A Fluffy Adventure in the Living Room!
Let’s turn a regular day into a snowy, fun-filled adventure with a simple yet super exciting activity: Snowball Pick-Up! This game is a fantastic way to bring the joy of winter play inside, especially on those days when it’s too cold or too wet to venture outdoors. With just a few household items, you can create an engaging and playful experience that will have your little ones giggling with delight.
The best part about the Snowball Pick-Up game is its simplicity and the sheer fun it offers. It’s incredibly easy to set up, and my kids absolutely loved playing it. They were so engrossed in the game, trying to scoop up the fluffy ‘snowballs’, and their laughter was just infectious. It’s an excellent indoor winter activity that combines fun with skill-building, perfect for toddlers and young children.
What You’ll Need:
- Cotton balls (plenty of them!)
- A large cardboard box
- Salad tongs or any tongs suitable for little hands
Our Fun Experience
Setting up this game was a breeze, and watching the kids play was even more delightful. They were each given a pair of tongs, which they used as their very own ‘snowplows’. The mission was to pick up the scattered cotton ball ‘snowballs’ from around the box and get them inside. It was like a mini snowy treasure hunt right in our living room, and the kids were absolutely thrilled with each successful pick-up.
Tips for a Successful Snowball Pick-Up
- Ensure Safety: Make sure the cardboard box is stable and safe for kids to step in and out of.
- Choose the Right Tongs: Salad tongs are great as they are usually easy for little hands to manage.
- Space Out the Cotton Balls: Spread them far enough apart so it’s a fun challenge to pick them up.
Skills Learned Through the Game
- Fine Motor Skills: Using tongs to pick up cotton balls helps in developing fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
- Problem Solving: Figuring out the best way to scoop up the cotton balls fosters problem-solving skills.
- Physical Activity: Stepping in and out of the box and bending to pick up cotton balls adds a bit of physical exercise to their day.
Setting Up the Snowball Pick-Up
- Grab a Large Cardboard Box: Find a box big enough for your child to stand or sit in comfortably.
- Spread Cotton Balls Around: Scatter the cotton balls all around the outside of the box.
- Hand Your Toddler the Tongs: Invite your child to step inside their ‘snowplow’ (the box) and use the tongs to pick up the cotton balls, placing them into the box.
- Once they have picked up all the cotton balls, they can dump them out and do it all over again!
There you have it! A simple, fun, and engaging Snowball Pick-Up game that brings a little bit of the winter wonderland into your home. Not only did my kids have a blast playing it, but it was also a joy to watch them learn and improve their motor skills while having so much fun. And they can do this activity over and over again! So, next time you’re looking for a quick and easy indoor activity, remember the Snowball Pick-Up game. Let the fluffy fun begin!
Age Suitability
This activity is good for toddlers aged children 2 years old and up with adult assistance.
Mess Level
The mess level for this activity is low.
Difficulty to Create
Easy.
Toddler and Preschooler Curriculums, Books & TV Show!
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
The Best Sensory Play Kits for Kids
Play is at the core of learning during the early years and it can take many forms. One of the most important of these is sensory play because it engages all of a child’s senses (taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing) and has a enoumous positive impact on brain development.
Our Sensory Play Kits are some fun and easy ways to keep your child engaged while at the same time using sensory play to nurture their mind!
Shop our ready made play kits here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Cork Painted Snowflake Craft
Materials
- Blue Paint: In at least three different shades, because snowflakes love a bit of color!the end of this post!
- Corks: These are your magic wands, ready to dab, dot, and dazzle.
- Paper Plate: Your palette for mixing those cool, wintery hues.
- White Paper: The canvas for your snowy masterpiece.
- Snowflake Template: Don't worry, we've got you covered at
- Painter's Tape: To secure the snowflake.
- Scissors: To cut the snowflake out.
Instructions
- Template Time: Print out the the snowflake template (find the link at the end of this post).Use scissors to cut it out along the black line. Assist younger children at this step. Grab a sheet of white paper and tape the cut out snowflake on the paper with a small rolled up piece of tape.
- Prep Your Palette: Pour your shades of blue paint onto the paper plate. Feel free to mix and match to create new, icy shades! Grab three corks, one for each color.
- Cork It Up: Grab a cork, dip it into the paint, and start dotting away on your white paper all around the snowflake. Use different corks for different shades to keep your colors fresh and frosty. Once the entire page is covered, allow the paint to dry. Then remove the snowflake to reveal the negative space in the shape of a snowflake below!
WILL YOU SET UP THIS SNOWBALL PICK ACTIVITY FOR KIDS? PIN IT FOR LATER!
