DIY Winter Craft | Toddler Sensory Activity
You may know by now, from my article, 8 Activities for Kids of Highly Efficient Moms, that I am all about combo activities! Two birds with one stone is a phrase that I tend to live by as a mom with two young children. Last week, as I started to put out all of our winter décor I realized that I really didn’t have very much. I had a lot for Christmas, but not a lot for winter in general. And I don’t know about you, but this year especially I have felt the need for home décor! Maybe that’s because we are having to spend all our time in our homes this year! So I decided to come up with one. And, as always, I had to make sure that my toddler could help and that it would include a learning experience/activity for her. This simple, but stunning winter craft is not only easy enough for your toddler to help make, but it also includes several sensory activities!
DIY Winter Craft & Toddler Sensory Activities
What you’ll need:
- 1 Old White Sock
- Sharpie
- Orange Marker
- Ribbon
- Scissors
- Rice
- 2 Rubber Bands
- Black Construction Paper
- Glue
- Pinecones
- Acrylic Paint (any color: white if you want to look like snow)
- Glitter Glue/Paint (optional)
- Parchment Paper
- Baking Soda
- Shaving Cream
- Essential Oils (suggested Tea Tree and Peppermint)
- Decorative Plate/Bowl
Instructions for Toddler Sensory Craft:
1. Frost your Pinecones.
Turn oven onto 300F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix white paint and glitter glue on a paper plate/wax paper. Have toddler roll the pinecone in the mixture until the tips of the pinecone are covered in paint. Place painted pinecones on baking sheet and sprinkle with Tea Tree Essential Oil. Bake for 5 minutes or until the paint is dry. **This sensory activity will allow your toddler to feel the different shapes and textures of the paint/glue/pinecone. It is also a dexterity activity having them rolling the pinecone.**
PRO TIP: Searching for pinecones before this craft can make for a fun adventure for your toddler as well as a workout for mom!
2. Fill your Snowman.
Fold the old sock over a tall cup. Pour rice on the table top in front of your toddler. Allow them to play in the rice grains as they fill the cup/sock up with it in this sensory activity. Once full, remove from cup and tie closed with a rubber band and cut off remaining sock.
3. Personalize your Snowman.
Tie another rubber band around the rice-filled sock to create a head for your snowman. Using the sock nub that you cut off as your guide for the top of the snowman, draw a face and buttons on your snowman with the sharpie and orange marker.
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4. Dress your Snowman
Tie a ribbon around the neck of the snowman as a scarf. Finally, make a hat for your snowman using the glue and black paper. To do this, cut out two circles (one smaller and one large). Cut a hole in the middle of the large circle. Cut a strip of paper out that is long enough to roll up as the body of the hat. Glue the rolled up portion to itself first and then glue it into the hole in the larger circle. Finally, glue the smaller circle on the top and allow to dry.
PRO TIPS: Add toothpicks for arms, use a doll hat rather than DIY, knit your own tiny scarf
5. Make your own snow in the final sensory activity!
To make your own snow simply mix baking soda with shaving cream! Start with about 2 cups of baking soda and slowly allow your toddler to mix in the shaving cream. Keep adding shaving cream until it starts to stick together and really resemble snow! You can let your toddler play in this snow for as long as you would like during this sensory activity! You can even build another snowman out of it if you want! When you are finished playing with it, add a few drops of Peppermint Essential Oil to your snow for a wonderous aroma!
6. Assemble your decoration pieces on a decorative plate or in a bowl.
This is a chance to use your imagination! Suggestions: make snowballs, make a second snowman out of your fake snow, make a snow angel in your fake snow, etc… The possibilities are endless!! Use your creativity!
Happy Crafting!!
36 Comments
Natalie
What a lovely and fun activity idea. I bet my son would enjoy making this too. Thanks for sharing this.
Everything Enchanting
Oh wow! Such an adorable snowman
I love this DIY, absolutely perfect for kids
I’ll surely try this with my cute little niece and nephew
Marysa
Sensory activities are so good for little ones. Thanks for sharing your project. It sounds like a great way to keep kids busy.
Mama Maggie's Kitchen
Oh wow! That snowman is really cute! This DIY Winter Craft is nice to do with your little ones.
Swathi
This is really cute. Kids will love it and have fun. These are great idea for kids
Traci
I’m always looking for fun sensory activities to do with my 2 y o – bonus when they’re festive like this! Thanks so much for sharing! Great idea!
Kita Bryant
I love this idea. It is such a great thing for them to work with too.
Catalina
Beautiful! This is the perfect season for some crafting with my kid!
Rikki Ridgeway
I love the snowman, so adorable and I bet my daughter would love this too!
Janeane M Davis
This is a nice way of getting toddlers engaged and using their various senses to learn and experience life.
Surabhi
Love the diy snowman activity especially because it involves so many hands on activities for the toddlers and also looks amazing as a decoration. Will definitely try it out with my toddler.
Heather
This snowman is so cute! I am going to make it with my kids this weekend. Great winter activity.
Lynndee
That is so cute! My little niece is so into crafts. She’s going to have fun making that.
Monica Simpson
These are so cute! I like that they’re wintry not Christmasy so they can stay up longer.
Kathy
This is such a cute craft. I should do this with my daughters. I’m sure they’d love it.
Rose Ann Sales
Such a great activity for kids to try. I will share this with my friends.
Nikki Wayne
Sounds fun to do this craft. Thanks for sharing,I will definitely try this.
Chiell Ann Ordonez
Luckily I have all these materials, gotta try with my little one!
Anosa Malanga
I actually never thought of this idea. Simple and easy yet very good idea for kids. I guess I can add this to our Christmas activity with my nephews and niece.
Vidya
such an adorable snowman and so much fun to make!
Ashley t
These are some really cute and fun crafts. My daughter would love this.
Tasheena
This looks like so much fun to make. I can’t wait to give this a try.
Sarah
This is adorable! I can’t wait to try with my daughter when she’s a bit older.
Heather
So many great ideas! I wish I had known about them when my girls were smaller.
Anitra
I loved when my daughters made these when they were younger!! SO fun and cute!
Audrey
How cute!! I love it!
Samantha Laycock
This snowman is so cute.
Nishtha
Such a cute craft for little ones! My kids are teens now, will share withs of younger kids. Def help dev find motor skills!
Amber Myers
This is such a cute idea. I can see toddlers loving this and having so much fun.
Halimeh Salem
I will do this definitely with my son. He loves crafts!
Alex
Love this idea, i needed a fresh craft idea to do!
Heather
These are so adorable! My daughter is always looking for sometimething crafty to do.
Danielle
This is such an adorable idea. I loved looking at the pictures watching your little one do it themself!
melissa chapman
It is so nice how you can teach your kids to make such a cute craft and they learn by doing it. I would love to make this with my nieces and nephews.
Jacqueline
This is excellent! The best part is that I already have all of those items on hand. I think my two year old will really love the sensory experience of putting the rice into the sock.
GiGi Eats
Okay! Some seriously good ideas for when my son’s daycare is closed for the holidays!!