I love putting a fresh twist on a familiar idea, and this snow creature activity does just that. Instead of building a traditional snowman, we used sticks, stones and found objects to decorate a mound of snow and give it character. What a playful way to enjoy the snow.
With spring approaching, our snow days are limited, so I’m trying to squeeze in as many outdoor winter activities as possible before the snow disappears.
Here are three of our favourite snow projects from this winter: Potato Heads in the Snow, Snow Painting and Coloured Ice Sculptures.
This activity is simple to set up and invites lots of hands-on fun. It’s a great opportunity for children to explore natural materials while playing in the snow.
I gathered a few items I had on hand—beach rocks, seashells and chestnuts—and put them in baskets. Then I collected some twigs and pieces of vine from the yard.
A large snowball we had rolled the week before made the perfect base for experimenting with our collection of objects.
The kids poked and pushed the nuts and stones into the giant snowball and speared it with twigs and sticks to create faces, arms and other decorations.
This playful experiment lasted several days. Each day the children would redecorate the snowball; overnight melting would loosen the objects and they’d fall to the ground. The kids would simply gather the pieces and decorate the mound again.
It was fun, easy and delightfully experimental—a wonderful way for the kids to make the most of the season’s last snows.
It’s also a creative, low-fuss alternative to a traditional snowman.
