Winter Wonderland Snow Globe Craft
- Erin Cokeh Halla
- Jan 12, 2024
- 3 min read
Every holiday season, I try to find something that my students can make, that is meaningful, won't end up being clutter, but also works on their fine motor goals. This year I decided on a snow globe. While it doesn't seem like it's a project that will work on many skills, when you break it down, it really does!
Materials (I got most of mine from Dollar Tree since I was in store, but these are similar materials from Amazon):
Child Sized Scissors (I like these because they alternate between self opening and regular child sized scissors!)
Bonus: Use of Cricut or Silhouette machine to cut out letters for names and year, or you can just use letter stickers too
Instructions:
Ask your child to pose like they are putting their arms out in the snow! Demonstrate if you need to. If your child is not ambulatory, you can also have them lay on the mat/ ground in a snow angel position! Take a picture and print out to match the size of the snow globe.
Have the child unscrew the bottom of the snow globe. This will work to promote hand strength and generalizes to opening containers.
Have the child use a spoon to scoop the foam filler from a bowl. Use a larger spoon if the child is still working on coordination, or a smaller spoon if you want to challenge them! If the child cannot scoop yet, you can put the materials in a cup and have them pour it.
Do the same with the chunky glitter! If you just have regular glitter they can shake it into the globe.
Ask the child to cut around their picture. Help them stabilize the paper with their non dominant hand. You can draw a large circle around their picture and have them practice cutting (and then you will cut around the details). If the child cannot yet cut a shape, you can just have them practice snipping the bottom of the paper.
For the adult: cut out the intricate details of the picture, and laminate.
For the adult: use the glue gun, and squeeze enough glue at the base to make the picture stand upright.
Add any fun decorations to the base, using glue dots if the child is doing it, or have the adult use the glue gun.
Optional: Cut out the student's name and year on Cricut/Silhouette, or use letter stickers.
Note: I don't add water, since the kids seem to have enough fun shaking it on its own, and if the water leaks over the years, it will make a mess or get things moldy!
Skills that you work on!
Taking a picture and imitating body movements- works on motor coordination, gross motor skills and balance, and attention to task!
Opening a screw top container and having the appropriate grasp and hand strength to do so.
Scooping/pouring the foam snow and glitter into the snow globe. I modified this in various ways depending on my students' abilities. Some were able to use a spoon to scoop, for others, I put the foam in a cup, and had them pour it into the snow globe
Cutting out the picture- since I work with preschoolers, it was not developmentally appropriate for them to cut so intricately around their body, but, many of them could snip parts of the picture, or maybe cut around the rectangular boundary.
Bilateral coordination for stabilizing the bowl when scooping or paper when cutting.
Use of finger isolation when transferring their name sticker onto the globe.
Letter and Name recognition
I wish I could share all the snow globes my students made! My students were all so cute, but I can't share their faces here. I hope you have fun making it cute and meaningful, and practicing functional skills at the same time!
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