All the Things You Can Do with Snow 


Snow sure is incredible, isn’t it? What’s even better is all the many, many things you can do with the cold, fluffy, white stuff. What exactly can you do with snow?

Here are all the things you can do with snow:

  • Have a snowball fight
  • Make a snowman
  • Or a snow sculpture
  • Create a snow angel
  • Build a snow fort 
  • Make snow ice cream 
  • Sled on it
  • Or ride a snow tube 
  • Make footprints or handprints
  • Dye it
  • Go skiing
  • Look for animal tracks

As this list proves, there is no shortage of activities for you to do in the snow. Whether you’re trying to entertain the kids, or you want to bring the neighborhood together, the snow is always there for making memories! 

15 Fun Things to Do in the Snow

1. Have a Snowball Fight

Is there a better way to bring the community together than with a good, old-fashioned snowball fight? We truly can’t think of one!

You might decide to have a kids-only snowball fight or one with kids and adults. 

Both teams need the same number of people on them, and you must have someone serve as the referee and possibly another person to keep time or score.

The teams will need their own bases, which should be about equidistant from one another. 

Next, you need to set some ground rules, such as how many snowballs each team can have, where they’re allowed to hit or not hit on a person, and how to win. 

Check out our other article, “How to Have a Snowball Fight – Are There Rules?”

We just wrote a great guide offering the top tips and techniques for making snowballs, so make sure you check that out before you get your snowball fight underway.

You might help your kids make the perfect snowball, showing them how it’s done so they can learn and perfect their own technique.

Even though snowball fights can be exhausting and a little painful, they’re more fun than they are anything else. 

Make sure that both the winning and losing team warm up with hot cocoa when the festivities are said and done! 

2. Make a Snowman

When it snows a lot, it’s like a rite of passage to have a snowman to display on the front lawn. 

The snowman’s cheery visage will make anyone who sees him smile, and it’s also so fun to dress him up!

We’ve written many guides on how to make snowmen, with this one being the de-facto guide to read before you get started.

Don’t feel like you’re solely limited to using buttons, carrots, and scarves to decorate your snowman. To the contrary!

Any items that you have handy in and around your home are suitable, as there’s really no wrong way to decorate a snowman.

That said, if you’re looking for some of our most recommended accessories, we’ve got a complete list for you here.

3. Or a Snow Sculpture

Once you’ve made one really great snowman, you’ve made them all.

If the kids have tired of making a snowman, then change things up a little and create a snow sculpture.

The sculpture can be whatever you and the family wishes, but the easier you go to start, the less arduous the entire process will be.

The key to making a snow structure is to begin with a large amount of snow about the same length and width as what the final sculpture will be. 

Dump the snow on, press down hard, and ideally, let it sit overnight.

The next day, you can whittle the shape down using your fingers or even tools such as ice choppers, chainsaws, drywall saws, and chisels.

Be sure to decorate your snow sculpture if it needs it! 

4. Create a Snow Angel

If the kids want a quick and easy activity to do in the snow, it doesn’t get any quicker or easier than making snow angels.

We have an extensive guide on how to make the perfect snow angel that you won’t want to miss. 

As a recap, making a snow angel is rather simple. Just find a nice patch of snow, lie down, keep your legs together, and begin waving your arms.

The hardest part is standing up without disrupting the shape of the angel, but this gets easier to do the more snow angels you make!  For tips on how to stand out after making a snow angel, click here.

5. Build a Snow Fort or Igloo 

Where better to have a snowball fight than behind the frosty confines of a snow fort? 

Alternatively, if you want to keep the kids busy for a winter afternoon, you can construct an igloo from scratch.

Now, neither is necessarily the easiest process, but the kids will love having their own fort to talk snowball fight strategy.

A snow igloo is the perfect cold retreat for kids to hide within, and if the weather stays cold, they can enjoy it for days on end!

This guide on our blog tells you how to make a snow igloo. You can modify those instructions for your snow fort.

The best part is that since you need to water the snow consistently to make the shape of the igloo or fort that even powdery snow is usable.

6. Make Snow Ice Cream or Snow Cones 

Are your kids’ tummies rumbling? Fill them up with snow.

That’s right, we said snow!

Snow cones in the literal sense are quite easy to make. You need clean snow several inches under the surface. Use food coloring and syrup or sugar to impart both colors and flavors to the snow cones. 

Here is a fun little syrup and assessors kit for your snow cones.

Kids can make their own snow cones with all the colors and flavors they want, and even better, these cones are free!

As for making snow ice cream, you need fresh snow, sea salt, sugar, and milk. 

To jazz up the presentation and flavor of the snow ice cream (which won’t have that much taste on its own besides sugar), add chopped fruit, nuts, small candies and cookies, chocolate chips, or sprinkles.

What if the kids prefer chocolate? Stir in a tablespoon of pure cocoa powder into the ice cream mix until it’s well distributed, and voila. You have chocolate snow ice cream. 

You’ll need eight cups of snow to make ice cream, and please, please make sure it has no leaves, dirt, or any other contaminants in it before eating! 

7. Sled on It

Sledding brings the family together in the best way. 

You don’t need a classic Flexible Flyer sled to have a nice time, although obviously, one of those is recommended if you’ve got it!

You can also use a disc, a runner sled, or a toboggan.

Trust us, the kids won’t mind what they’re using to sled as long as they go fast.

If your yard has a natural incline around the back, then it’s the perfect place for sledding. Just don’t be surprised if all the neighborhood kids form a line to take a trip down the hill.

Otherwise, you can seek out some local parks with good sledding hills. Try to get there early, as you can bet these parks are going to be especially crowded on a snow day. 

Click the link for great sledding places near you!

8. Ride a Snow Tube

Just as fun as sledding in the snow is tubing in it.

Rather than use those old inner tubes you have lying around from the summertime, it’s best if you purchase a snow tube. It’s designed for gliding on the snow and is less likely to pop.

Even still, an inflatable snow tube is not impervious to damage, so scope out the sledding hill before you send your kids down.

Make sure the inflatable has handlebars as well so your children can hold on tight and enjoy the ride! 

9. Make Footprints or Handprints

Although they’re only temporary, you can put your own literal stamp on the snowfall by marking it with your footprint or handprint.

This will mean taking off your gloves or–in the case of a footprint–your socks and boots. 

Keep it fast then and limit it to one print per child. 

10. Dye It

If you want to make each child’s handprint or footprint that much more distinct, then you can always dye it. 

Otherwise, dying the snow is a great way to impart color to an otherwise white canvas. You’ll enjoy cheery hues even after the holiday season comes to an end.

What should you use for dye? For a food-safe experience (in case the kids get hungry or the local wildlife munches on the snow), we’d suggest food coloring.

Mix water with food coloring, but don’t add too much water. You don’t want to dilute the food coloring much, just increase its volume.

Pour the contents into a spray bottle or squirt bottle and let the kids have fun creating their own colorful masterpieces in the snow.

Be sure to take lots of pictures to commemorate the art, as you know it won’t last forever. 

11. Shovel It

Okay, so this next one isn’t exactly fun, but you asked for all the activities to do in the snow and shoveling is indeed one of them. 

Are your kids reluctant to shovel because they’re not so fond of housework? Would they rather stay inside and play video games, scroll on their phone, or watch Netflix?

Incentivize them to shovel. Perhaps you buy or make hot cocoa, you treat the kids to their favorite dinner, or you even give them some cold, hard cash for their efforts.

The children will suddenly be happy to band together and get some shoveling done with you.

12. Go Skiing

You can’t exactly go skiing in your backyard, but if you’re close to a resort, then it doesn’t matter what the weather is like in your town.

Resorts will use artificial snow in the absence of real snow so that all winter long, you and the kids can ski down the slopes. 

If you have no skiing experience, then be sure to enroll in a beginner’s course. 

You might also consider renting equipment rather than purchasing it in case the kids can get bored of skiing after only one season. 

Visit Our Winter/Snow Page for More Great Content!

13. Try Snowboarding 

Snowboarding is another option for family fun when the weather is cold, sunny, and snowy.

Those same ski resorts where you’d go skiing should offer snowboarding as well. You can often rent equipment and take beginners’ lessons to familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of snowboarding. 

If you do want to eventually purchase gear, we recommended the best snow jackets here, the best snow pants here, and the best snow goggles here.

14. Look for Animal Tracks

If the snow fell several days ago and has had some time to settle, then you can bet the kids aren’t the only ones who have played in it.

Local wildlife has to traverse through the snow just like anyone else, and they will leave tracks.

Try to identify the types of animals from the tracks you see and consider taking photos to study the tracks in more detail later.

If your neighborhood is bereft of animal tracks or doesn’t have that much variety, then take your kids to the park. There, you should see everything from webbed duck feet to deer prints and more. 

15. Eat It 

The thought of eating snow straight from the ground might not be appealing to anyone but kids, but if they’re so inclined, they can.

Snow doesn’t taste like much–it’s only frozen water, after all–but the texture of the snow can be a delight.

If your kids are going to chow down, then they should only do so with clean snow. The snow shouldn’t be discolored in any way nor should it contain twigs, stones, leaves, dirt, or any other debris.

Avoid digging up surface snow and snack on snow several inches under the surface instead. 

Also, don’t forget snow ice cream, one of my kids favorites! Check out the video below for how to make it.

Final Thoughts 

When most people see snow, they pull up their covers and hide in the heat. 

This is a mistake considering there are so many fun ways to make a snow day that much more memorable, from working with snow to eating it and dying it.

We hope this post gives you lots of great ideas! 

Geoff Southworth

I am a California native and I enjoy all the outdoors has to offer. My latest adventures have been taking the family camping, hiking and surfing.

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