When there is snow on the ground outside, but something is preventing your kids from getting outdoors for one of these classic outdoor winter activities like building snowmen and sledding, that doesn't mean they can't play in the snow! They'll just need to do it indoors!
Playing with snow indoors is a great indoor winter nature activity and is easier and less messy than you think.
Playing with Snow Indoors
We recently had a snowstorm that dropped 10 inches of snow! However, the weather was still very gusty with severe wind chill temperatures so I didn't want to take a 4 year old and a baby outdoors. However, if you didn't have a big snowfall, you can always make it look like you did with a DIY snowflake "stained glass" window!
What you need
Snow! Of course!
Various items from the kitchen such as:
- plastic food containers; take-out containers work well
- strainers
- ice cream scoops and spoons
- muffin tin
Mittens, in case your child's hands get cold
Waterproof mat
Towel, for clean up
Instructions
Place the waterproof mat on your play area. We used an large piece of a shower curtain that I had cut up. I secured it to the table with large binder clips.
Bravely open the front door and fill a bucket or your food containers with snow. Bring the snow inside and place the containers on the mat.
Now is the easy part! Let your child explore playing with the snow using the kitchen items. Yes, the snow will begin to melt, but that's okay. Rest easy, knowing that it melts into water, easy to clean up with a towel.
My son loved making snow muffins by using an ice cream scoop to ladle the snow into a muffin tin. (Do you call a silicon muffin pan a "tin"? I doubt it.)
Idea first published 2009, updated 2023.
Fun Mama - Deanna says
Wow, NYC has free cocoa and sleds on snow days!!! That's awesome! Anywhere I've lived (Kentucky and Georgia) the snow itself is the treat, since we get it so rarely (more rare in GA than KY, of course). The snow muffins look yummy.
Jenny says
I'm so jealous. We haven't gotten a bit of snow this winter, and CJ wanted some so badly. She would have had a blast with the indoor snow too- great idea!
Lisa says
I love the snow muffins! He is such a cutie!
Jackie says
We've done something like this before, but never used muffin tins. Fun!