I love winter in Idaho. I may have mentioned this before, but I love everything about it. The sparkly snow, the breath-stealing cold, the shimmering hoar frost, my frozen eyelashes… all of it! This year I discovered winter crafts with my kids, and now I have another reason to love the season!
Even if you don’t like winter, some of these activities might help you find a pinch of joy in the snow and ice.
- Ice Ornaments: take a plastic bowl or plate, fill it with water, and have your kids add small items that they find outside: twigs, pinecones, dried leaves or buds, feathers, berries, etc. Add a loop of string or yarn and leave outside to freeze. Once frozen, pop the ice out of the bow and hang it in the trees to twist and sparkle in the sunlight!
- Snow Paint: Mix warm water, cornstarch, and food coloring to make snow paint and let your kids go crazy painting on the bright, white snowy canvas outside! You could create frames for their paintings using sticks or just let them go freeform. If you don’t want to spend that much time outside, put some snow on a baking tray and let them work inside.
- Balloon Lawn Marbles: Fill a balloon with water and food coloring, swirl it around to mix, and leave it outside to freeze. Once frozen, peel off and discard the balloons to reveal luminous ice marbles!
- Snow Ice Cream: Okay, this isn’t really a “craft,” but it should certainly make you think more fondly about snow. Mix 10-12 cups fresh snow with a can of condensed milk and a teaspoon of vanilla extract until it is combined. Top with sprinkles or chocolate chips and enjoy! Please be sure to use fresh snow and avoid any snow that has been plowed or trampled, you don’t want to crunch down on a chunk of dirt or ice melt.
- Snow Volcano: A frosty twist on the familiar volcano project. Pop a plastic cup in the snow and build up the snow around it to form the volcano’s cone with the cup at the core. Pack the snow as tightly as possible (which might be tricky given the fluffy powdery stuff that falls from the sky here). Add baking soda and food coloring to the cup and let your kids pour in the vinegar to see it erupt!
