Today I have a fun sensory play experience for kids who need a tactile challenge, or just want some hands-on sensory play! This indoor snow is a fake snow recipe that is easy to make, but has TONS of developmental benefits. The pretend snow recipe is so easy (just 3 ingredients in this snow dough!) that kids can make it too. Let’s play!
There are so many benefits to playing with Sensory dough, and using sensory materials like play dough with add-ins is one of our favorite ways to play. We love concocting play dough, salt dough, and sensory doughs of all kinds. This pretend play activity has another theme, too: Frozen!
What is snow dough?
Snow dough is any “fake snow” type of sensory material. There are a lot of snow recipes out there. We’ve made a different version of sensory snowy dough before, using shaving cream. But, you could use a variety of materials to get a just-right fake snow material.
Pretend snow is a great way to encourage pretend play with a sensory twist when the weather is too cold to get outside to play in the real snow…or if you’re in an area without wintery cold or snow.
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Frozen Snow Recipe
I have a couple of Frozen obsessed little girls. So, when I told them we were making a Frozen themed activity, there were shouts of excitement. (And a few rounds of “Let it Snowwwwww!”
How to make Fake Snow for sensory Play:
This is a seriously easy sensory recipe to put together. I had the idea for this recipe when I thought of my sugar cookies. To make the royal icing, I use my KitchenAid mixer and mix mix mix for a long time.
This fake snow recipe calls for a just three ingredients:
- 3 cups baby powder
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
To make the fake snow:
Slowly scoop or pour the baby powder into the mixing bowl. Add the warm water one tablespoon at a time with the mixer running on it’s lowest setting. Start stirring with your spoon to get the powder and water mixture started.
The powder will puff up in the air if you turn the mixer up too high, too quickly. I draped a dish towel over the mixer because even on the lowest setting, the powder clouded up a bit.
After all of the water is mixed in, add the two tablespoons of oil. At this point, the mixture should be a crumbly texture.
Turn the mixer speed up to a medium speed and let the mixer run for 4-5 minutes. You could definitely mix this dough by hand, but the mixer added more fluff to the sensory dough.
And, we’re ready for some sensory play!
I poured the sensory material on a low tray and added glass gems, clear marbles, and blue glass gems to get it ready for the Frozen theme sensory play.
My girls got into the Frozen theme pretend play right away.
This dough is mold-able and you can form little snowballs or even build a snowman.
We built Elsa’s ice castle and decorated it with the gems.
The two sisters that live in my house pulled out their Frozen figures sisters and had SO much fun playing Frozen. The pretend play that happened in this small world was so much fun to watch!
This pretend play snow was the perfect sensory play activity for when there’s a wintery blizzard outside.
When we were finished with our pretend play, we packaged up the snow dough and delivered it to friends who are also huge Frozen fans. Pass on the sensory play!
Snow Sensory Bin
This fake snow is the perfect base for a snow sensory bin, with other themes, too. Use the cards and sight words in the Winter Fine Motor Kit, to challenge kids in scissor skills, reading, sight words, sequencing, storytelling, and visual perceptual skills. The Winter Fine Motor Kit has simple and complex shapes with all kinds of Winter themed images including mittens, arctic animals, penguins, snowflakes, and more. These shapes and words can be hidden in the fake snow sensory bin for kids to hide, find, and hide again.
To up the fine motor work further, add tongs, scoops, small bowls and bins, and more.
For more ways to work on scissor skills, along with all of the fine motor skills needed for scissor use and handwriting, try the Winter Fine Motor Kit. It’s loaded with cutting activities, lacing cards, coloring, clip activities, fine motor art, and fun ways to help children develop pre-writing hand strength, dexterity, and motor skills.
Use the fine motor activities, lacing cards, toothpick art, and crafts in the Winter Fine Motor Kit. It’s a 100 page packet with all winter themes, and you’ll find winter fun there!
More Indoor snow recipes
- Fizzy, Frozen Snow Dough | It’s A Long Story
- How to Make Snow Dough (Taste Safe) | Powerful Mothering
- Frozen Inspired Snow Dough | Simple Play Ideas
- Snow Dough Science | Raising Lifelong Learners
- Edible Snow Dough | Wildflower Ramblings
- Rubbery Marshmallow Play Dough | Therapy Fun Zone
- Music Inspired Snow Dough | Witty Hoots
- Snow Dough Frozen Inspired Small World | Preschool Inspirations
- Sparkly Taste Safe Snow Dough for Toddler & Preschool Sensory Play | Bare Feet on the Dashboard
- Experimenting with Snow Dough | Lemon Lime Adventures
- Arctic Small World Snow Dough | Best Toys 4 Toddlers
- Book-Inspired Snow Dough Sensory Play | Stir the Wonder
Colleen Beck, OTR/L has been an occupational therapist since 2000, working in school-based, hand therapy, outpatient peds, EI, and SNF. Colleen created The OT Toolbox to inspire therapists, teachers, and parents with easy and fun tools to help children thrive. Read her story about going from an OT making $3/hour (after paying for kids’ childcare) to a full-time OT resource creator for millions of readers. Want to collaborate? Send an email to contact@theottoolbox.com.
