Dec 13, 20246 min read

Snowman Magic: Snowman Stories and Activities to Warm Up Your Winter Lessons

Are these not the cutest little snowman-themed snack idea?!

Snowman Fun for Preschoolers and Kindergarteners: Lesson and Activity Ideas!

When the temperature drops and the snow starts falling, it's the perfect time to bring a snowman theme into your learning time! Snowmen are timeless symbols of winter fun, and incorporating them into lessons can create a joyful and engaging learning experience. Below, you'll find a treasure trove of ideas to keep your little learners entertained and learning, all centered around the magical theme of snowmen!

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Storytime: Cozy Up with Snowman Read-Alouds

Set the stage with some snowman-themed books that’ll have your child or students giggling like a snowman tickled by a snowflake! These enchanting tales not only sprinkle a little winter magic but also introduce themes of friendship, creativity, and holiday cheer. Picture a cozy reading nook with soft blankets and twinkling lights, where kids can huddle up and dive into the whimsical world of snowmen. Each book offers a unique story, often featuring snowmen who waddle into delightful adventures. In some tales, the snowman might spring to life under a full moon, leading to enchanting escapades that teach valuable lessons about kindness and believing in the extraordinary. As the pages turn, kids will be whisked away to snowy landscapes, where they can almost feel the crisp air and hear the soft crunch of snow underfoot. The illustrations are vibrant and inviting, filled with blues and whites that capture the essence of winter wonderlands.

These snowman stories also make for great conversation starters, letting kids share their thoughts on the characters and their journeys. They can chat about what they’d do if they built a snowman or share their favorite winter memories, fostering a sense of community and connection. Incorporating these heartwarming tales into your reading routine can inspire creative activities, like crafting snowmen from various materials or writing their own snowy adventures. This boosts literacy skills while encouraging imaginative play and artistic expression. So, gather a selection of these delightful snowman-themed books, and watch as your child's or students' imaginations flourish, making the winter season even more magical and memorable!

Here are some of my favorites:

Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright: Follow Sneezy’s hilarious attempts to warm up without melting. It’s a great book to discuss cause and effect!
The Biggest Snowman Ever by Steven Kroll: A story about teamwork and determination as two mice work together to build the biggest snowman.
Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner: A whimsical tale that imagines the secret adventures of snowmen when the world is asleep.
- Check out the other "Snowmen..." Books by this author! So CUTE!
There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow by Lucille Colandro: A wintery twist on the classic “There Was an Old Lady” series that’s sure to get giggles from your students.

After reading, spark conversations with questions like, “What would your snowman do at night?” or “How would you keep Sneezy from melting?” to encourage creative thinking.

Open-Ended Snowman Crafts

We painted Snowmen with various circle-shaped objects! The kids got super creative with it and it was fun to see how unique each one turned out!

Here's the thing... I'm over craftivities. Sure, they look cute, but if 98% of the prep-work and putting together is done by an adult and then kids have to follow meticulous directions to finish the rest so they "turn out like the inspiration picture" then are we not defeating the purpose of creative expression?! That's a whole other blog post for another day... I digress. I have completely abandoned expectations for my student's art and prefer to lay out different tools and encourage them to create their own version of whatever the theme is. This has cut down prep time for me and the stress/presssure of trying to get a whole class to keep up with step-by-step instructions, plus the kids love their own art SO MUCH MORE! I simply provide the tools and the general theme and let them have at it! Here are some fun things I do in my classroom, and the best thing is these materials are SO inexpensive and you probably already have them lying around:

Loose Parts Snowman: Provide buttons, felt pieces, fabric scraps, pipe cleaners, and googly eyes. Let children build their unique snowman on a cardboard or foam base.
Snowman Collage: Use torn paper, cotton balls, and glitter (if you're really brave) to create textured snowman art.
Painted Snowmen: Offer white paint, different sized cups/circle-shaped objects, and sponges for children to stamp snowman shapes, then add details with markers or smaller brushes.
Recycled Snowman Sculptures: Use items like yogurt cups, bottle caps, or cardboard tubes. Challenge children to create 3D snowmen from the materials provided.

Fine Motor Fun: Snowman-Themed Activities

Develop those little hand muscles with these engaging fine motor tasks that not only enhance dexterity but also promote hand-eye coordination and cognitive skills. Incorporating a variety of activities into playtime can significantly support the growth and strength of the small muscles in children's hands, which are essential for tasks such as writing, buttoning shirts, and using utensils:

Snowman Beading: String white beads onto pipe cleaners to create "snowman bodies," then add colored beads for hats, scarves, and buttons.
Carrot Nose Pinching: Use tweezers to transfer small orange pom-poms ("carrot noses") into snowman-shaped containers or with this super cute mat, like this FREEBIE HERE!
Build-A-Snowman Playdough: Provide white playdough, buttons, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, and small sticks for children to create and decorate their own snowmen. I personally get a kick out of using the these tiny sets of hats and scarves and these itty bitty carrots for a nose! They make the cutest snowmen and older kids LOVE playing with these, too!
Snowball Scoop: Fill a bin with cotton balls or pom-poms and give children spoons or scoops to transfer them to "snowman molds."

Snowman Math Activities

Make numbers come alive with snowman-inspired math activities:

Build a Silly Snowman (Pictured Above): FREEBIE ALERT! Practice subitization and number recognition with this game that's sure to get a lot of laughs! Roll an object dice to see what Snowman-themed accessory or body part you need to draw, and a number dice to see how many you need to draw! It's the luck of the roll, so you might end up with a snowman with 6 eyeballs, three arms, and 2 scarves!
Counting Snowballs: Roll "snowballs" from white playdough and practice counting and grouping.
Snowman Button Match: Create snowman cutouts with numbers written on their tummies. Have children match the correct number of buttons to each snowman.
Measuring Snowmen: Provide rulers and let students measure the height of paper snowmen or stackable snowman blocks.
Snowman Patterns: Use colorful pom-poms or small objects to create patterns on snowman outlines.

Phonics with a Frosty Twist

Combine early literacy skills with the magic of snowmen:

Snowman Name Building: Write each letter of a child’s name on a snowball cutout. Have them assemble the snowballs in the correct order to "build" their name.
Snowball Letter Match: Write uppercase letters on "snowballs" (ping-pong balls or paper circles) and lowercase letters on snowman cutouts. Match the pairs.
Snowman Rhymes: Create a list of wintery words (snow, cold, ice) and have students brainstorm rhyming words.
Build-A-Word Snowman: Write letters on snowballs and let children stack them to form simple CVC words like "cat," "sun," or "log."

Snowman Science and STEM Activities

Add a dash of exploration and experimentation with these science and STEM ideas:

Melting Snowman Experiment: Build a small snowman (if you have access to real snow) or use ice cubes. Place it in different environments (warm, cold, sunny, shaded) and observe how quickly it melts.
Snowman Building Challenge: Provide marshmallows, toothpicks, and other small items. Challenge children to build the tallest snowman structure they can.
Snowball Sink or Float: Use small balls of white playdough or styrofoam and predict whether they will sink or float in water.
Frozen Snowman Science: Freeze small snowman figurines or toys in blocks of ice and let children experiment with ways to "rescue" them using salt, warm water, or other tools.
Insulating the Snowman: Test different materials (cotton, foil, fabric) to see which insulates a snowman best and slows melting.

Extend the Fun

To wrap up your snowman unit, consider:

Outdoor Snow Play: If weather permits, go outside to build real snowmen.
Snowman Snacks: Create edible snowmen using marshmallows, pretzel sticks, and chocolate chips.
Snowman Dance Party: Play “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” from Frozen, "Marshmallow World," or other wintery tunes for a movement break. Kidz Bop has some fun, upbeat Christmas music, too!

With these activities, your classroom will become a winter wonderland of fun and learning! Snowmen provide endless opportunities to spark curiosity, creativity, and joy—so bundle up and dive into the magic of the season!

FREEBIES!

Snag these freebies to make your Snowman Week magical!

Snowman Fine Motor Mat

You can use this with Pom-Poms, Play-Dough balls, or even buttons!!

Build a Silly Snowman Math Game

This comes with a full-color version you can re-use if you laminate it or put it in a dry-erase sleeve, as well as two different options number practice: either numeral recogntion for 1-6 or subitization practice with ten frames. I personally use these handy dandy Pocket Cube Dice for games in my classroom, but if you don't want to buy them, you can use the print-and-fold die I included!