Build a Snowman Printable

Build a snowman printable is a paper snowman craft to develop fine motor skills, bilateral coordination skills, and more.

Today we have a fun fine motor paper snowman craft. It’s a “build a snowman printable” that you can print out and use to work on so many therapy skills. There is just something about making a snowman during the winter months, right? Today’s free fine motor snowman activity that kids will LOVE. So, do you want to build a snowman?

Build a snowman printable is a paper snowman craft to develop fine motor skills, bilateral coordination skills, and more.

Build a Snowman Printable

Heck yes!  Wait, not if I have to go outside.  With this great fine motor snowman printable activity, you can build a paper snowman from the comfort of your own house, in your pajamas, with a cup of cocoa if you like…and work on fine motor skills, scissor skills, sequencing, bilateral coordination, and more!

It’s no secret I love crafts.  You could pretend for half a second to like the cold and wet winter outside your door, or make this adorable snowman inside where it is warm.  Build this into a lesson plan about winter by talking about what winter is like in different parts of the world, For learners who have never experienced snow, provide pictures or videos for reference. Talk about what they think snow feels like.  

Snow comes in many different varieties. While it is all cold (except the plastic snow variety), some snow is wet and soggy, while other is dry and fluffy.  There is also icy snow that creates this lovely sheen across it,  and is very fun to smash and crash through!  Each type of snow has its uses and benefits.  Wet snow is better for building and packing. Dry and fluffy is better to keep you from getting soaked. Icy snow is just pretty to admire.  For those with tactile defensiveness that impact touching wet, mushy snow this can be a good discussion.

Use this snowman printable as a jumping off point to the rest of your treatment sessions.

As always I love the versatility of this printable paper snowman craft. With one snowman printable, you can address skills like fine motor, visual motor, turn taking, finger strengthening, and following instructions all wrapped up into one cute snowman.

It would be a great interactive snowman activity for kindergarten, preschool, and all ages, depending on how you adjust the activity.

How to Use this Build a Snowman Printable

What you will need for this task:

  1. Snowman printable
  2. Ruler or laminated strip of cardstock
  3. Clothespins
  4. Glue (drippy glue is best)
  5. Dice 

Instructions: Color the snowman or print out the pre-colored sheet.  Have students cut out snowballs and glue to the clothespins. Roll the dice and clip the corresponding number of clothespins to your ruler or strip of cardstock.

Explore all of the ways to use adapt and modify this free snowman printable:

  • Laminate the snowballs to make them more durable
  • Laminate the snowman head to make it reusable and durable
  • Change the ruler for a stiff piece of cardstock or cardboard
  • Print the snowman in color, or black and white so your learners can personalize theirs
  • Add large pom poms or scrunched up paper on the top of the snowballs for a 3d effect
  • Add glitter and sparkles to the snowballs for added sparkle and sensory experience
  • Paint the clothespins or dip in glitter to make them fancier
  • Drippy wet glue is preferred as it will stick better.  The added benefit is the sensory input from white glue, as well as the fine motor strengthening from squeezing the bottle
  • Pre-cut and glue all of the pieces ahead of time if the emphasis is on playing the game
  • Split this into two sessions, the first being the craft, the second working on the game
  • Incorporate gross motor work: Scatter the snowball clips around the room and ask the user to gather the snowballs to build their snowman. Add hops, kicks, jumps, and animal walks to gather the snowballs.

What is your focus? What goals do you want to focus on while using this activity?  You can use on or all of them:

  • Fine motor strengthening, hand development, and grasping pattern
  • Following directions, attention to detail, turn taking, waiting, social skills, compliance, behavior, and work tolerance
  • Cutting on the line ( if you choose to add this step), within half inch of lines, in the direction of lines
  • Pasting using glue stick or drippy glue with accuracy
  • Bilateral coordination – remembering to use their “helper hand” to hold the paper while cutting.  Using one hand for a dominant hand instead of switching back and forth is encouraged once a child is in grade school or demonstrates a significant strength in one or the other.
  • Strength – core strength, shoulder and wrist stability, head control, balance, and hand strength are all needed for upright sitting posture and fine motor tasks.

If you have not totally burned out on the movie Frozen and all of the theme work that goes with it…like this Frozen sensory dough, this will be a great addition.  This build a snowman activity can be creating Olaf from the movie. If you are super creative, you could switch out the head of the snowman for an Olaf printable. 

What else can I add to this paper snowman craft?

  • Have learners write the stages to building a snowman
  • Higher level learners can write down the directions to the game
  • More advanced learners can work on social skills by teaching beginners to play
  • Learners can explore other games they could make using this snowman (perhaps hiding the snowballs around the room and having learners run around collecting them)
  • Write a report about snowmen, types of snow, the history of snowmen, different snow celebrations or activities
  • Turn it into a gross motor task, sensory activity, following directions, or combination of all of these
  • Add glitter!  Glitter makes everything wonderful

More snowman activities

Incorporate more snowman themed activities along with this build a snowman printable for a full snowman theme.

What creative ways have you made snowmen?  I believe there was a little spray paint used instead of coal last winter, and I think the dog snatched the carrot before we had time to use it.  We have had snowmen families, lady snowmen, and grass covered snowmen when there really wasn’t enough snow to make one. 

If there is a dusting of snow in Charleston this winter, you better believe we will be out there rolling whatever snow falls down, creating our snowman.  Until then, I will just have to enjoy the sand instead.

Free Build a Snowman Printable

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Free Build a Snowman Printable

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    Keep those snowballs rolling!

    Victoria Wood, OTR/L

    Victoria Wood, OTR/L is a contributor to The OT Toolbox and has been providing Occupational Therapy treatment in pediatrics for more than 25 years. She has practiced in hospital settings (inpatient, outpatient, NICU, PICU), school systems, and outpatient clinics in several states. She has treated hundreds of children with various sensory processing dysfunction in the areas of behavior, gross/fine motor skills, social skills and self-care. Ms. Wood has also been a featured speaker at seminars, webinars, and school staff development training. She is the author of Seeing your Home and Community with Sensory Eyes.

    Snowman Therapy Activity Kit

    The Snowman Therapy Kit is a winter-themed therapy kit designed to develop motor skills, self-regulation, handwriting, and scissor skills. Over 75 pages of therapy activities to develop fine motor strength, dexterity, core strength, regulation, functional grasp, and endurance.

    Grab the Snowman Therapy Kit for snowman-themed materials

    Themed NO-PREP printable pages include tasks to address motor skill areas such as:

    • Self-Regulation
    • Core Strength
    • Visual Motor Skills
    • Sensory Processing Skills
    • Fine Motor Precision and Dexterity
    • Pinch and Grip Strength 
    • Arch Development
    • Finger Isolation
    • Bilateral Coordination
    • Eye-Hand Coordination
    • Crossing Midline
    • Balance & Endurance