Games and Activities

Make Snowmen. You will need:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1 cup water
• 2 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 1 Tbs. cream of tartar
• 1/3 cup silver glitter
• 1/4 cup white powdered tempera paint

Mix all ingredients together. Cook over medium heat, stirring until ball is formed. Knead dough until cool. Provide bowls with bits of cloth, paper, beads, pipe cleaners, felt, etc. Have the guests sculpt their own snow dough snowman and decorate it.

Make Snow Globes. Use baby food jars and fill them almost to the top with water and stir in a few drops of glycerin and 1/2 of a teaspoon of glitter and star and moon confetti. The glycerin increases the density of the water and causes the glitter to fall slowly. This is a great party goody for the kids to take home!

Shaving Cream Snowmen. Cover an entire table with newspaper and put out shaving cream bottles. Have the kids make snowmen! Very messy, but smells good. However, it is really easy to clean up as it washes off easily.

Make a Peanuts Snowman. Take a plastic bag and fill it with foam peanuts and staple the bag shut. Cut out shapes from construction paper to make the snowman’s head, feet, cap, and arms. Have the kids decorate each of the cutouts. Assemble the pieces onto the plastic bag filled with peanuts with tape. A jolly snowman indeed!

Hopefully, you will have snow and your party guests can make snow angels, build real snow people, go sledding, go on a winter nature hike, and/or simply play in the winter wonderland!

Race to the Pole. Set up different stations in the party room and have the kids complete a different task at several places as they make their way to the North Pole. As example, go to Klondike, where the kids wrap up yarn into a coil, which they take to Greenland, where they dress in heavy winter clothes, to go to the Arctic Circle, where they map their progress by drawing a circle with a compass, and finally reaching the North Pole.

Play Hot Snow Ball as you would Hot Potato.

Have a Blizzard. Blow up a large number of white balloons, i.e. the snow, and provide small fans to the two teams. The purpose is to fan as many of the balloons as possible to their designated goal areas in the room. First team to get the majority of balloons in the designated area wins!

Hide icicles of various lengths around the party area. Have the two teams hunt for as many as possible and then, as a team, piece them together. The team to form the longest icicle wins!

Winter Treasure Hunt. Place your treasure clues around your home for the kids to find and collect, if looking for snowflakes; use something like white tissue paper to cut them out.

• Snowflakes: Glisten and glide like foam, from snowy crystals I form.
• Frost: I stick to window panes and cars alike, perhaps on your nose too, icy cool with delight!
• Sled: Hop on me, and through the snow we will ride!
• Snow Ball: Roll me up into a perfect circle, and then take your best shot with no more than a giggle!
• Winter Coat: Heavy and oh so stuffy, and when out in the snow perfect for making angels so fluffy!
• Mittens: Pull me over your ten little fingers, and soon your hands will be warm and tingling!
• Ear Muffs: I’ll keep your ears from chill’n, even if you become hard o’ hear’n!
• Boots: I’m good for mud and snow too, pull me on and stomp along!
• Radiator/Heater: In your home, in the depths of winter, turn me on so you won’t shiver!
• Fireplace: Kindling, wood, ash, and soot, sit close by and I’ll warm your foot!
• Skis: I zoom you to the bottom of the hill; it’ll be so quick you’ll feel no more than a chill!
• Cocoa with Marshmallows: Frothy and sweet, I am the most perfect wintry treat!

Crossing the Ice Relay. Provide e ach team with two pieces of paper slightly larger than a player’s foot. The papers represent floating ice chunks. Using only their feet, the kids must push the papers forward to the goal. If a player steps onto the floor instead of the paper, he or she has fallen into the water and must start again.

Snowball Relay Race. Divide the group into two teams. First child on each team is given a styrofoam ball (snowball) and a pencil. On your mark they are to place the ball on the floor and push the ball with the pencil across the room, around an obstacle, and back to the next child on team. First team to finish wins.