DIY Snow Paint for Kids – 2 Ingredients!

This DIY snow paint post is one of the oldest posts on this site – and yet it remains one of the most popular! That is probably because it is as easy as it is FUN! With just a few supplies, you can make your own snow paint to color the snow.

DIY Snow Paint for Kids

I wrote this many years ago… but the sentiment remains…

So I actually kind of maybe thought… that we would escape a snowy winter this year.  Yes, we live in the northeast.  Yes, winters are typically frigid and full of freezing precipitation. I get all that and it’s fine and dandy.  The trouble is that last winter was so flipping cold and so full of snow and ice, I have not recovered from the mental anguish of it all.  Usually by the first heat wave of summer I’m all, “SUMMER SUCKS!  I wish it was snowing!”  But this year that point never came.  I embraced the summer and shed a tear when it came to an end.  (Seriously.)

Fun Winter Activity

But as we stare down the barrel of yet another mega snow event here in the Philadelphia suburbs, there ARE some things that can make me smile.  Most of those things involve steaming mugs of hot coffee and baking things containing chocolate, BUT!  I also love pulling out some of our favorite winter activities for the kids to enjoy.

Lily absolutely LOVES playing in the snow and would spend hours outside if I let her.  Last year we whipped up one of the easiest concoctions out there – and she literally squealed in delight and spent more than an hour enjoying herself.  I ended up joining in on the fun and we both had a blast!

Snow Paint Recipe

This activity is so fun! It is the perfect winter outdoor boredom buster and would be great for any age – even the toddler crowd!

Make snow “paint” and create some bright and colorful patterns in the snow. Your color selection is only limited by the food coloring hues that you have on hand! The water spray bottles that we used are cheap enough at places like the dollar store, so I usually pick up a few at a time. Make up one color of paint per bottle.

I love kid activities that require little-to-no prep. This activity comes together in just minutes, so you could make the bottles up ahead of the snow storm or whip them up just before heading outside to paint!

Snow Paint Materials

• Spray bottles (Use could also use squeeze bottles if you prefer.)
• Water
• Food coloring (Use the gel-type coloring for even darker hues.)

Easy Snow Paint Tutorial

Fill each water bottle up with 2-3 inches of water. I recommend using cool or cold water. Hot water will melt the snow that you are trying to paint!

Add a few drops of food coloring.  Stop when the water reaches your preferred shade.

Put the top on your bottle and shake lightly to mix.

Take outside and have fun spraying all that snow! Challenge the kids to decorate the whole yard with pretty colors. Have fun experimenting with different colors.

One word of caution – I would make sure kids only spray this on snow covering grass… after all it is made with dye.  Don’t want to come out in the Spring and find food-dye-stained patio stones or deck boards!

Get Creative – Snowmen and Beyond

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box! This snow paint would be PERFECT for:

• Decorating the walls of a snow fort
• Putting a face and accessories on a snowman
• Adding team colors to your snowballs before the big snowball fight!

What else can you think of?

This activity is definitely a lot of fun and it doesn’t really matter how much snow you get. Snow paint will work on any amount of snow, from a dusting to a blizzard!

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