Winter Crafts 2023

During my years teaching at a day care/preschool and teaching elementary Sunday school classes, I found that boys liked to create craft projects just as much as the girls. In the winter, many parts of the country have evenings that are too cold to venture outside. Other parts of the country have milder winters. Below are several craft ideas for your Ranger Kids and Discovery Rangers groups for those who aren’t able to be outside during winter months, giving boys a creative outlet. I even found a great craft that I think the Adventure and Expedition Rangers would enjoy.

RANGER KIDS

I tried to select craft projects that K–2^nd graders could complete with little individual supervision. If you are the only leader with several boys, you will need crafts that boys can work on with some independence, allowing you to focus on the younger boys in the class.

Pipe Cleaner Snowflakes

The is a great craft that is very simple. The basic supplies of pipe cleaners will let your Ranger Kids use their imaginations to make several snowflakes. Use can use any color of pipe cleaners, but you may want to get blue, red, green, white, silver, and gold.

https://letslassothemoon.com/diy-3d-snowflakes-video/

Puffy Snowflakes

You don’t need many craft supplies to make these puffy snowflakes. You’ll need construction paper, and empty dishwashing soap bottle, and the puffy paint. To make the puffy paint, you’ll need salt, self-rising flour, water, and food coloring (optional). The link below provides the recipe for the paint. After the boys make their snowflake picture, you microwave each picture on high for 30 seconds. This will dry the pain and make it puffy.

https://innerchildfun.com/2012/01/puffy-snowflake-paintings.html

Snowflake Art Quilt

Although this project could be completed over two weeks if you choose, there aren’t that many supplies. You’ll need 4”x4” colored paper, construction paper cut to 8.5”x8.5”, scissors, and glue sticks. That is all is takes to unleash the creativity in your Ranger Kids.

https://b-inspiredmama.com/paper-snowflakes-quilt/

DISCOVERY RANGERS

I tried to select craft projects that 3^rd–5^th graders could complete with little supervision. If you are the only leader with several boys, you will need crafts that boys can work on with some independence, allowing you to focus on the boys who may need extra help.

Straw Snowflakes

The basic supplies of straws and thread will allow your Discovery Rangers to create some beautiful snowflakes. Starting to wrap the thread around the straws can be frustrating at first, especially for boys that don’t have good hand dexterity yet.

https://www.redtedart.com/traditional-straw-star-ornaments/

Pasta Snowflakes

This is a combination of two different craft sites. The first site will show you how to dye dry pasta to be used as the building blocks for the snowflakes. This will take extra time for you as a leader to dye and dry the pasta. You’ll also need hot glue guns and string. If you dye the pasta ahead of time, you won’t need the paint and glitter.

https://parentingchaos.com/dye-pasta/

https://www.myfrugalchristmas.com/How-to-Make-Pasta-Christmas-Ornaments.html

RANGER KIDS & DISCOVERY RANGERS

This section was too good not to keep from 2021. These are great activities the Ranger Kids and Discovery Rangers can do together, especially for a Christmas party.

Snowflake Marshmallow

If you are having a Christmas party in class one night, these snowflakes will be the perfect complement to some hot chocolate. You need toothpicks and large and small marshmallows. The boys can make them while one leader is heating the hot chocolate.

https://www.messylittlemonster.com/2019/01/snowflake-marshmallows.html

Snow Paint

You might consider doing this activity as a combined class or on the same night. The materials are few: shaving cream, white glue, peppermint extract (optional), glitter or buffalo snow, brushes, and cardstock. You need to remember two important things. First, chill the glue overnight then let it warm up for about ten minutes before mixing it with the shaving cream. Second, let the painting dry for the week before sending them home. The paint will dry puffy. You don’t have to feel limited to the snowman that the website shows. The boys can paint any winter scene or animal (think polar bear or arctic fox).

https://www.growingajeweledrose.com/2013/11/shivery-snow-paint-recipe.html?m=1

Borax Snowflakes

This is a great experiment for Ranger Kids or Discovery Rangers. The resulting snowflake will make a great ornament to gift. Use pipe cleaners and wire cutters to make the basic snowflake shape. Then, add borax laundry soap to water in glass bowls or individual wide-mouth mason jars. Attach the snowflake to a wooden dowel with fishing line or ribbon. Don’t limit the boys to just snowflakes, you could just as easily create stars or trees with this method.

https://growingupgabel.com/borax-snowflake-crafts-for-kids/

RANGER KIDS & DISCOVERY RANGERS & ADVENTURE RANGERS & EXPEDITION RANGERS

Sugar Cube Igloo

I think this is a great craft for all ages, so I wanted to include it again this year. With simple supplies of sugar cubes and white glue, this craft project will keep any boy entertained. This could be worked on over the course of one to three weeks. This is a great craft for boys in each age group to compete for the best design. You don’t have to limit them to igloos. What if the older boys created winter castles? If you don’t want to have the boys paint a cardboard base, you could cover it in cotton balls or batting, which will resemble snow.

https://thecraftyclassroom.com/crafts/native-american-crafts-for-kids/inuit-crafts-for-kids/sugar-cube-igloo-project/

Giant 3D Snowflakes

With supplies of white paper, scissors, Scotch tape, and staplers, any boy can make these giant snowflakes. I think all ages would enjoy making these at an outpost Christmas party.

https://letslassothemoon.com/diy-3d-snowflakes-video/