We’re making a fun styrofoam snowman art activity to celebrate the wonders of winter. Be sure you grab more ideas for winter fun on my page Winter Season Unit Study.
Even if you don’t have much or any snow on the ground where you live you can still enjoy a sweet little indoor snowman that never melts as part of your unit study.
When studying winter, frigid temperatures, snow, snowflakes, and all that comes with it you will want a great hands-on activity or two to go along with it.
This is a great snowman art activity for teens but can be adapted to a simpler technique for any age with some help from you.
I got the main pieces that I used in the activity from Dollar Tree, so it is super inexpensive.
I also bought 2 floral foam packs and Epsom salts for $3.75 with plenty of Epsom salts left over to use for crafts or soaking.
Add a few books like Nature Anatomy to study snowflakes, some winter facts, and another snowman craft or two and you have the makings of a fantastic winter study for the whole family to enjoy.
Don’t forget to include a yummy cup of hot cocoa loaded with marshmallows to make your lesson even more special.
5 Facts About The Wonders of Winter
- Snow occasionally falls in unexpected places like Hawaii or the Sahara Desert. In 2011 the Atacama Desert in Chile got almost 32 inches of snow due to a rare cold front from Antarctica.
- When rain reaches the freezing point, which is 32 degrees Fahrenheit, it turns into snow.
- Chionophobia is the persistent fear of snow, especially the fear of becoming trapped by snow.
- The highest snowfall ever recorded in 24 hours in the United States was 6.3 feet of snow and occurred in 1921 in Silver Lake, Colorado.
- There are an average of 105 snow-producing storms in the United States in a typical year, they typically last about 2 to 5 days.
Too, you’ll love these books about the winter season.
I always lean toward living books when I can find them then add in non-fiction books for reference.
13 Snow, Snowman, Animals, and Winter Books
Add one or more of these books to your learning day if you're learning about snow, snowflakes, winter or just for fun.
Immerse Yourself in This Story of Love and Companionship Amidst Deprivation
It is the fall of 1930, and America has plunged into the Great Depression. On a remote dirt road deep in the snowy woods of northern Wisconsin, misfortune forces the impoverished Sparkes family to take desperate measures.
A wayfaring quartet consisting of thirteen-year-old Araminta (nicknamed Minty), her recently unemployed father-a poetry-quoting widower called Pops-and her younger sister, Eglantine (known as Eggs-a dreamer like Pops), and their dog, Buster, are on their way to Minneapolis to live with the curmudgeonly Aunt Amy. When their car breaks down and they are unable to fix it, the homeless four stumble upon a vacant summer cottage by a lake. In desperate straits, they decide to settle in.
How do snow crystals form? What shapes can they take? Are no two snow crystals alike? These questions and more are answered inside this exploration of the science of snow, featuring photos of real snow crystals in all their beautiful diversity. Perfect for reading on winter days, this book by a nature photographer and a snow scientist will inspire wonder and curiosity about the marvels of snow.
B-R-R-R-R! AH-CHOO! Sneezy the Snowman is cold, cold, cold. To warm up, he drinks cocoa, sits in a hot tub, stands near a warm fire–and melts! But the children know just what to do to build him up again–and make him feel “just right”.
Have you ever built a snowman and discovered the next day that his grin has gotten a little crooked, or his tree-branch arms have moved? And you've wondered . . . what do snowmen do at night? This delightful wintertime tale reveals all!
When the mayor of Mouseville announces the town snowman contest, Clayton and Desmond claim that they will each make the biggest snowman ever. But building a huge snowman alone is hard! They work and work, but their snowmen just aren't big enough. Soon they have an idea. As the day of the contest approaches, Clayton and Desmond join forces to build the biggest snowman ever.
Over the snow, the world is hushed and white. But under the snow lies a secret world of squirrels and snow hares, bears and bullfrogs, and many other animals making their winter home under the snow. This beloved nonfiction picture book exploring the subnivean zone reveals the tunnels and caves formed beneath the snow but over the ground, where many kinds of animals live through the winter, safe and warm, awake and busy, but hidden beneath the snow.
"Stoeke's second book about that intrepid screwball, Minerva Louise, is a rare find."—The Horn Book, starred review. The other chickens hate snowy mornings. But not Minerva Louise! To her a snowy day—like everything else—is an adventure. But this chilly, chipper hen needs something to keep her warm. What she finds—and how she finds it—will keep young readers cackling.
Our heroes' entry for the snowman contest has magically come to life―and ran away! Can YOU help catch it? Get ready for snow much fun as you travel through a winter wonderland with running, skating, and bouncing through trap after trap to catch the snowman and claim the winning prize. Will the snowman teach our heroes a lesson they'll never forget?
When the geese begin to fly south, the leaves flutter down from the trees and the cold winds begin to blow from the north, the animals of the woods and meadows, big and small, prepare for the long, cold winter ahead when the countryside is hidden under a deep blanket of snow. They gather food and look for warm, snug places in the ground, trees, caves or thickets, where they can find protection against the icy winds.It might have been hard for the birds and animals of the hillside to survive when the Big Snow came if their good friends, who lived in the little stone house, had not remembered to put food out for them.Here, in many beautiful pictures, the Haders show how winter comes to the woodland as the busy animals make their preparations.
The Smithsonian does things right and this Curious About Snow book is a
great introduction for curious kiddos with real images and simple explanations.
This is a clear and appealing book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. Introduce kids to basic science ideas as part of discussions about the seasons and animals.
SET OF 10 FUN AND FRIGID FIGURES – It’s hard to stay warm at the North Pole, but you can discover its wonders in your home with these frigid friends. This TOOB includes a Harp Seal, Husky, Caribou, Arctic Rabbit, Killer Whale, Walrus, Arctic Fox, Beluga Whale, Igloo, and Polar Bear.
See the world in a whole new way! Acclaimed illustrator Julia Rothman combines art and science in this exciting and educational guide to the structure, function, and personality of the natural world. Explore the anatomy of a jellyfish, the inside of a volcano, monarch butterfly migration, how sunsets work, and much more. Rothman’s whimsical illustrations are paired with interactive activities that encourage curiosity and inspire you to look more closely at the world all around you.
More Snowman Crafts for Winter
- Here are Snow and Snowflake Facts for Kids and a Fun Hands-on Exploding Snowman activity.
- Winter Craft Ideas for Kids Animals in Winter Fun Snow Slime.
- Crafts for Winter An Easy and Fun Polar Bear Fork Painting.
- Let me show you How to Make an Adorable Toilet Roll Snowman for Winter Crafts.
- Two Fun Candy Cane Hands-on Science Winter Experiments.
- Cardinal Birds in Winter and Birch Trees Easy Watercolor Kids Activity.
- These Cute and Simple Snowman Story Stones Winter Art Activities For Preschoolers are a great tool for open-ended play but also can encourage your child to develop their imagination and storytelling skills.
- Julie of the Wolves Free Hands-on Arctic Unit Study.
- Winter Craft Ideas How to Make Fun Pinecone Flowers.
- Easy and Fun Pine Cone Snowy Owl Winter Craft for Kindergarten.
- Fun Selfie Salt Dough Gingerbread Kids Activity for Long Winter Nights.
- Easy DIY Fun Salt Winter Watercolor Art Project for Kids.
Finally, look at this snowman art activity.
Snowman Art Activity
You can have everyone in the family create a unique snowman to put a whole grouping on display.
You will need:
- Styrofoam balls
- Foam disk
- Felt or fabric scraps
- Skewer or dowel
- Sticks
- Buttons, beads, or beans
- Epsom salt
- Glitter-optional
- Tacky glue, craft or School glue
First, pour Epsom salts and some glitter to give it a little extra shimmer into a large shallow container and set aside.
Cover 3 styrofoam balls and the styrofoam disc in glue.
You can use school glue but I really like the tacky glue that I linked above.
It is nice and thick and holds very well.
To use the glue, squeeze some out into a container and use a paintbrush to coat the entire surface thickly.
Roll the balls in the Epsom salts until completely covered, gently tap off excess, and repeat to make sure all the glue is covered.
Do the same thing with the disc but leave the underside without glue or Epsom.
How to Make A Snowman Art Activity
Set aside and allow it to dry for several hours or overnight.
While waiting for the glue to dry you can cut a long scrap of fabric or felt for a scarf, fringe the edge by making close little cuts in the end.
I didn’t measure for the hat and your styrofoam balls may be a different size than mine so just eyeball it by wrapping felt around it to make sure it will fit.
Then bunch the top, tie it off with string, and make a little fringe, fold up the bottom edge once or twice, and then hot glue it.
Paint a small piece of stick orange to use as a carrot.
You may at this point want to add a coat or two of either clear spray sealer or some Mod Podge to the covered styrofoam pieces to help everything stick together for long-term storage.
Push small sticks into the sides for arms.
Hot glue buttons down the front.
Push in buttons or beads for eyes and a smile.
Assemble the balls on top of your styrofoam disc using a short skewer or dowel roll pushed down through the base. Then push each layer down on top of that.
Press in the nose and hot glue the hat on top.
