Looking for an easy indoor activity but with snow? It’s possible. Set up a painting snow activity for kids who want to have some winter fun, but inside a warm house. This quick and easy activity is perfect for snow days.
How to create a painting snow activity
This is a “Tale as old as Time” activity – and it’s a classic for a reason. Snow days can be tough with kids who don’t love the cold, the bulky gear, the wet feelings, or they’re just over the powder.
Instead of having to send kids outside to experience the snow, try engaging with it inside your house. It’s one of the best ways to be with the snow – and stay warm, toasty, and dry.
RELATED: Are you in need of more indoor activity ideas for your kids? Check out my fantastic list of easy ways to play.
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Supplies
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- Storage container (this is my favorite from Target)
- Small plastic bowls
- Nylon paint brushes
- Food coloring
It’s not a lengthy list -and it’s all supplies from my standard “Busy Toddler supply list.” You don’t need to have an entire craft room dedicated to supplies in order to create incredible indoor activities for kids. A few key supplies is plenty.
RELATED: Do you have a toddler to entertain this winter? I have an awesome list of toddler specific activities to try.
The set-up
I took our trusty storage container and set in on the floor of the kitchen. If you’re worried about your floors and water, add a towel under it.
I scooped a few shovels of snow into the bin through our sliding glass door. You’ll have to figure out your easiest way to fill the bin: bring the bin outside to fill it or cart the snow in from outside.
Either way, it was a cold task but worth it (wink).
Next, I grabbed bowls and filled them with water. I added a few squirts of food coloring into each bowl of water. You can use liquid watercolor too.
I added in our paint brushes and VOILA. Time to paint snow and make some cold art.
RELATED: I made a whole calendar of easy indoor activities to try this winter. Download it for free!
Why painting snow indoors is important
Let’s be honest: not all toddlers want to go play in the snow.
What if, instead of them being excluded from snow activities, we give them a snow experience INSIDE the house?
My toddler (age 2) is NOT a snow fan. He doesn’t like the cold or the excessive gear. Sledding is scary and snow balls aren’t happening. But I don’t want him to miss the chance to engage in one of nature’s best sensory bins.
After all, he loved the snow. He loved watching it fall. He loved how beautiful it looked.
He wanted to play in it so badly but there were so many barriers for him.
So I took all those barriers away by bringing the snow inside. Imagine how that feels when someone helps remove barriers so you can experience something amazing. It’s pretty powerful, even when it’s as simple as snow and food coloring.
The reaction to painting snow indoors
Painting snow was kind of like making your own snow cone – it had that same feel and texture.
It was the perfect way to bring the outdoors indoors for my littlest guy.
My kids sat and painted for 35 minutes, then brought other toys into the snow – just like I said earlier: a nature-made sensory bin for kids.
It was actually kind of surprising how long the snow lasted in our house before it melted (and I keep this place a toast 70F).
We had animals in the snow and construction trucks in the snow, and it was a fantastic moment for me on a long snow day to have the kids warm, dry, and entertained for so long.
Frequently Asked Questions
Food coloring “dissolves” in water. In this activity, the concentrated food coloring is so diluted, it doesn’t get on little hands. If you find some on your child’s clothing, set it in cold water for a few hours to let the color “dissolve.” *Always do what you think it best though, I am just some lady on the Internet.
Remember: think stages not ages. Instead of going based on age, ask yourself these questions: can my child hold a paint brush? Would they be interested in seeing snow change color? Do they want to engage with snow, but inside? I’ve done painting snow with kids ages 2 to 12.
I removed the bowls and the paint brushes, opened my back door and toss the snow outside. Make sure not to add more snow than you can list (and if you do, ask the kids to help you scoop buckets of snow and transfer them outside).
Susie Allison, M. Ed
Owner, Creator
Susie Allison is the creator of Busy Toddler and has more than 2.3 million followers on Instagram. A former teacher and early childhood education advocate, Susie’s parenting book “Busy Toddler’s Guide to Actual Parenting” is available on Amazon.
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