If you’re looking for more winter craft ideas for kids, you’ll love this snow slime inspired by the book Animals in Winter. Be sure you grab more ideas for winter fun on my page winter season unit study.
Slime has been a hot sensory activity for years and it shows no signs of slowing down.
So, when I looked for a fun winter craft idea for kids, I looked no further than the box of borax to turn it into a wonderful stretchy slime as a base for winter animal play.
Even older kids love the relaxing and appealing texture of slime sliding through their fingers.
Playing with slime is a great way to take up some time on a long winter afternoon when you are stuck indoors.
In addition, it can be very calming as well.
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t turn it into a simple lesson by adding a book and some winter animals.
This slime as I mentioned was inspired by Animals in Winter, Let’s Read and Find Out.
These books are great for younger elementary and teach concept in simple way without talking down to kids.
Winter Books and Snow Resources
When you add in more hands-on activities learning sticks.
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.
Then, add in ideas for studying about animals in the winter.
You can focus on one animal or just ask general questions about animals survive in the winter.
Animal Themed Questions
Talk about and explore the answers to some winter themed questions using books or the internet while your child plays with their snow slime
- Why are some animal coats white?
- What is hibernation?
- Which types of animals hibernate?
- How do animals get ready for winter?
- How do animals not freeze in winter?
- What is adaptation?
- What is migration?
- Do animals in your area hibernate or migrate?
- What makes it snow? Does it snow where you live?
Besides the craft aspect of snow slime this is a great opportunity to talk about the science behind slime.
Slime is simple chemistry, and it is made through a chemical reaction between two main ingredients which are polyvinyl alcohol (glue) and borate ion (baking soda or borax).
Try dividing your mixture and adding more and less borax to it.
Then ask, what happens to the texture of the slime.
Additionally, here are more winter unit study resources.
More Winter Craft Ideas for Kids Resources
Look at these other winter unit study resources.
- Snow and Snowflake Facts for Kids and Fun Hands-on Exploding Snowman
- Two Fun Candy Cane Hands-on Science Winter Experiments
- Cardinal Birds in Winter and Birch Trees Easy Watercolor Kids Activity
- Cute and Simple Snowman Story Stones Winter Art Activities
- Winter Craft Ideas How to Make Fun Pinecone Flowers
- How to Make an Adorable Toilet Roll Snowman for Winter Crafts
- Easy and Fun Pinecone Snowy Owl Winter Craft for Kindergarten
- Free Amazing Winter Unit Study and Winter Lapbook for Kids
- Easy Hands on Snowflake Winter Craft for Kids Who Don’t Have Snow
- Winter Nature Craft: How to Make Easy DIY Bird Feeders
- 3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities
- How to Make an Easy Build a Snowman Kid’s Game (free printable cube)
- Winter Nature Craft: How to Make Easy DIY Bird Feeders
- 21 Hands On Homeschooling Ideas to Keep the Winter Chill Off {Activities for Tots to Teens}
- Free Winter Copywork for Middle School – Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
- Fun Winter Craft Ideas for Middle School Homeschool
Finally, let’s make some fun snow slime.
How to Make Snow Slime
Here is a list of supplies:
- 8 oz bottle school glue
- 1 cup warm water
- 1-2 teaspoons borax
- Blue glitter
- Craft paint-optional
- Bowl
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Spoon for stirring
First, pour the school glue and half of the water into a large bowl and stir to combine thoroughly.
In a second container dissolve 1-2 teaspoons of borax into the other ½ cup of warm water.
Mix in as much glitter as you like, you could also add a little paint at this point if you wanted to color it. Blue would be so pretty.
Add the borax mixture to the glue mixture just a teaspoon or two at a time until your slime has the right consistency.
It may take a minute for each addition to mix in well and reduce the stickiness.
You want it just a bit sticky but not enough to make it hard to get it off your hands.
Two to three tablespoons seemed about right for us and you can always add more borax but once you add too much it’s hard to fix it.
Now, add bowls, plastic animals, winter themed cookie cutters, craft sticks for cutting, and other small play items to your slime to keep the fun going for hours.
Store slime in an airtight container between uses.
Remove slime from bowl and knead for 1 minute to combine. Heads up: Children should wash hands well after each use.
