Celebrate Winter with These Crafts for Preschoolers and Toddlers

These winter crafts celebrate the colors, sights, sounds, and smells of winter, yet they are simple enough for toddlers, homeschool students, and preschoolers. Even the youngest crafters can produce spectacular results with these inexpensive and simple crafts
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Stitched Up Mittens

Cut two mitten shapes out of cardstock for each child and punch holes around the edge in ½ to 1 inch intervals. Tape a long piece of yarn to the back of each piece of cardstock and tape the loose end of yarn to make a "needle." Show students how to lace around the edges of the mitten patterns. Tie the two loose ends of the yarn together to "hang" the mittens from your walls or from the ceiling.

Potpourri Wreath

Give each child a sturdy green paper plate with the center cut out, into a wreath shape. Let them glue on scented items, such as dried orange peels, cloves, and cinnamon sticks that have been broken into pieces. Attach a pretty holiday bow to the bottom, and a magnet to the back.

Sheets of Holiday Gift Wrap

Provide each child with a large piece of brown wrapping paper. Set out a variety of sponges cut into winter shapes, such as pine trees, snowflakes, and sleds, and pour thin layers of tempera paint into shallow containers. Let students stamp patterns all over their paper to make their own homemade gift wrap. Sprinkle glitter onto the wet paint if desired. They can also stamp brown or white paper bags to make their own gift bags.

Snowman Scene

Give each student three pre-cut circles and two twigs. Let them glue the circles and twigs to a blue piece of paper to make a snowman. Provide an assortment of buttons, cloth and ribbon scraps, and small pieces of colored paper to decorate their snow people. When they are finished, let them dip their fingers in white paint to make snowflakes on the blue paper surrounding the snowman.

Popsicle Stick Snowflakes

Give each student three snowflakes and help them glue them together into a "star shape." When dry, let students paint their snowflakes with washable blue paint (use glitter paint if you can find it). Provide "jewels" from a craft store to decorate the snowflake with. Attach a magnet or a loop of yarn to the back of the snowflake for hanging.

Snow Globe

Fill a glass baby food jar 1/3 full with light-colored corn syrup. Add water until the jar is 2/3 full. Let the student stir until the water and corn syrup are combined. Add any color glitter, but silver, white, and blue work well for snow. Fill to the top with water and let an adult hot glue the lid to the top.