Winter Craft Activities for Toddlers

Winter is a wonderful time to engage your little ones in creative and imaginative activities. In this blog post, we will explore three delightful winter craft ideas that are perfect for toddlers. These DIY projects are not only entertaining but also offer a valuable opportunity to boost speech and language at home. Here are the craft ideas we’ll talk about:

Here are our craft activities:

• Winter Artwork

• Play-Doh Cookies

• Snow Globe Craft

Plus you can find the supplies you’ll need on my Amazon Storefront!

Craft 1: Winter Artwork

Creating winter artwork with your toddler is a fantastic way to get into the holiday spirit and spend quality time together. Plus, it’s a great way to teach new words and language skills during the colder months!

Words to Teach!

Here’s a list of some words you can teach your child while doing the Winter Artwork activity. Check out the focused stimulation strategy for tips on how to best teach new words to toddlers!

• On, off, help, more, paint, brush, sticker, marker, paper, oops!, beautiful, the names of the things you’re coloring (both the whole item and it’s parts - ex. Bear + eyes, ears, nose, scarf, etc.), colors

Directions:

1. Preparation: A little setup before inviting your toddler to join can be quite handy. Download some winter-themed coloring sheets (I have 6 here you can download here for free!) and gather your art supplies. You can find some of my favorites on Amazon (linked here), like paints, stickers, crayons, markers, or whatever suits your fancy.

2. Choose a Picture: Let your child decide which picture they'd like to decorate. You can show them two options and have them point to or tell you which one they prefer. This is a great chance for them to even imitate the name of the picture they want, which is an excellent skill to work on.

3. Exploring Choices: Now it's time to unleash their creativity. Present your child with a choice of two things they can use, such as stickers or paint, or you might offer two different types of stickers, like stars or snowmen. Alternatively, you can provide color choices, like blue paint or red paint. This allows your child to express their preferences and practice communicating what they want, while you name the options they are choosing.

4. Conversation and Encouragement: While your child is immersed in their artwork, engage in conversation about their creative process. Offer encouraging statements like, "Beautiful! You placed the star on the tree!" or "You're coloring the snowman black," to acknowledge and describe their work.

5. Keep the Fun Going: Keep offering new art materials until your child is done decorating their picture. Then, you can suggest they decorate another one, ensuring they enjoy every moment of this artistic adventure.

Engaging in winter artwork not only kindles the holiday spirit but also nurtures your child's creativity and communication skills. Enjoy quality time together while crafting beautiful memories. 🎨❄️👩‍🎨

Craft 2: Play-Doh Cookies

Playing with Play-Doh is a beloved activity for many toddlers. You can add a winter twist by creating "cookies" out of Play-Doh.

Words to Teach:

Here’s a list of some words you can teach your child while making Play Doh Cookies. Check out the focused stimulation strategy for tips on how to best teach new words to toddlers!

• Open, help, on, off, in, out, push, cut, roll, squeeze, break, bake, bite, eat, yum!, oops, oh-no, hot, oven, cookie, cookie cutter, names for the shapes of your cookie cutters, colors

Directions:

1. Gather Your Supplies :

   • Play Doh: You can either make your own or buy some Play-Doh. Homemade or brand-name options are great because they're easier to clean up and won't stain your hands or surfaces.

   • Cookie Cutters: Grab various cookie cutters in winter shapes like snowflakes, mittens, and snowmen.

   • A rolling pin can be lots of fun if you have one.

   • You might also use a real or pretend cookie tray and a box as your "oven"

   • I’ve linked all the things I use for the Play-Doh cookie craft (as well as the other 2 crafts) here.

2. Decorate and Play: Motivate your toddler to create, "bake," and decorate their Play-Doh cookies. Here's a fun suggestion: use a piece cut from a cardboard box as a cookie sheet, then put the Play-Doh cookies on it and act like you're putting them in the oven (you can make an oven out of another box). This can be a super enjoyable activity, especially if your child is already using lots of words. If your child hasn't started pretend play (there’s nothing wrong with that!), just cutting out the "cookies" and practicing words like "hot!" and "yum!" can be a blast!

3. Chat Along: What you say during this activity depends on your child's level of play. If you’re having fun just cutting out Play-Doh cookies, it’s a great idea to repeat a few specific words like “push” or “cut” as you repeat this fun play routine. If your child is engaging in pretend play, you’ll use longer phrases or sentences to talk about what’s happening and perhaps you’ll even have a conversation about what you’re doing.

Making playdough cookies is a wonderful winter-themed play activity that combines creativity and language development. Have a blast with your child, and watch their imagination and vocabulary grow! 🍪❄️😄

Craft 3: Snow Globe Craft

Making a snow globe is a magical project that will leave your toddler absolutely amazed. Not only is it a ton of fun, but it's also a fantastic way to encourage communication and spark interactions at home. Here's how to do it.

Words to Teach:

Here’s a list of some words you can teach your child while enjoying the Snow Globe Craft. Check out the focused stimulation strategy for tips on how to best teach new words to toddlers!

• In, help, spill, oops!, woah!, pretty, uh-oh!, glitter, water, pour, fill, put, snow globe, shake, names of the items you put inside

Directions:

1. Preparation: Get an empty jar or an old plastic bottle, some glitter, water, and small, hard plastic winter-themed toys that can fit inside (if you have them, but this part is totally optional). Having a funnel can be handy if your container has a small opening. (You can also find snow globe making supplies here!)

2. Assemble the Scene: Be ready; this can get a bit messy, so choose your crafting spot wisely! Your toddler is going to be your helper. Let them decide what goes inside the snow globe. Place the winter-themed toys in the jar or bottle, and add a good amount of glitter for that snowy effect. You can even use other beads or pom-poms if you have them at home.

3. Fill It Up: Take your snow globe over to the sink and fill it with water. You could even add some drops of food coloring to make it more interesting. Depending on your situation, your child can either help and you can talk about what you're both doing, or they can watch, and you can explain in simple language they'll easily understand.

4. Enjoy Your Craft: Once everything's inside, seal your container tightly. Using some duct tape or glue (if it's an old bottle, for example) is important to avoid any big spills. Then give your snow globe a good shake. As you play with it, describe the actions like shaking or rolling, and comment on what you see inside. Say things like, "Wow! Look at the glitter!"

5. Make Another One: It can be loads of fun for both you and your little one to have your very own "snow globe" craft. If your child had a great time the first time, try making another one and repeat the same words to support their learning!

Creating snow globes is a magical way to bring the wonder of winter into your home and promote communication and bonding with your child. Enjoy the enchantment and create lasting memories together! ❄️🌟😄

You might also enjoy reading these recent blog posts:

Written By: Stephanie Hatleli, MS CCC-SLP

© 2020-2023. Stephanie Keffer, MS CCC-SLP. All Rights Reserved.

The content offered on ToddlerTalk.com is for informational purposes only. Toddler Talk is not engaged in rendering professional advice, whether medical or otherwise, to individual users or their children or families. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor, speech-language pathologist, or other health professional. By accessing the content on ToddlerTalk.com, you acknowledge and agree that you are accepting responsibility for your child’s health and well-being. In return for providing you with information related to home speech and language practice, you waive any claims that you or your child may have as a result of utilizing the content on ToddlerTalk.com.