The school closure alert buzzes at 6 a.m., and your calm Tuesday turns into a full day with zero plans. Sound familiar? You don’t need fancy supplies or a craft room straight off Pinterest to save it.
These winter crafts for kids use paper plates, cotton balls, salt, and other things already hiding in your kitchen drawer. Some take 10 minutes, and others will eat an entire snowy afternoon. Pick a few, grab the hot cocoa, and start on the snow day crafts.
Before you start, set out a tray, an old tablecloth, and a roll of paper towels. Your future self will thank you.
1. Paper plate snowman
Start with a plain white paper plate and let your kid go wild. Paint it white, then add construction paper hats, buttons, and a carrot nose. Googly eyes make every snowman look slightly unhinged, which is half the fun.
2. Coffee filter snowflakes
Fold a coffee filter into a triangle, snip tiny shapes along the edges, and unfold it. Each one comes out delicate and totally unique, just like the real thing. NOAA explains how real snow crystals form if your curious kid asks.
3. Cotton ball polar bear
Cut a bear shape from cardstock and let your little one glue on cotton balls. The fluffy texture makes this a great pick for toddlers and preschoolers. Add a black pom-pom nose and two dot eyes, and you have an Arctic celebrity.
4. Salt dough ornaments
Mix 2 cups flour, 1 cup salt, and 1 cup water, then roll out the dough and cut shapes with cookie cutters. Poke a hole for ribbon and bake at 250°F for about two to three hours. Paint the ornaments once they cool.
Keepsake bonus
Press your child’s hand into the dough before baking. You will treasure it for decades. For more ideas like this, check out these Christmas keepsake crafts for kids.
5. Puffy paint snowy scenes
Mix equal parts white school glue and shaving cream. You get a fluffy, pillowy paint that dries with real texture. Kids dab it onto dark blue paper to make snowy hills, trees, and rooftops.
6. Popsicle stick snowflakes
Glue three craft sticks into a star shape, then add smaller sticks to the tips. Paint them white or silver and dust them with glitter. Thread a string through one point, and you have a sturdy ornament that survives toddler hands.
7. Pinecone penguins
Bundle the kids up and send them outside to collect pinecones. Back inside, they paint the top black and the belly white, then glue on felt wings and an orange beak. This craft pairs nature play with fine motor practice, so everybody wins.
8. Toilet paper roll penguins
Don’t toss those empty tubes. Cover one with black paper, add a white oval belly, and pinch the top into two little ears. Recycled crafts like this cost almost nothing, and you can build a whole colony in one afternoon.
9. Sock snowmen
Fill a clean white sock with rice, tie off two sections with rubber bands, and decorate with buttons and a scarf from scrap fabric. The finished snowman sits up on its own and makes a cute shelf decoration. Your odd socks finally have a purpose.
10. Salt painting snowflakes
Draw a snowflake with white glue on cardstock, then cover it in table salt. Next, touch watercolor-soaked brushes to the salt and watch the colors bleed and spread on their own. Kids treat it like a science experiment, and they have a point.
11. Q-tip snowflake painting
Hand your child a pile of cotton swabs and white paint, then let them build snowflakes on black paper. The tiny dots sharpen fine motor skills and demand focus. It also buys you a little quiet time.
12. Homemade window clings
Squeeze white school glue onto wax paper in snowflake or mitten shapes. Let it dry for 24 hours, then peel it off and press it onto a window. The glue sticks without leaving residue and brightens a gray day.
13. Paper mitten garland
Trace a mitten shape onto colorful paper, cut it out, and decorate each one with stickers, stripes, or zigzags. Clip them along a length of yarn with clothespins. This craft works well as classroom or living room decor, and it needs almost no prep.
14. Marshmallow hot cocoa mugs
Cut a mug shape from brown paper and glue on a strip of cardstock for a handle. Then pile cotton ball “marshmallows” at the top. Kids can write a cozy winter wish on the mug itself.
15. Handprint snowman cards
Paint your child’s palm and fingers white, then press the hand onto blue paper with the fingers pointing down. Those fingers become the snowman’s melting body. Add a hat, a scarf, and a face with markers, and send it to grandma.
16. Paper chain countdown
Cut strips of blue, white, and silver paper and loop them into a chain. Kids add one link per day until a big event, like winter break. If you want more projects that work in a classroom, browse these Christmas crafts for school.
17. Ice suncatchers
Fill a pie tin with water, then drop in berries, evergreen sprigs, and orange slices. Loop twine into the water and freeze it overnight. Hang the frozen disc on a tree branch and watch it glow when the sun hits it.
18. Frozen bird feeders
Mix birdseed with gelatin and a little water, press the mixture into cookie cutters, and chill until firm. Hang the feeders outside and watch the visitors arrive. The National Audubon Society offers tips on winter bird feeding and which species to look for.
19. Snow globe in a jar
Glue a small plastic figure to the inside of a jar lid. Fill the jar with water, a spoonful of glitter, and a drop of glycerin, then screw the lid on tight. Flip it over, and your kid just built a snow globe.
Mess warning
Run a bead of waterproof glue around the lid before you close it. Otherwise, you will wipe up glitter water for a week.
20. Fluffy snow slime
Combine white glue, shaving cream, baking soda, and a splash of saline solution. Stir until the slime stretches. It feels like cold, squishy snow without the frozen fingers. Always supervise slime play, and read the Poison Control guidance on household chemicals before you try recipes with borax.
21. Cloud dough snow
Mix 2 cups cornstarch with 1 cup hair conditioner until it clumps like packed snow. Kids can mold tiny snowballs and snow forts without leaving the kitchen. It also doubles as a sensory bin for little ones who hate real mittens.
22. Melting snowman craft
Cut a puddle-shaped blob from white paper, then add a hat, a scarf, and stick arms at the edges. Kids love the silly “he’s melting!” story that comes with it. You also can’t really mess it up.
23. Painted rock penguins
Grab smooth, flat rocks from the yard or a craft store. Paint them black and white, then add orange feet and a beak. They make cute paperweights and gifts for teachers.
24. Yarn pom-pom snowmen
Wrap white yarn around a fork or a cardboard rectangle, tie it in the center, and cut the loops. Make one big pom-pom and one small one, then stack and glue them. Add felt accents, and each snowman gets a little personality of its own.
25. Popsicle stick sleds
Glue six craft sticks side by side, then add two curved runners made from pipe cleaners. Decorate the top with markers. Kids can race these mini sleds down a tilted cookie sheet, and yes, they will argue about who won.
26. Northern lights chalk art
Hand your child black paper and soft chalk pastels. Smudge greens, purples, and blues across the page with a tissue. Finish with a row of pine tree silhouettes cut from black paper to complete a glowing aurora scene.
27. Paper winter hat craft
Cut a headband strip, then add a paper beanie, a pom-pom, and a stripe pattern. Kids can wear it right away, which makes this a winner for dress-up and pretend play. Want more headwear ideas? These Christmas hat craft ideas fit right in.
Wrapping up your snow day craft plan
You don’t need to tackle all 27 projects in one day (although that would be impressive). Pick two or three that match your supplies and your kids’ ages, and save the rest for the next storm. The best winter activities for kids keep little hands busy and the whole family laughing.
Not sure how much indoor time is right for your family during cold spells? HealthyChildren.org from the American Academy of Pediatrics offers guidance on balancing play, screens, and outdoor time. Now grab the glue, queue up the cocoa, and enjoy your snow day.