Winter+Art+Projects

We save the brown cardboard cup holder that you get from places like McDonalds. We paint them white, making them look like a snow flake. Then add a string so you can hang them from the ceiling to make the room look like snow is falling.
 * Snowflakes**

I use popsicle sticks and white minty lifesavers to make a snowflake. I help them glue their sticks together and make it look like a snowflake we add the lifesavers and glitter and hang them form the ceiling it looks great and the parents love it. ps I let the children break up the lifesavers and I hot glue the lifesavers on how they want them arranged on their snow flake.
 * Lifesaver Snowflakes**

Freeze chunks of food colored ice and let the children paint with it. Using mittens makes it more fun- especially in states where we have no snow or ice.
 * Ice Painting**

Cut 2 large "mittens" out of construction paper. Punch several wholes around the outside. Let children use yarn to "sew" the 2 mitten together. When they are done allow them to decorate with stickers. Ask children "what can you do in winter?" teacher or parent helper can write their response on their mitten.
 * Mittens**

Keeping in mind the importance of recycling and reduce the waste, here is an ecological way to make fake snow. When buying meat or fish at the supermarket, you are left with a Styrofoam plate stamped with a 6 surrounded by the cycling arrows, meaning this material is not recyclable. Gather a bunch of these plates in white, spread large black garbage bags on the floor, and with the help of your students shred them into Styrofoam dust, using your finger or safety scissors. Notice the static effect on the garbage bag, looking like a snow storm or a skylight! Gather the Styrofoam dust… - Sprinkle it on hand made houses or use empty juice box to create the buildings of a city under a snow storm - Glue it on a upside down empty yogurt plastic container to create an igloo - Use an empty water bottle, cover with the Styrofoam dust, use a yogurt plastic container (individual portion) for the hat, cut branching arms out of cardboard (or carefully washed straws from the juice boxes, dipped in brown paint), and glue and old pen cap for the nose. - Use different color of Styrofoam plates to make mosaics of winter landscapes. - You can mix some blue Styrofoam dust with the white dust. Instead of buying new Styrofoam glass or plates or any new material, open a discussion with the second life of objects… You’ll be surprised with the originality and imagination some student may have!
 * Snowflake Printmaking**

1/Glue cork onto middle of snowflake. Let dry/Cut string Off 2: Pour white paint into paper plate 3: Have children dip snowflake using cork as handle into white paint 4: Children print on paper by lifting snowflake several times till it runs out of paint. Children can print as many times as they want till paper is covered.
 * Snowflake Stamp**

Snow Globes: We had children bring in an empty jar -- baby food, jelly, pickle, etc., any small, clear jar with a screw-top lid. (An empty spice bottle works too.) We filled the jars nearly full with a mixture of 1/3 light corn syrup and 2/3 warm water, then gave the kids popsicle sticks to stir until mixed. Then they added "one or two pinches" of glitter (we had several colors to choose from) and a few snowflake-shaped sequins. We (the adults) hot-glue-gunned the lids on the jars, screwing them tightly into place. Voila! Fun & easy swirling snow magic! (Notes: 1-Using a mixture of water with corn syrup "thickens" the liquid and keeps the glitter in suspension longer. 2-Don't use white glue to seal the lids -- it's water-soluble and will turn the water cloudy. 3-Covering the table with a disposable plastic tablecloth will make it much easier to clean up after this craft. (Dried glitter in corn syrup may not go over real well with your custodial staff!)
 * Snow Globes**

Our children were given marshmallows, a sheet of blue construction paper and a little bit of glue. They put the glue on there marshmallows and then threw them onto the blue paper. Viola! Splattered snowballs. Since the glue is non-toxic if they "accidentally" ate them once they got home it was okay:-)
 * Splatter Snowballs**

Just trace the child's hand on green construction paper and cut, to make a small tree you may want to cut out at least six hands or more depending on the size of the tree, and have the children glue them in a triangle shape. Holiday trees can be decorated by providing pom-poms, stickers, buttons you can use anything you can come up with.
 * Handprint Pine Trees**

Let the children paint two of them with a paint/glitter paste. Let dry, and then have them glue on sequins, buttons, fun foam shapes, lace, etc. Punch a hole at the corner of the cuff and string together with yarn. Hang from the windows or ceiling. Looks very colorful and wintery!
 * Grandma’s Mittens**

Take mini pretzels. (4 per child) Pour white paint into baggies, or pie tin and coat with paint. Allow to dry thoroughly. When dry, glue all 4 pretzels corners to corners/points to points...to form a "snowflake". (hot glue gun may work the best...done by an adult). Then, when dry...take a thin ribbon, or yarn and tie for hanging...hold string and dip into a. White snowy glitter...or b. dip into craft snow. Very Cute!
 * Pretzel Snowflakes**