whips, and pretzel sticks for the face, buttons, and arms. Provide plastic sandwich bags if children will be taking their snowmen home.
Snowball Treats
Ingredients:
- peanut butter
- powdered sugar
- coconut flakes
Mix equal amounts of peanut butter and powdered sugar. Add more powdered sugar if needed to make the dough less sticky. Have the children roll the dough into balls, then roll in coconut flakes to make snowball treats.
Snow Angels
Ingredients:
- gelatin set inside cookie sheets
- gingerbread-people-shaped cookie cutters
- whipped topping
- paper plates
- spoons
Have children use spoons to spread whipped topping on a paper plate. Then help children cut out one or two gingerbread shapes from the gelatin. After children place their gingerbread shapes in the whipped topping “snow,” have them use their fingers to make angel wing prints in the snow.
As the children eat their snow angel treats, encourage them to thank God for all the seasons.
Children’s Winter Activities: Crafts
Glittery Snow People
Age Level: Preschool to kindergarten
Materials:
- white clay or homemade craft dough
- silver or white glitter
- paper plates
While children each form a snowperson out of clay or dough, talk about the beauty of winter. Encourage the children to pray with you and thank God for loving people in all the seasons. Help the children roll their snow people in silver or white glitter scattered on a paper plate.
Snow People
Age Level: All ages
Materials:
- newsprint
- scissors
- pencils
- markers
- poster putty
Have each child lie down on a length of newsprint. Kids can help one another trace their shapes. Help younger children cut out their shape.
Have the children use markers to make their facial features, hair, and clothing. Write across the chest of each child’s shape: “Wash me and I will be whiter than snow.” – Psalm 51:7. Fasten the “snow people” to a hallway with poster putty.
Friendship Snowflakes
Age Level: Elementary ages
Materials:
- white paper
- scissors
- tape
Have each child fold an 8½×11-inch sheet of white paper into quarters—and once or twice again. Show the children how to cut shapes from the folds in the paper. Have children unfold their paper to reveal a snowflake pattern. Next, have children cut apart their snowflakes on the quarter-fold lines.
Each child will keep one-quarter of their snowflake and exchange the other three parts with friends in the class. Help the children tape their four pieces of snowflake together to form unique snowflakes. Tell the children their friendship snowflakes will remind them that they have friends in Christ who’ll help them when they need a friend.
Handprint Snowflakes
Age Level: Elementary ages
Materials:
- white paper
- scissors
- pencils
Celebrate kids’ unique individuality with this fun craft. Have the children trace their handprints onto whitepaper. Then have children cut out and fold their hands two or three times while cutting a few shapes from each fold. When the children unfold their handprints, they’ll see a unique snowflake design.
Discuss how different and how beautiful each child’s snowflake turned out. Stress that God has made each of us unique, special, and beautiful.
Snow Globes
Age Level: Preschool to kindergarten
Materials:
- an empty, clean plastic peanut butter jar with a lid for each child
- plain paper cut into 1×6-inch strips
- scissors
- pencils
- glue
- plastic confetti in winter shapes
- water
Write on a 1×6-inch strip of paper, “Thank you, God, for winter!” Have children each glue a strip to the bottom of their jar. Then have kids place plastic confetti inside the jars. The confetti comes in shapes such as snowflakes, snowmen, and smiley faces (at your local craft store or online). Add water to within an inch of the top of the jars and close the lids tightly.
Show children how to shake their snow globes to watch the confetti shapes move.
