Jar Lid Snowman Kids Craft
A jar lid snowman is a fun way to use a recyclable in a winter craft. This build-a-snowman activity provides fine motor and creative play with loose parts.
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Are you having wintry weather? We have lots of snow, and cold temperatures, from December to March. But the chill in the air can’t dampen our winter fun, especially when it comes to snowman activities.
Indoors or outdoors, we always time for a snowman. When it’s too cold for snowman activities outdoors, there are always snowman crafts and activities to enjoy indoors.
This loose parts activity is a great way for kids to experience the fun of building a snowman.
All that’s needed is a handful of jar lids and some pompoms. And since it’s a winter theme, you’ll want to choose mainly white jar lids (although kids can create any kind of snow character they want in this activity!).
- Kids can help remove the lids from clean jars. This will add some technology to the activity, encouraging little scientists to explore and discover how jar lids work.
The snowman finishings are only limited by your imagination. Add any small parts you have on hand to the activity.
Build-a-snowman jar lids activity
Materials for a jar lid snowman
- white jar lids, different sizes
- pillow stuffing, cotton balls, or cosmetic rounds
- pompoms, assorted colors
- shallow box or tray, or a box lid
You can always build a snowman on a table top or other surface rather than in a box or tray. A box provides convenient storage for the materials and transportation to the work area, and also indicates a space in which to create.
Start with a few jar lid and craft options, then add more or different items to accommodate interest and skill levels.
- Some options are twigs for arms, a small broom, or a felt hat and scarf.
Create a winter scene.
Line the tray with a blue felt sky and white felt snow on the ground.
Cut wavy lines in the white felt to resemble a snowy hill or field.
- You can create a background with felt or craft foam in any design you prefer. Use colors and materials you have on hand.
Build snow characters.
Begin building snow people! There is no right or wrong way to build the characters. Simply add and remove jar lids as you create your snow scene.
Add pompom arms and features.
Add cotton ball snow on the ground and clouds in the sky.
- Pull cotton balls into thin strips to make clouds. This is great fine motor work for kids.
Use different colors of pompoms to make snow characters that are fun and unique.
A rectangular box can be placed vertically on the table to inspire different ways of creating snowmen.
This option uses different colors of felt, pompom snowflakes falling from felt clouds, and different colors of pompoms for buttons, eyes, and arms.
With a variety of materials, kids can create in their own ways.
Snowman loose parts play
Winter weather or no, kids can enjoy snowman activities like building with jar lids.
And there’s lots of hands-on learning that goes along with the play, like STEAM.
Snowman STEAM
Building a jar lid snowman is a STEAM activity because it combines art and science in a hands-on project.
Science = exploring a winter landscape
Technology = understanding how a jar lid works; repurposing an item
Engineering = designing and building snow characters
Art = choosing and arranging colors
Math = counting jar lids; making patterns
There’s a lot going on with a jar lid snowman activity!
