Snow painting is a fun activity my oldest granddaughter and I invented one warm winter day when we were tired of being inside. All you will need are some washable tempera paints, a few containers that will squirt or spray water, and a great snowstorm. Other kinds of paint, pre-mixed soda such as Kool-Aid, and even food coloring will also work. Just use a little wisdom and some protective outer aprons so you don’t stain any clothing by mistake.
Snow Painting Supplies
I keep a collection of small squirt bottles on hand. Some we use for tye-dying and painting. Others are for food only. (They work great for pancake art). An assortment of squirt bottles is part of my permanent grandma craft supply and I use them often. You can re-purpose squirtable ketchup or mustard containers, empty hairspray bottles, an old super-soaker squirt gun, and more. Use your imagination.
Snow painting isn’t an exact science. Proportions aren’t too critical. You’re just going for colorful liquid that you can squeeze onto the bright white canvas of snow outside. I added about 1 Tablespoon of acrylic paint into a 6-ounce jar and filled it to the top with cool water.
The warm, sunny day right after a fresh snowfall is an ideal time to try snow painting. With toddlers and preschoolers, I usually just opt for letting them squirt colorful drips into the snow. Older kids might get a kick out of creating a snowman or other shape first, then painting it. Cool water in your bottles helps prevent too much of the snow melting.
Other Snow Painting Considerations
We had the advantage of a sunny winter day with nice warm outside temperatures, so we bundled up in snow pants and a warm hat and I replaced my granddaughter’s winter coat with a kitchen apron to help prevent getting paint on her clothing. Her boots were waterproof and washable, which helped me stress less about how accurate her aim was. I expected this activity to last only 2-3 minutes, but it occupied our attention for almost half an hour, so we were grateful for the mild temperatures.
Even though I wasn’t too concerned about where the paint ended up, it might be good to avoid areas where you intend to grow food, or where the concrete or surface underneath the snow might become stained when the snow melts. We tried to stay in grassy areas so that the paint wouldn’t transfer to sidewalks or concrete. If you want to be especially environmentally conscious, or plan to broadcast a lot of color in a sensitive area, choose the type of paint wisely. Food-safe dyes might be a better choice. It’s also important to confine your painting to private property rather than in a public location.
Can You Snow Paint Remotely With Long-Distance Grandkids?
I think the answer is yes, though I have yet to attempt it. If you are a little bit artistic yourself, you can surprise your grandchildren by sculpting and painting something for them in advance. Use the image below for inspiration. This sculpture was created by one of my neighbors, Jerry Gardner. He’s a professional artist and uses a square snow shovel for shaping and spray paint for color. He creates a new sculpture after every storm. You may have to work at it for a while to get to Jerry’s level of expertise, but you could challenge older grandkids to a snow sculpting contest and share photos when you finish.
