With winter upon us, you may be looking for activities to keep your student entertained and excited about learning. Luckily, there are many winter art crafts that kids can enjoy during the cold weather season. Winter art crafts for kids can include a waterless snow globe, a fun twist on the popular snowflake craft, and a creative way to experiment with melting ice.
Looking for fun crafts to engage your student this winter? Keep reading to learn about three of our favorite winter-themed art crafts for kids:
Winter art craft #1: Coffee filter snowflakes
What you’ll need:
-
Large coffee filters, preferably white
-
Scissors
-
Plastic cups
-
Watercolors
What you’ll do:
When creating these snowflakes, start by folding the coffee filter. You’ll fold your filter in half, and then fold one side at a 60-degree angle. Repeat that fold on the other side of the filter. You’ll finally fold the filter in half one last time. Once you have completed your folding, it’s time to add color. Set up plastic cups for each paint color, and then dip your folded snowflake in to whichever colors you’d like. It’s important to remember to paint your snowflake before you cut it. Before the watercolors dry, cut your coffee filter in various places. Last, gently open your snowflake, and let it dry. Viola! You now have colorful, tie dye snowflakes.
[RELATED: 8 Gifts That Will Inspire Students This Holiday Season]
Winter art craft #2: Waterless snow globe
What you’ll need:
-
Clear plastic ornaments that snap into two pieces
-
Glitter snow
-
Small Mason jar lids
-
Cotton balls
-
Glue
-
Ribbon
-
Two-inch discs cut out of cardboard
-
Small decorative toys or figurines
What you’ll do:
With this craft, you and your student can create a child-friendly snow globe. Your student can design his or her own snow globe that he or she can shake at will—without any risk of it shattering into a million pieces.
First, you will take your cardboard cutout and use this as a base for your winter scene. Stretch out the cotton balls until they look like fluffy snow, and then glue them onto the cardboard. Next, add your figurines or toys. You can use (or make) miniature trees, reindeer, and snowmen. Before you glue your pieces down, you’ll want to glue your cardboard into one half of the ornament:
-
Take the ornament and open it vertically.
-
Place your glue on the back outside edge of the cardboard, and secure it onto one half of the ornament.
-
You’ll notice some empty space under the cardboard—you can use cotton balls to fill in that space.
Once this is done, glue your figurines down, and add your glitter into the globe. Snap the other side of the snow globe into place, and glue it to the Mason jar lid, which will act as the base of the globe.
[RELATED: Educational Road Trip Games for the Whole Family]
Winter art craft #3: Melting ice experiment
What you’ll need:
-
Bowls to make ice in
-
Large tray that has sides
-
Salt
-
Food coloring or liquid watercolors
-
Droppers (for food coloring) or spoons
What you’ll do:
This craft helps your student learn about the science behind melting, and it incorporates a fun art element. Take bowls—having a few bowls of different sizes can make the craft more exciting—fill them with water, and let them freeze overnight. The next morning, take the ice out of the bowls (this can be accomplished with the help of warm water), and lay the ice forms on a large tray with raised edges.
Have your child sprinkle salt—rock or table salt will work well—over the ice forms. The salt will cause the ice to melt in interesting ways—creating pathways in the ice block. As soon as you see the salt melting the ice, it’s time to grab the watercolors or food coloring. Ask your student to drop watercolors or food coloring onto the ice domes to accentuate the crevasses and tunnels that are forming. This project lets your child not only learn about how melting works, but also create a beautiful swirl of colors on the vanishing ice.
[RELATED: 3 Ways to Get Ahead on Your Student’s Science Fair Project]
Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.
