20 Montessori Winter Art Activities | Simple Seasonal Creativity for Kids
When the chilly months roll in, it can be tough to get outside with little ones. And let’s be honest, keeping them busy indoors without too much screen time can be a challenge.
That’s where simple Montessori-inspired winter art activities come in. These hands-on projects keep tiny hands active and creative while also giving them a chance to explore textures, colors, and new materials.
If you’re looking for fun ways to bring the magic of winter inside, here are a few cozy ideas your toddler will love. Each one encourages independence, curiosity, and plenty of sensory play with that special Montessori touch.
Snowman Puffy Paint
You’ll need: Snowman template, shaving cream, bowl and spoon, PVA glue, scissors (adults can help cut the snowman parts), paintbrush.
Step 1: Mix one-quarter cup of PVA glue with one-quarter cup of shaving cream to make your own puff paint.
Step 2: Paint the snowman template using the fluffy mixture.
Step 3: Add the snowman parts and let it dry. Kids will love the soft, textured look when it’s done.
Snow Dough
This homemade snow dough looks just like freshly fallen snow and is perfect for keeping little fingers busy indoors. The best part is that it’s taste-safe, so curious toddlers can explore without worry.
They’ll love squishing, molding, and pretending to build snowy scenes right at the table.
Build a Snowperson
Benefits: Encourages gross motor skills, cooperation, and language development while using maximum effort. It also helps children learn about body parts in a fun, hands-on way.
Instructions:
Work together to roll snow into balls, big or small, depending on your child’s ability and interest. Collect items from nature for the eyes, nose, mouth, and arms, or use things from around the house.
Talk about each body part as you build. You can even use your colored snow paint from the previous activity to decorate your snowperson. This activity promotes teamwork and imagination while letting your child practice important physical skills.
Melted Snowman
Supplies: Shaving cream, glue, construction paper, buttons (optional), paintbrush.
Cut out a carrot nose, hat, and any other fun accessories from construction paper. You can also use small buttons if you have them. Mix shaving cream and glue to make a fluffy 3D snow texture.
Talk about how snow melts and spark your child’s imagination by asking how their snowman melted. My daughter had so much fun with this one and ended up using her hands and an extra piece of paper. It kept her entertained for quite a while.
Painting With Pine Tree Branches
What you need: A branch from any evergreen tree, paint, and paper.
If you have leftover trimmings from your Christmas tree or wreath, this is the perfect way to reuse them. If not, head outside together and find a few small branches to trim.
Dip the branches in paint and press or sweep them across the paper to make beautiful patterns. It’s another simple activity that gives really cool results and lets kids explore texture and nature at the same time.
Colour-in Mitten Match
You’ll need: Mitten template and pencils.
Step 1: Use the color key at the top of the page to color the same shapes shown in the key. This simple matching and coloring activity is perfect for practicing color recognition and focus while keeping little hands busy.
Painting With A Glove Or Mitten
Supplies: Paper, paint, and an old, thin glove or mitten.
This one is super simple and needs no prep at all. Slip a glove or mitten on your child’s hand and let them paint freely.
Ask how it feels on their hand and encourage them to explore the different patterns they can create on the paper. It’s a fun and sensory-rich way to paint.
Sticky Snowman
Kids love getting messy, and this activity lets them do just that without leaving a disaster behind. The sticky snowman craft is a great way to let toddlers play with textures and shapes.
They’ll enjoy making their own snowman and feeling the sticky fun of glue and paper, while you enjoy how easy it is to clean up afterward.
Fake Snow Sensory Box
Collect a few pinecones from outside and combine them with a few simple kitchen ingredients to make a sensory box that feels like real snow.
This hands-on activity gives toddlers a chance to dig, scoop, and play while exploring textures and imaginative scenes. It’s an easy setup that keeps them entertained and curious for a long time.
Snowflake Spray Art
What you need: Contact paper, cardstock or thick paper, spray bottle, paint, water, bin, salt (optional).
Cut out a snowflake from contact paper and press it onto your cardstock, making sure it’s well stuck to the surface. Mix paint and water in a spray bottle. You may need to experiment a little to get the right consistency, so test it first.
Have your child spray the paint onto their paper inside a bin to catch the splatter. You can sprinkle a bit of salt on top to see how it changes the paint as it dries. When it’s dry, peel off the contact paper and brush away the salt.
Let your child help so they can see and talk about how it turned out. This activity is one of my favorites because it mixes several learning moments together, and every child loves using a spray bottle. It’s also great for fine motor skills.
Throwing Snowballs Into a Bucket
Benefits: Builds gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
Instructions:
Choose a safe, open space away from people and objects. Show your child how to make snowballs or prepare a pile of them together. This process alone can be part of the fun, so take your time.
Place a bucket or large bowl a few feet away as a target. If you don’t have a bucket, draw a target in the snow or on a wall with chalk. Adjust the distance to set your child up for success, even if they start close enough to drop the snowballs in.
Demonstrate how to throw underhand first, as it’s easier for learning aim. As your child gains confidence, they can try overhand throws or move farther back.
Ice Cube Painting
Supplies: Ice cube tray, water, food coloring, craft sticks, paper.
Mix water and food coloring in an ice cube tray. Let your child help stir the colors or just talk about what they see. Place craft sticks into the trays to create little handles, then freeze them.
Once frozen, let your child paint with the colorful ice cubes. You can chat about why the ice melts as they paint. Keep in mind that food coloring can stain, so prepare your area. My daughter mostly wanted to taste the ice cubes, and that was part of the fun, too.
Salt Art Snowflakes
You’ll need: Snowflake template, PVA craft glue, salt, tray, dye.
Place the snowflake template in your tray. Trace each snowflake with PVA glue, then sprinkle salt over the glue lines. Gently shake the tray to remove any extra salt.
Using a pipette or dropper, add small drops of dye and watch how the color spreads and absorbs through the salt. It’s a beautiful and simple science-meets-art activity that little ones love.
Bury Items in the Snow and Find Them
Benefits: Encourages fine and gross motor development, language skills, and problem-solving.
Instructions:
Gather a few waterproof toys like bath or sand toys. Let your child pick which ones to bury. Take turns hiding and finding the toys in the snow. Use a small shovel or trowel for digging and name each item as it’s found.
For infants, loosely bury one toy near the surface so they can see it while developing early object permanence. Older toddlers who understand hide and seek can cover their eyes while you hide the toys.
You can even play a fun round of Hot and Cold, giving hints as they get closer or farther away. This adds an extra layer of listening and following directions to the play.
Snow Painting
Perfect for young toddlers, this snow painting project turns a simple winter day into an art adventure. Kids can paint over real or pretend snow, exploring colors while creating beautiful wintry designs. It’s also a lovely way to make seasonal art to display around your home.
Shovelling Snow
Benefits: Teaches care of the outdoor environment, builds gross motor skills, uses maximum effort, and helps burn extra energy.
Instructions:
Get a child-sized shovel and find a safe spot where your little one can shovel snow. Show them how to scoop and carry the snow to a chosen area. Once they’ve made a pile, let the fun begin.
They can jump in it, build a fort, or create a snow mountain. This is a great way for children to work hard, explore their environment, and stay active outdoors.
Penguin Science
You’ll need: Penguin template, wax crayons or pastels, pipette, PVA glue, paint palette, paintbrushes, glitter, or other craft materials.
Step 1: Paint the canvas using your favorite colors. Remember to clean your brush between each color change.
Step 2: Use PVA glue to stick on craft sticks and any extra decorations or sparkly embellishments. This is a great way to mix art with science and creative exploration.
Painting Snow with Spray or Squirt Bottles
Benefits: Strengthens fine motor skills and supports color mixing, creativity, and sensory exploration.
Instructions:
Fill a child-sized spray or squirt bottle with water and add a few drops of food coloring. Show your child how to spray the snow and then let them take over. You can provide a few colors so they can mix and explore how shades blend together.
If your child really enjoys it, bring extra bottles of colored water outside so you don’t have to keep refilling indoors. This is an easy, colorful outdoor art experience that kids love.
Snowflake Shapes
You’ll need: Snowflake template, crayons, glue stick, scissors (an adult may need to help cut out the shapes).
Step 1: Arrange the different shapes on your snowflake and glue them in place.
Step 2: Count how many of each shape you used and write the number beside the shape key. It’s a fun way to combine art with counting and recognition skills.
Snowball Launcher
Why not add a little science to your day? This snowball launcher activity is simple, fun, and turns into a family game in no time. It’s a creative way to introduce basic physics while your child gets to aim, launch, and giggle at every snowball that flies through the air.
