Tin Man Activity
Make a silvery snowman!
Submitted by
Kayla Chong
Kayla Chong
Kids desperate for a little snow play, but the weather's "foiling" their fun? Let them make a shiny tin snowman.
- Aluminum foil
- Hot-glue gun and glue sticks:Remember, kids and hot glue don't mix, so make sure you do all the gluing!
- Pipe cleaners:Two for arms, one for a mouth and one for a corncob pipe, if you're feeling inspired.
- A piece of ribbon or felt:Long enough to make a scarf for your snowman.
- Pom-poms:A bag of assorted sizes and colors.
- Googly eyes
- Scissors
- Felt:Enough to cut out a small triangle and a strip about 6 inches long.
Have the kids move all your supplies to the workspace while you plug in the hot-glue gun.
Have the kids wad up three balls of tinfoil into "snowballs." (Somehow, someway, curb their itch to throw them at each other!)
Then, while the kids watch, take the glue gun and glue the three balls together, one on top of the other to make the "snowman."
Next, help them give Tin Man sight by sticking on the googly eyes with the hot-glue gun. (You should do any necessary hot gluing.)
Glue a pom-pom on to create a nose—again with the hot-glue gun.
Finish off the face by gluing on a piece pipe-cleaner for a mouth. If you're feeling ambitious, make a tiny corncob pipe out of a yellow pipe cleaner and stick it on while you're at it.
Hot-glue three pom-poms down the torso of the snowman like buttons.
Use the ribbon or a thin strip of felt to make a scarf for the Tin Man. Have your kid tie it around the snowman's neck to keep him warm!
Have your child bend the ends of the pipe cleaners into three "fingers" and then stick the pipe cleaners into the foil balls to give the Tin Man some arms. You can dab a little glue on the end to hold them in place before you insert them. Secure by scrunching the foil around the pipe cleaners.
To make a hat, help your child cut a small triangle out of the felt. The base should be big enough to fit around the snowman's head. Fold the triangle into a cone shape and glue it together. Trim the felt if needed. Cut a small strip of felt to make a brim and glue it onto the bottom of the hat. Add a pom-pom to the point of the hat with hot glue, if your snowman is feeling jaunty. Then, hot-glue the finished product onto the snowman's head.- The ideas above are just a starting point. Let your kids' imaginations run wild! Or if they're feeling lazy (or you've had enough!), skip some of the steps. Whatever works for you.
- When the snowmen are decorated to their satisfaction, put him on display anywhere that needs a little winter fun. And unlike the snowballs the kids drag in, this one won't leave a puddle on the table!
- If you want a snowman who's ready for a night on the town, roll the foil balls in glue and glitter before you hot glue them together! Sparkly! Looking for more crafts to keep them busy? Nick Jr. has Seasonal Do-Together Crafts for any time of the year!
- Thanks to Karen Lidbeck and Nick. Jr. Magazine.
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