Build a Snowman Play-Dough Kit

This Build a Snowman Play-Dough Kit is the perfect activity for kids and includes an easy sparkly play-dough recipe, label and decor ideas!

Chances are ,your kids love play-dough as much as ours do – and glitter play-dough? Forget about it. I’d be the best parent ever.

This snowman play-dough kit is the perfect way to get kids excited about the holiday season and cooler weather. Unless… you are in Phoenix like we are. This is probably as close to a snowman as they’ll get until we drive up to Flagstaff to play at any of the many snow-play areas.

Kids can help you knead the snowman glitter play dough, and decorate until their heart is content. You have buttons, a scarf, two arms and an orange nose to help this snowman look as cute as possible.

Print out the build a snowman play-dough kit, and you have a really fun, easy way of gifting this craft for their family. You could even incorporate into a church craft activity for the holidays. 

Before assembling the kit, we must first make the white, sparkly Play-Dough.   

Start by boiling the water while mixing the dry ingredients.  Then, add the vegetable oil to the dry ingredients and mix once more.  Allow the mixture to cool slightly.

Add preferred amount of glitter and continue to knead the dough so it is mixed throughout. I found that by patting the dough in a rectangle and spreading glitter made it disperse easier through the dough (otherwise it would consolidate in one place).

Additional water or flour may be added throughout this process if the dough is too dry or too sticky.  

Recipe for White Sparkly Play-Dough

Ingredients:

• 3 cups white flour
• 3/4 cups salt
• 3 tablespoons cream of tartar
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (or preferred oil)
• 2 ¼ cups boiling water
• Glitter

Directions:

1. Boil the water while mixing all dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. Add the vegetable oil to the dry ingredients and mix. Slowly add the boiling water and mix once more.
3. Allow the mixture to cool slightly. Place the dough on parchment paper or a clean flat surface and knead until it softens and gets smooth.
4. Add preferred amount of glitter and continue to knead the dough so it is mixed throughout.
5. Additional water or flour may be added throughout this process if the dough is too dry or too sticky.

That’s it for the Play-Dough – how fun it’s going to be to watch your kids make their own snowman! 

Once you have the Play-Dough made, you can work on assembling the Build a Snowman Play-Dough Kit.

I think this is the perfect activity for a daycare group, your own kids or just for their classmates as a holiday gift. If you are a teacher, you could even do this for a smaller class, as a gift, too! 

Gather some simple, inexpensive items from your local Dollar Tree or Dollar Store and put together the Snowman Kits.

Build a Snowman Play-Dough Kit

Materials:

• Snowman Printable (best printed on white card stock)
• Scissors
• Stapler
• Clear Treat Bags or Sandwich Bags
• White Sparkly Play Dough (recipe above)
• Optional Accessories:
  •    toothpicks colored orange with marker and trimmed for the nose
  •    2 toothpicks colored brown and the ends trimmed off of one and glued to the untrimmed toothpick to create stick arms
  •    a strip of felt for a scarf
  •    sequins for the eyes and mouth
  •    buttons

Directions:

1. Cut out the printables and fold in half.
2. Place play dough and accessories in a clear treat bag.
3. Close the bag by folding it over (cut off some of the excess at the top if needed), and place your folded printable over the top. Staple on each side (vertically) to secure it in place.
4. There is room to write “To” or “From” in addition to a holiday greeting or message on the back.

This is such a fun project – I’ll admit that it has probably bene the most well received holiday project I did with my kids. 

They all had so much fun — especially my smaller three kids!   Those three played for hours with the sparkly play-dough, and my oldest (12 years) was super helpful when it came to organizing everything in stations that allowed us to put the bags together.

Even better, my kids are planning on making a bag for each of their cousins as a pre-holiday gift!

If you enjoyed this kids-centered holiday activity, you might also love this fun Winter Snowflake Slime activity, too!