Create a Cardboard Snowman!

What You Need:

• A variety of cardboard materials such as different sized boxes, tubes, and other interesting packaging materials
• Acrylic or tempera paint, depending on the age and ability of your child
• Various sizes of paint brushes
• Clear packing tape
• Creative materials such as feathers, ribbons, buttons, leaves, pinecones, hats, etc.
• Newspaper
• Coloring materials
• Blank piece of paper
• Scissors

What You Do: 

1. Head outside and place newspaper down on a flat surface such as a driveway or sidewalk.
2. Tape the tops of the boxes down so they are sturdy and can withstand being put on top of each other.
3. Prior to building your snowman, ask your child some questions to encourage critical thinking about the task at hand. Questions will vary depending on child age and ability, but some question ideas include:
   • How can we build the sturdiest snowman with these materials?
   • How can we put the boxes in order from largest to smallest?
   • How can we build the biggest snowman with these materials?
   • What materials can we use for the carrot nose, eyes, arms, and buttons? 
   • What materials can you use to build a really strong snowman that can’t be knocked down by kids? 
4. Get out a piece of blank paper to create a plan for your snowman. Guide your child as they draw a picture of their plan, or draw the plan yourself and prompt your child to help you label the picture with the material names.
5. Begin to decorate the boxes with paint, coloring materials, and other creative items you gathered.
6. Allow time for the boxes to dry. Next, put the boxes together and have your child help decide how to keep them together. Will you glue work? What about tape? Which is the best choice, how do they know?
7. Once the boxes are put together and sturdy, allow your child time to decorate the snowman. An adult may need to support kids with using scissors to create slits to place cardboard arms and noses. Make sure to keep any sharp tools away from little hands.
8. Get creative with your snowman! Even better, create a few, and see who can make the silliest snowman, or a “mother nature” snowman using strictly natural materials from outdoors. 

Enjoy spending time with your child as you tap into your creative side this holiday season by reusing materials that you would have recycled anyway! Foster creativity and help the planet at the same time.