The Snowman Easy Art Project for Kids

For today’s Storybook Advent post, we have an easy winter art project inspired by The Snowman By Raymond Briggs. This snowy art and craft idea for kids combines paint with paper and felt to create a lovely Snowman painting. It’s easy enough for toddlers but older kids will enjoy it, too! So here you are our Snowman Art Project for Kids to do.

The Snowman By Raymond Briggs

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One of our favourite Christmas Books is The Snowman by Raymond Briggs. In the original wordless pictures book, a young boy wakes up to find that the ground is covered in snow.

As you turn the pages with your kids you follow him on a magical journey up to the North Pole and around the world.

The Snowman Easy Art Project for Kids

We have got 3 different ways of making this art project with your kids. From a simple version that your toddler can make to one that your older kids will enjoy. All use the same materials and this is ideal for making together this Christmas.

Materials for the Snowman Art Project

Thick paper or card stock (black or dark blue)
White ready-mixed paint (tempera paint)
Paintbrushes (different brushes give different textures to your painting, so experiment with what you have)
Scissors
Print out The Snowman mobile template from thesnowman.com
Green felt for the snowman’s hat and scarf
Glue
Colored pencils
Other colors of tempera paint/ready-mixed paint
Pom pom or cotton ball

How to Make the Snowman Art For Toddlers

Cover your work area and wear paint clothes.

Select a thick piece of paper or card stock for your background. We used black and dark blue.

Set out some white tempera paint and a few paintbrushes. Allow your child to use the paintbrushes to paint snow on the paper.

It’s a good idea to demonstrate ways to make snow with different brushes. Use just a little bit of paint to let the colored paper show through. Drag your brush across the paper to make a snowy background.

Pounce your brush to create snow flurries.

Flick the paint onto the paper to get dots of snow.

The whole point of this painting is the experience. Experiment with the brushes and see what happens. How can you make it look like snow?

With help, this process art project is easy enough for toddlers. Let the paint dry and add a snowman from the Snowman mobile template.

How to Make the Snowman Art Project with Preschoolers

Our second way of making the snowman art collage takes a few more steps. We were inspired by the scene in the book where the snowman is flying above the city buildings.

My 3 and half year old ask me to draw city buildings with lights for him. I drew simple rectangles for the buildings and squares for the lights.

I taught my son how to use a tiny paintbrush to add a small dot of yellow paint to each window. Elon loved adding all of the lights. This is great for fine motor skills practice.

We allowed the lights to dry and came back to the project later.

Next, we added a snowman flying in the sky. We used a pom pom to paint the head and body of the snowman. (He practiced on a scrap piece of paper first.)

Then, he added the arms and legs to the snowman. Next, he added the eyes, tangerine nose, and buttons.

I cut out a hat scarf from green felt and helped him glue them down to the snowman.

Finally, he painted snow to complete the scene. He used his experimentation from our first snowman painting to create the snow for this snowman collage.

Instead of painting the yellow lights, you could let your child glue down squares of yellow paper. A square paper punch would be great for quickly creating enough squares.

How to Make the Snowman Art For Older Kids

Our last way of creating a snowman painting was done by my kindergartener. Lily chose to use only tempera paint to create her art piece.

She was also inspired by the scene of the snowman flying in the sky. She wanted her snowman to fly above the ocean.

Lily used a pom pom to create her snowman. Then, she added its details.

Next, she painted the ocean on the bottom of her paper.

Finally, Lily experimented with different methods to create snow on her painting.

However, you choose to create your snowman collages and paintings, be sure to read The Snowman by Raymond Briggs before you begin. It will surely inspire some creative snowy ideas.

More Activities and Crafts Inspired by the Snowman

• Snowman Stressball to make with kids
• Easy Snowman Gift Tin for Cookies and Fudge
• STEM Activity for a melting snowman