Do you feel like this has been a long winter or WHAT?! My northern granddaughter and I often check out the weather through each other’s windows when we videochat, and it seems like we’re always talking about SNOW! So I searched online for a fun snow-themed project that we could enjoy virtually. Many online mamas and teachers offer up creative ideas for building snowmen while you stay warm inside. The main ingredient? The timeless cottonball. Here’s how you and your grands can use cottonballs along with simple household items to “build” a colorful snowman together via videochat. But that’s just the beginning. You can add elements to create anticipation and connection over the following days or weeks.
The Adventure Starts with a Good Story
Our winter snowman project started with Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright read virtually, of course. The story goes like this: Sneezy the Snowman has a problem. He’s always cold, so he sneezes a lot. He tries to warm himself up with hot cocoa and then a cozy fire. But, oh no, Sneezy! He melts from the heat, and his friends have to rebuild him. They also try to warm him up with clothes including a scarf, a hat and a jacket.
The story’s themes of friendship and problem-solving work well with toddlers through kindergartners. There are even some basic “science” concepts to chat about like hot and cold, freezing and melting. So, creating a cottonball, Sneezy the Snowman and dressing him to keep him warm, is a perfect partner for this sweet story.
A Visit to Savta’s Fabric Closet
So after reading the story, we “went” to my fabric closet downstairs as I flipped the phone camera back and forth. Together we looked out my window to see that I had “some” snow. My granddaughter realized we were both looking out our windows, and exclaimed that she had even more!
Then I opened the closet door filled with my fabric stash. Organized by colors, we “toured” different palettes and patterns. First, we selected one fabric for Sneezy’s scarf, another for his hat and another one for his jacket. I cut pieces of each chosen fabric, and showed her the pieces that I would send her.
A Tale of Two Packages: One to Send, One to Keep
Next, I put together two sets of supplies. One to mail to my granddaughter and one for me to use during our snowmen video chat. I rummaged through my crafts box to fill a “build a snowman “box. You can personalize it with things like the following:
- Fun paper (construction paper, wrapping paper or from an old wallpaper book) for a background
- A paper bowl or plate to make a “standing up” snowman
- Cottonballs, regular or mini size
- Colorful pipe cleaners, yarn, buttons, ribbons
- Fabric scraps from old clothes or sheets
- Fuzzy balls
- Part of egg carton (3 adjacent “egg holders” to put the cottonballs, optional)
- Popsicle sticks
- White glue (with a cotton swab for spreading)
Inside the package, I tucked in a note with the plan and a picture of Sneezy the Snowman.
Winter Project Anticipation
Next came the phone calls and video chats about when the package would arrive. After it was delivered, we talked about when to start. We settled on an afternoon the following weekend. She was so excited. As you’ve probably experienced, talking about a project or an event can be almost as much fun as doing it! And of course, the younger the child, the harder “future time” is to grasp (like how about NOW?!)
The Project Unfolds Over Videochat
Best laid plans… wIth all the supplies ready on my end for an afternoon video chat, the call to get started actually came hours before, while I was still in bed! I threw on my bathrobe, and was downstairs at my craft table in a flash. As we long-distance grandparents know, when the grandchildren are ready, we will be, too!
Here are some snowman-making ideas that we used, that you can, too!
- Decide if this will be a “standing” snowman or if he/she will be flat on a background paper. Pick a background paper or paper bowl/plate. Build your snowman from the bottom up.
- Use white glue (a Q-tip works well) to glue cottonballs to each other to form larger “balls” – 2 or 3 and stack them with glue. (You can use part of an egg carton to keep the round shape).
- Add body parts: Ask the child what he/she would like to use for eyes, nose, mouth, arms, etc.
- Dress your snowmen! What kind of scarf or hat would be fun? What color? How about a jacket? (Ideas from Sneezy the Snowman).
- Read the story with your new snowmen and change up the outfits with different fabrics.
- Talk about snowmen you’ve seen in your neighborhood.
Creations Beyond Snowmen
When my granddaughter was all done, she noticed that there were still plenty of decorations leftover. So, she started another project. Using letters as the base for her new creation, she encouraged me to do the same! With leftover supplies, it’s fun to see where the grandkids take us with their imaginations. And don’t forget the hot cocoa and selfies!
More Snowman Craft Ideas
Cotton Ball Snowman Craft – Easy Peasy and Fun website offers end offers endless possibilities for fun and educational projects for all ages and abilities.
10 Snowman Crafts for Kids goes beyond cottonballs with ideas using many other household items.
A great way to warm up a winter weekend with Smiles Beyond Miles!