Build a Snowman
In this interactive craft, kids will practice a variety of developmental skills by building their own snowman from printable pieces. As they assemble their snowman, they’ll engage in fine motor exercises (cutting, pasting, and positioning), speech practice (describing, naming, and storytelling), and social interaction (turn-taking, collaboration). Download this printable activity in our app!
Materials Needed:
Printable snowman pieces (downloadable file with components to print, cut, and color):
Snowman body parts (3 large circles for the body)
Carrot nose
Scarf
Top hat
Mittens
Sticks (for arms)
Coal (for buttons, eyes, and smile)
Glue stick or child-safe scissors
Construction paper or cardstock for background (optional)
Markers or crayons for coloring the pieces
Where to Start:
Print out the snowman pieces for the child to cut, color, and use.
Optionally, prepare a background for the child to stick the snowman onto (a snowy landscape or just a plain background).
You might also want to print extra sets of snowman parts for those children who need more practice with fine motor skills or to encourage repeated play.
Instructions:
Step 1: Prepping the Pieces
Cutting Practice: Have the child carefully cut out the snowman body parts and accessories (or assist them if necessary). Cutting different shapes can work on hand strength and coordination.
Fine motor development: Practice snipping, cutting along lines, and using scissors in different directions. Talk about the shapes they are cutting (circle, triangle, etc.).
Step 2: Build Your Snowman
Assemble the Snowman: Once the pieces are cut out, the child will start building their snowman. Start by stacking the body parts—small on top, then medium, then large. Encourage the child to focus on the placement of each piece.
Hand-eye coordination: Positioning the pieces correctly is a great way to help develop spatial awareness and visual-motor skills.
Attaching the Pieces: The child will glue or tape the snowman's body parts in place. Encourage them to use their pincer grasp to place the glue and press pieces together, which helps with fine motor strength and dexterity.
Fine motor skills: This is a great way to work on strengthening hand muscles used in writing and other fine tasks.
Step 3: Add Details
Scarf, Hat, Mittens, and Arms: Have the child glue on the scarf, mittens, and top hat to personalize their snowman. They can also add the sticks for arms and position them at the sides of the snowman’s body.
Sensory Integration: Adding these pieces can be a tactile experience, especially if the child colors or decorates the items first.
Speech focus: Ask the child to name the items they are adding (e.g., "What color is the scarf? What shape is the top hat?"). Use the opportunity to practice vocabulary and sentence formation.
Coal Features: Use the black "coal" pieces to create the eyes, buttons, and mouth of the snowman. The child can practice counting as they add the buttons (e.g., "Let’s put on 3 buttons"), and they can also engage in social speech skills by asking each other about the placement ("Where should we put the eyes?").
Speech and Language: Practice identifying body parts ("eyes", "nose", "buttons") and use descriptive language ("the snowman has a big, happy smile").
Fine motor skills: Placing the coal pieces as eyes and buttons is good practice for using tweezers or pinching skills.
Step 4: Final Touches
Carrot Nose: Glue the carrot nose in place. Ask the child questions like "What shape is the carrot?" or "What color is the snowman’s nose?" This can also provide an opportunity for imaginative storytelling ("What kind of snowman is this? Is it a jolly snowman?").
Fine motor: Pinch, hold, and place the carrot nose.
Step 5: Take Turns or Play with a Group (optional)
Social Interaction: If more than one child is involved, encourage them to take turns adding pieces or helping one another. This builds social communication and cooperative play skills.
Sharing and Turn-taking: Guide children in waiting for their turn and asking for help ("Can I have the scarf?") to practice social and communication skills.
Speech & Language Therapy Integration Ideas:
Describing and Labeling: Encourage the child to describe what they are doing ("I’m putting the mittens on his arms") and label the different parts of the snowman.
Storytelling: Once the snowman is built, ask the child to create a story about their snowman. For example, “What’s the snowman’s name? What does he like to do?” This practice promotes narrative skills, vocabulary, and sentence formation.
Expanding Sentences: Prompt the child to expand on their responses ("Tell me more about the snowman"). If they say "The snowman is happy," encourage them to say, "The snowman is very happy because he has a big smile and a red scarf."
Areas of Development:
Fine Motor Skills: Cutting, gluing, and manipulating small pieces work on hand strength, grip, and dexterity.
Hand-Eye Coordination: Placing and positioning the snowman parts encourages visual-motor integration.
Speech & Language: The activity provides ample opportunity for language development through labeling, describing, and storytelling. It encourages the use of new vocabulary (colors, shapes, emotions) and sentence structure.
Social Skills: If played in a group, it fosters turn-taking, sharing, and collaborative problem-solving.
Sensory Integration: Tactile exploration of materials (paper, glue, etc.) and manipulation of the different parts of the snowman can also engage sensory processing.
Additional Ideas:
Create a Snowman Family: Print multiple sets of pieces so children can build a family of snowmen, practicing counting and social language skills as they “introduce” the snowmen to each other.
Snowman Crafting: Use different materials for the snowman’s accessories (e.g., bits of fabric for the scarf, real sticks for arms) to introduce different textures, which also promotes sensory exploration.
This activity is designed to be both fun and educational, supporting the development of essential skills through a creative, hands-on experience!
