Winter is a great time to get creative with preschoolers when they’re stuck inside, it’s essential to have a stash of winter crafts ready to go. I’m excited to share thirty-one fantastic ideas that can keep little hands busy and engaged. Many of these projects require household items, making them easily accessible and budget-friendly. To make things even easier, prep as much as you can beforehand – templates, materials, and any other necessary components.
This way, you can simply dive in and start creating with your kids, students, or loved ones. I hope you all have a blast exploring these winter crafts together. Let’s get started.
Easy Toilet Paper Snowman
The art of crafting with toilet paper rolls has no bounds. One such delightful and spontaneous project that’s perfect for whipping up with kids is an easy-to-make toilet paper snowman. This clever creation can be recreated multiple times, making it a great way to spend quality time with the little ones. To add some extra flair, grab a set of colorful ribbons and create adorable scarves for your snowmen.
Paper Straw Wreath Ornament
A practical and engaging craft project, this paper straw wreath requires finger dexterity while yielding a charming ornament that’s perfect for decorating your Christmas tree or creating with students. The multicolored, patterned, or plain straw pack you choose will depend on the desired aesthetic or the number of options you want to offer participants.
Winter Hat Craft
Incorporating seasonal clothing items into an early elementary school curriculum can be a fantastic way to engage young learners. One great way to do this is by introducing winter-themed accessories, such as warm and cozy hats. To make it more interactive, consider providing students with a template – either one they can find online or create themselves – to design their own winter hat.
This activity not only encourages creativity but also helps develop fine motor skills through drawing and cutting.
Snow Painting
Spend a lazy winter afternoon engaging your little ones in a fun and creative activity – making snow paintings. Start by gathering food coloring and mixing each color with a small amount of snow in individual pots. This will create a unique and interactive medium for the kids to experiment and explore as they work. Encourage them to get creative and pull up different shapes, designs, and patterns from the colorful snow mixture.
And if you’re looking for more winter crafts for toddlers, be sure to check out our other fun and easy activities.
Popsicle Stick Penguin
Crafting with kids often requires materials that are not only creative but also practical. Popsicle sticks, like toilet paper rolls, fit the bill perfectly. Not only are they inexpensive, making them a budget-friendly option, but they’re also sturdy and easy to work with, qualities that make them ideal for engaging young minds in DIY projects. When it comes to adding a pop of color, consider using popsicle sticks in different hues like pink, orange, blue, or more – the possibilities are endless.
Wood Slice Christmas Ornaments
The trend of incorporating natural and nature-inspired elements into home decor has gained immense popularity over the past decade. This aesthetic is not only visually appealing but also creates a sense of harmony with the environment. Wood slices in particular offer a unique canvas for kids to express their creativity, allowing them to design and create their own personalized ornaments.
With a simple character or design, they can keep it straightforward, or unleash their imagination and let their creations take shape.
Popsicle Stick Winter Owl
Winter owls may just be one of the most charming creations you can whip up with popsicle sticks. This DIY project stands out from the rest, not only because it’s ridiculously easy to make but also because it has the power to seamlessly blend into any winter wonderland setting. A simple yet effective coat of white paint is all it takes to transform your owl into a master of disguise, perfectly camouflaged in the snowy landscape.
Mitten Salt Painting
When it comes to creating art through salt painting, the process is just as much fun as the final product. To achieve unique and eye-catching designs, start by applying a small amount of Elmer’s glue to your surface, followed by a sprinkle of salt. Once you’ve added these initial layers, use paint to bring your artwork to life.
As everything dries, you’ll be amazed at how the salt and glue combination reacts with the paint, creating intricate patterns and textures that add depth and visual interest to your overall piece.
3D Paper Snowman
To take your crafting skills to the next level, consider creating a 3D snowman with your little ones. This project is perfect for reinforcing cutting skills or complex directions. If some young learners are struggling to assemble the snowman, encourage them to persevere and offer guidance when needed. By breaking down the process into manageable steps, you can help build confidence and a sense of accomplishment.
Snow Dough
When it comes to activities that stimulate exploration and sensory experiences, this item stands out as an excellent choice. Whether there’s a brief pause or a longer block of time, it’s an ideal activity to engage in during downtime. In fact, some children find the experience so enjoyable that they’re motivated to work on it as a reward. The key is finding what works best for you and your little ones.
Shiny and Sparkly Snowflake
Winter’s icy grip may be harsh on our senses, but it also brings with it an unparalleled charm – the sparkle of snowflakes. There’s something undeniably mesmerizing about these delicate, intricate marvels as the cold winds howl and the snow falls gently from the sky, it’s as if nature itself has adorned the world with a million tiny diamonds. And why not take inspiration from this winter wonderland?
Grab some glittery paint and let your own homemade snowflakes shine like stars in the frosty firmament.
Polar Bear Name
Transforming academics into art has never been more enjoyable. One such engaging way to merge learning and creativity is by practicing names with a polar bear twist. To make this name activity even more stimulating, try randomizing the letters for kids to focus on arranging them correctly. Encourage them to double-check their work with someone who can spell before finally gluing everything in place – it’s easy to get stuck if they don’t.
Popsicle Stick Snowflake Ornaments
Crafting snowflake ornaments using popsicle sticks is a timeless and beloved activity. The key to taking this project to the next level lies in incorporating personal touches – be it gemstones, glitter, buttons, or puffy stickers. Encourage kids to get creative with their materials, but also emphasize the importance of patience when letting the ornaments dry completely. A premature break can be a disappointment, so make sure they understand the value of waiting for that final step.
Handprint Snowman
Assemble the festive winter wonderland with this simple yet charming handprint snowman craft. While most of the components are already prepared, you’ll simply need to add some tracing and cutting skills to bring out the hands. Construction paper is a suitable choice for this project, but if you have card stock on hand, it can provide an added layer of durability. Your little ones will delight in these Christmas handprint crafts, perfect for the holiday season’s festive fun.
Salt Painting
When it comes to crafting, salt can be a versatile and exciting material to work with. By incorporating salt into traditional projects, you can create unique and fascinating effects. The amount of liquid used in each project can significantly impact the outcome, allowing for endless experimentation from spray bottles to eye droppers, I’ve tried various methods to achieve distinct results.
Perhaps the most entertaining aspect of working with salt is that it’s a great way to keep young children occupied and engaged, making it an ideal activity for 3- to 4-year-olds.
Melted Snowman Craft
As winter’s chill begins to fade, a familiar yet melancholic scene emerges: the once-proud snowman, now reduced to a puddle of slush. This poignant tableau serves as the perfect canvas for an engaging, sensory-rich art experience.
Ice Skate Craft
The nostalgic charm of vintage winter scenes, often featuring ice skates, may have faded from modern decor, but its essence remains a delightful inspiration for crafty enthusiasts. This mixed-media concept is remarkably adaptable, allowing for endless customization through color palettes, patterns, and scale. To bring this idea to life, gather card stock in various hues and textures to serve as the foundation for your creative additions.
Toilet Paper Roll Penguin
This penguin craft is a breeze to create, just like its toilet paper roll counterparts. We actually enjoy making an entire flock of these cute creatures and displaying them together as our March of the Penguins. To add some extra flair, feel free to experiment with different colored or patterned papers for each penguin. Alternatively, use paper towel rolls and trim them down for a more unique look.
Coffee Filter Snowflake
One of the most straightforward and delightful craft ideas is creating coffee filter snowflakes. To get started, simply treat the coffee filters with your preferred medium, such as watercolors, markers, or even salt paint. Allow the filters to dry completely before cutting out intricate shapes that resemble snowflakes. This versatile material is a treasure trove for creative projects – I always keep a stash on hand and find myself reaching for them again and again.
Marble Painted Winter Tree Craft
While many winter craft projects can be enjoyable, it’s the unexpected element of actual marbles that makes this marble-painted tree project truly captivating for kids. To set the stage for creative fun, prep the trees ahead of time and then gather essential supplies: a shallow cardboard box, white paint, and – the star of the show – a single marble.
When you’re ready to begin, have each child take turns individually tilting the box in unique ways, allowing the coated marble to randomly paint the tree with an intriguing pattern. This process can be an excellent opportunity for kids to practice patience, especially if you’re working with just one or two boxes at a time.
Winter Cap Craft
When integrating this cap into an educational lesson about seasonal clothing, consider pairing it with the mittens mentioned earlier. To enhance the learning experience, have students print out the design online or create their own hand-drawn version. Then, replicate this process for your young learners by providing them with the same materials. Allow them to freely color or take their creativity to the next level by incorporating cotton balls, glitter, or other embellishments of their choice.
Oversized Winter Mittens Craft
These unique oversized mittens offer endless creative possibilities. They’re perfect for a project that showcases students’ favorite winter activities or shares what they did during their winter break. To add an extra layer of fun, let them draw their ideas or print out some inspiration points to get started. What’s more, this pack is versatile and can be used for a variety of oversized needs beyond just the mittens themselves.
Paper Plate Bear
Household staples like paper plates, popsicle sticks, and toilet paper rolls are often the building blocks for creative projects. The paper plate bear craft is an excellent example of this, offering a unique and simple idea that’s perfect for kids to get creative with. Encourage them to let their imagination run wild and build a family of bears or even a giant one – the possibilities are endless.
Paper Bag Snowflakes
While this elegant-looking snowflake craft may appear elaborate, its cost-effectiveness is unparalleled. To create it, you’ll only need a pack of paper bags, making it an accessible and budget-friendly activity. For added versatility, I recommend collecting various-sized packs to produce distinctively sized snowflakes upon completion. Additionally, the range of color options available means you can customize your creations to suit your personal style.
Paper Cup Christmas Tree
While paper cups might often go unnoticed, they offer a plethora of creative possibilities. One such project is crafting a festive Christmas tree using these humble vessels. To prevent the cup from tipping over, it’s essential to have something weighted or anchored to keep it steady. The beauty of this craft lies in its flexibility – you can employ any medium that suits your style and skill level.
Crayons, paint, and even bingo daubers are all viable options, allowing participants to express themselves freely. This project is an excellent way to encourage creativity and imagination in preschool-aged children. For more fun and engaging Christmas crafts perfect for this age group, be sure to explore our collection of ideas.
Sock Snowman
Gathered stray socks can be a frustrating problem for many of us. Rather than discarding them, we decided to give old socks a new life by upcycling them into adorable snowmen. The size of the sock determines the size of the finished snowman, making this craft perfect for families to work on together. As you complete each project, you’ll end up with a charming collection of miniature snowpeople that will bring a smile to your face.
Bingo Dauber Winter Scenes
When it comes to creative pursuits, the possibilities are endless. Whether you’re embarking on an abstract winter project or using printed pictures as inspiration, the end result is always a unique and enjoyable craft-making experience. I’ve personally tried both approaches, and I can attest that bingo daubers are incredibly versatile and adaptable to children of all abilities.
In fact, this particular pack of bingo daubers boasts a wide range of vibrant color options and offers excellent value for its price.
Toilet Paper Roll Olaf
Bring the beloved character from Disney’s Frozen into your toilet paper roll craft, just like Olaf. To make this fun project accessible to young children, cut out or find detailed pieces of Olaf that can be easily added to the toilet paper rolls. For an even more immersive experience, let everyone get creative and have a Frozen-themed day filled with laughter and imagination.
Popsicle Stick Snowman
To wrap up our collection of popsicle stick crafts, this snowman is arguably the most straightforward project among them. For added stability, secure your snowperson to a piece of cardboard before beginning. The top hat on our snowman adds a touch of elegance, but feel free to experiment with different headgear – from a bowler to a pink cowboy hat – to give your winter friend a unique personality.
No Sew Snowflake Hat
For a fun and easy winter activity that’s perfect for a weather lesson during the colder months, try making a no-sew snowflake hat with your kids. Start by creating a traditional paper snowflake, then attach it to their favorite hat using a simple adhesive. To add an extra layer of excitement, consider offering different color options and turning it into a color recognition or listening game.
This winter craft for kids is a great way to get them engaged in the learning process while having fun making something they can wear.
No Sew Felt Snowman Ornament
Conclude your creative session with a delightful no-sew felt snowman ornament. To create this charming piece, simply cut out any required shapes. You can also prepare various components in advance, allowing children to make their selections or opt for pre-glued embellishments.