# Magnetic Snowman
> Paint a round cookie tin lid white, then let kids build silly snowman faces with craft-foam features and accessories backed with magnetic tape. The pieces store inside the tin, so it doubles as a portable game.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/snowman-crafts-kids-magnetic-snowman/
- Ages: 2–5 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: medium
- Time: prep 35 min, activity 20 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class · one batch serves about 1 kids
- Skills: fine-motor, facial-features, pre-drawing, creativity, magnets, pretend-play
- Cautions: ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- 1 piece Round cookie tin with lid (household)
- White acrylic paint
- 1 piece Paintbrush (household)
- Craft foam sheets, assorted colors
- Pom poms (optional)
- Ribbons (optional)
- 1 piece Magnetic tape roll (sticky back)
- 1 piece Scissors (household)

## Substitutions
- Instead of cookie tin: Refrigerator door (The author considered doing a large magnetic snowman on the fridge instead. It works, but it isn't portable.)

## Safety
- Small pieces (pom poms, foam features, magnetic tape strips) can be a choking hazard. Supervise toddlers closely and keep pieces away from children who still mouth objects.
- Check the cookie tin and lid for sharp edges before handing them to kids.
- Adult does all the cutting of foam and magnetic tape.
- Let the acrylic paint dry completely before play, and wash hands after painting.

## Before you start
- Adult: cut snowman features (eyes, nose, mouth, cheeks) and a few accessories (hats, bows, earmuffs) from craft foam.
- Check that a magnet sticks to your cookie tin lid before painting it.

## Steps
1. Paint the round cookie tin lid with white acrylic paint.
2. Let it dry, then add another coat if the tin's design still shows through.
3. Decorate the foam hats with ribbons and pom poms.
4. Adult: cut strips of magnetic tape and stick one to the back of each foam piece.
5. Put the white lid on the tin and keep all the magnetic pieces inside.
6. Stick on eyes, a nose and a mouth to make a snowman face.
7. Add a hat, cheeks and a bow. Swap pieces around to make new silly snowmen.
8. Lay the pieces magnet side up in a straight line and roll the tin over them like a wheel to pick them up.
9. Make faces inside the tin, behind the lid, or pile everything on top for a messy snowman.

## Tips
- At the minimum you will need eyes, a nose and a mouth with a hat to have a play session. The rest is up to you, your kids and the time you are willing to devote.
- The magnetic tape comes with a sticky back, so glue is not needed.
- Depending on your lid, it may need more than 1 coat of paint to fully cover it.
- It worked beautifully as one-on-one time with my toddler. Her squeals of joy actually woke up her sleeping grandmother!
- This may be a great exercise even for younger children learning their facial features, and a precursor to drawing basic human faces.
- It's a portable game that stores easily, which makes it good for long drives. Makes for a great gift too!

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2014)

Fun snowman crafts for kids that doubles up as a portable game that stores easily. Have you seen our [**Magnetic Christmas Tree?**](https://www.funlittles.com/christmas-activities/) Have you also seen our [**Winter Sensory Bin**](https://www.funlittles.com/christmas-tree-craft/) where I had added small cookie tins and magnetic letters. Well, we mixed up both these and came up with this simple Magnetic Snowman play with cookie tins. Materials

- Round Cookie Tin
- White Acrylic Paint
- Craft Foam Sheets
- Pom Poms
- Ribbons
- Magnetic Tape

The children painted a round cookie tin lid with white acrylic paint. Depending on your lid it may need more than 1 coat to fully cover up the lid.  This snowman craft needs a little bit of preparation. I used a combination of Dollar Tree foam sheets and high-quality craft foam to cut out snowman features and a couple of accessories - hats, bows and earmuffs etc. The kids decorated the hats we made with ribbons and pom poms. This part is all up to you, your kids, the time you are willing to devote. At the minimum you will need at least the eyes, nose and a mouth with a hat to have a play session. Next - all I did was cut strips of a roll of magnetic tape and stick to the back of the foam accessories and features. This roll comes as a sticky back, so glue is not needed. Here is an Amazon link for the product.
Accessories for Magnetic snowman craft for kids
 A bright white cookie tin with magnetic features and accessories was a very inviting play setup. On a day I was doing a one-on-one time with my younger one while my older one was away at soccer, I presented this to us. Her squeals of joy actually woke up her sleeping grandmother. It was a combination of spending time alone with mommy and this fun snowman craft, that made my toddler have a grand time with this activity.  She had a choice of eyes, mouth, cheeks, bows and plenty more to choose one. She started off making simple faces with her favorite accessories. This may be a great exercise even for younger children learning their facial features and a precursor to drawing basic human faces.  Note the fine motor skills practice that goes into activities like this.  Of all the snow man faces she made that afternoon this face by far is my favorite.  She cracked up really hard after making each "silly snowman" as she called him. Here he is with a piratey-looking hat with multiple pom poms jewels adoring it.  Scroll down for all the faces she made. In the mean time check out this amazing game she made while doing this snowman craft. She laid down all the foam pieces magnet side up and lined them up nice and straight. Then she rolled down the cookie tin like a wheel and the tin started picking up all the magnetic pieces from the surface. Oh man, this alone made her crack up so hard.  To top it all, she hung the ear muffs from the bottom of the cookie tin and started singing the nursery rhyme " Ding Dong Bell.." really loud.  Then we got even more sillier and added all of the foam features on top of the tin and called him a "messy snowman" She even made a couple of faces inside the cookie tin and behind the tin lid. As you can see there are SO MANY ways to play with this simple set. Makes for a great gift too!  Take a look at all the silly little snowman faces she made. There are a couple with 2 bows on his forehead because " if the bow is on the neck then he is a boy but bow is on the head then it is a girl. I want a snow girl mommy" Gotta love that logic!

*Additional [**winter activities for kids**](https://www.funlittles.com/tag/snow/) can be found here*