The chill of winter brings with it a magical time for children.
As the landscape transforms into a winter wonderland, the excitement for the festive season and the innate desire to create and explore come alive.
DIY winter crafts are incredibly popular for a good reason – they offer an engaging way to impart skills, stir the imagination, and ensure quality family time.
Moreover, the crafts provide children with the satisfaction of creating something unique and serve as a refuge from the numbing effect of electronic screens.
This article aims to infuse your chilly days with a bit of warmth and creativity by sharing 5 Winter Crafts for Children.
From whimsical paper plate snow globes to delightful marshmallow snowmen, each craft is designed to spark joy and creativity in your little ones.
As we delve into each project, I’ll provide a detailed list of materials needed, step-by-step instructions, and customization tips, highlighting the benefits of these seasonal projects.
So grab your craft supplies, and let’s make this winter truly enchanting for your children!
5 Winter Crafts for Children
DIY Paper Plate Snow Globe
Overview of the craft
Imagine a snowy scene captured within the confines of a paper plate—a homemade snow globe that doesn’t leak or break! This craft is perfect for children who love the magic of snow globes but are too young to handle glass.
It’s a fun, tactile project that allows for flexibility in design and plenty of seasonal cheer.
Materials needed
To start, you’ll need the following items:
· Paper plates (two for each snow globe)
· Clear plastic sheets or heavy-duty plastic bags
· Glue or a glue gun
· Scissors
· Cotton balls or polyester fiberfill for snow
· Assorted winter-themed decorations (e.g., mini Christmas trees, figurines, and confetti)
· Sequins and glitter
· Colored paper
· Markers or paints
Step-by-step instructions
1. Begin by cutting out the center of one paper plate, leaving a wide rim.
This will be the front of your snow globe.
2. Cut a piece of the clear plastic sheet to fit over the hole in the paper plate; glue this over the opening to create the ‘glass’.
3. Encourage your child to arrange their winter-themed decorations on the second, unaltered plate—the backdrop of the snow globe.
4. Glue the decorations in place, and then add the ‘snow’ by gluing down cotton balls or fiberfill sparingly.
5. Sprinkle some sequins and glitter onto the backdrop for a bit of sparkle.
6. Take the rimmed paper plate with its plastic pane and carefully glue it on top of the decorated base plate, sealing the edges well.
7. Finally, decorate the outside of the snow globe with colored paper, markers, or paint to create a base and embellishments.
Tips for customization
To make this craft truly unique, encourage children to draw a background scene before adding the 3D elements or use a photo for a personal touch.
You can also experiment with different sizes of plates or create a window snow globe by attaching a ribbon at the top for hanging.
Benefits of making a DIY paper plate snow globe
This paper plate snow globe is an excellent way for children to work on fine motor skills and to think creatively about 3D space and design.
Plus, it’s a fantastic way to recycle materials and avoid the breakability of traditional snow globes.
Popsicle Stick Snowflakes
Overview of the craft
Who doesn’t love the unique intricacy of a snowflake? With popsicle sticks and a dash of creativity, children can make their snowflake decorations that last all season long.
This craft is perfect for improving hand-eye coordination and understanding symmetrical patterns.
Materials needed
Here’s what you’ll need to make your popsicle stick snowflakes:
· Popsicle sticks (4-6 per snowflake)
· White paint or glitter paint
· Glue or a hot glue gun (to be used by an adult or under adult supervision)
· Decorations such as sequins, rhinestones, or buttons
· Ribbon, string, or fishing line for hanging
Step-by-step instructions
1. Paint the popsicle sticks white or with glitter paint and let them dry completely.
2. Arrange the sticks in a snowflake pattern by overlapping them in the center.
It’s fun to play around with different designs here.
3. Once your child is happy with their design, glue the sticks together at the center.
4. When the glue is dry, it’s time to decorate! Add sequins, rhinestones, or buttons to the snowflake arms.
5. Tie a piece of ribbon or string to one of the sticks for easy hanging on your Christmas tree, in a window, or on the wall.
Tips for customization
For an extra wintery touch, mix white paint with glue and a sprinkle of glitter to paint the snowflakes, creating an iced effect.
Children can also use colored popsicle sticks or paint them in different colors to match their room decor or personality.
Benefits of making popsicle stick snowflakes
Crafting with popsicle sticks helps children develop their fine motor skills.
It also encourages spatial reasoning as they arrange sticks into a symmetrical pattern, which is a fundamental math skill.
Plus, it’s a craft that children of a wide range of ages can enjoy and personalize.
Marshmallow Snowmen
Overview of the craft
Everyone loves building snowmen, but when it’s too cold outside, why not bring the activity indoors? Making marshmallow snowmen is a sweet and delightful way for kids to express their creativity and indulge in a little treat along the way.
Materials needed
Gather up the following tasty supplies:
· Marshmallows of various sizes
· Edible markers or food coloring pens
· Pretzel sticks for arms
· Colored icing (to act as glue and for decorating)
· Candy for hats and noses, like gumdrops or candy corn
· Toothpicks (optional)
Step-by-step instructions
1. Stack the marshmallows to form the body of the snowman and use a little icing to help them stay in place.
2. Insert pretzel sticks into the sides for arms.
3. With edible markers, draw eyes, a mouth, and buttons on the marshmallows.
4. Use colored icing to glue on the candy hat and nose.
5. If your snowman needs extra support, you can use toothpicks to hold the parts together—just remind the kids to be careful and remove them before eating.
Tips for customization
For a frosty touch, sprinkle some coconut flakes around the snowmen for pretend snow.
To add more character to your marshmallow snowman, use fruit leather or licorice strips to create scarves and hats.
Encourage children to invent stories about their snowman’s personality or life in the marshmallow world.
Benefits of making marshmallow snowmen
This craft merges creative play with sensory experience, making it perfect for young children.
Manipulating the marshmallows and candies helps enhance fine motor skills and the instant satisfaction of a finished product (and possibly a snack!) is gratifying for kids.
Winter Animal Paper Plate Crafts
Overview of the craft
Animals like penguins, polar bears, and owls look adorable and are synonymous with the winter months.
Using paper plates as a base, children can create their collection of winter animals with just a few simple supplies.
Materials needed
Prepare for an animal crafting party with:
· Paper plates
· Colored paper (white, black, and other relevant colors)
· Cotton balls or fiberfill
· Paints or crayons
· Googly eyes
· Scissors
· Glue
Step-by-step instructions
1. Decide on the winter animal you want to create.
Paint or color the paper plate to match the animal’s primary color and leave it to dry.
2. While waiting, cut out any additional features from the colored paper—like ears, wings, or paws.
3. For animals like polar bears or owls, glue on cotton balls or fiberfill to create a textured, furry look.
4. Once the plate is dry, glue on the cut-out features and googly eyes.
5. Add any final touches with markers or crayons to bring your winter animal to life.
Tips for customization
Children can make their animals unique by adding hats, scarves, or different facial expressions.
They can also combine paper plate animals to create a winter scene or a storytelling board game.
Benefits of making winter animal paper plate crafts
This craft teaches children about different animals while encouraging artistic expression.
It’s also good for developing problem-solving skills as they figure out how to make their paper plate resemble their chosen animal.
Handprint Polar Bear Craft
Overview of the craft
There’s something special about crafts that includes a personal touch, like the outline of a child’s hand.
A handprint polar bear is a sweet and memorable way for children to engage with crafting, leaving behind a keepsake that parents will cherish for years.
Materials needed
Your little one’s handprint is the centerpiece, but you’ll also need:
· White paint
· Blue construction paper
· Black paper or a black marker
· Googly eyes
· Glue
Step-by-step instructions
1. Start by painting your child’s hand white, making sure to cover it well.
2. Carefully press their hand onto the blue construction paper, fingers spread out, and thumb extended upward.
This will create the shape of the polar bear with the fingers as legs and the thumb as the head.
3. Once the paint dries, glue on a black paper nose and mouth or draw them with a marker.
Then, add googly eyes.
4. If desired, you can paint or draw a snowy landscape around the polar bear or add extra details like a scarf or snowflakes.
Tips for customization
To personalize the polar bear further, you can use a poem or write a message on the paper.
A fun idea could be to make an annual handprint polar bear to track the growth of your child over the years.
Benefits of making a handprint polar bear craft
This simple craft is not only an adorable art piece but also a precious memento.
It promotes sensory play with paint and develops fine motor skills while providing an opportunity to teach children about polar bears and their habitat.
Conclusion
In closing, these 5 Winter Crafts for Children offer engaging, joyful, and educational time for kids during the cold months.
Each project fosters creativity, enhances fine motor skills, and provides a tangible outcome that children can be proud of.
Also integral to these crafts are the benefits of spending time together as a family, learning new skills, and creating festive decorations that can be cherished for winters to come.
The process of making these DIY winter crafts is often just as valuable as the result.
It’s a wonderful way to bond, to laugh, and to make magical winter memories.
So, don’t let the frost keep you inactive this winter—break out the craft supplies and get those little hands busy.
You’ll find that these small projects can make a big impact on your children’s winter experience.
