Lovely Play & Recreation

Fun snow play ideas that captivate both kids and adults!

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked for 10 years as a kindergarten teacher and for 7 years as an after-school childcare instructor, then took a post as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I also engaged in activities that shared Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational play, working with many children. Afterwards, through freelance writing, planning, and editing work at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and conveying ideas. Leveraging the perspective cultivated in educational settings and my experience as an editor, I aim to deliver practical information—focusing on fields related to music and children—that values both input and output. Hobbies include instruments, singing, handcrafts, toys, drawing, traditional play, the outdoors, books, DIY, and crafts. Special skill: spinning-top tricks.
20 years of experience as a nursery teacher / kindergarten teacherhiyoko sensei
I’m Hiyoko-sensei, a former nursery school teacher from Hyogo Prefecture. Ever since I was five, my dream was to become a childcare worker, and before I knew it, 20 years had passed since I achieved that dream. Through singing and playing with the children, I kept working with the spirit of someone in their twenties, even as I increasingly felt my physical limits year by year (haha). From here on, I’d like to share helpful information carefully and thoughtfully, drawing on my on-site experience.

When the snow piles up, kids’ eyes really sparkle, don’t they? Snow play usually brings to mind snowmen and igloos, which are great fun, but there are actually many more ways to play.

Here, we’ll introduce plenty of snow play ideas that will captivate elementary schoolers.

From snowball basketball and soccer on the snow for kids who love to be active, to easy treasure-hunt games and adorable pretend play with winter plants and flowers, there’s a wide variety to enjoy.

Discover unique winter fun, forget the cold, and dive into playing in the snow to your heart’s content!

Ideas for Fun in the Snow (31–40) That Kids and Adults Alike Will Love

snowshoe

Second graders at Iida Elementary School experience snowshoeing in their PE class

snowshoe

Snowshoes are items used for walking on snow, and attaching them to your shoes prevents your feet from sinking deeply.

Because you can walk on fluffy snow and the shoes are wider than regular footwear, you may feel a curious sensation through the soles of your feet.

Since the walking sensation differs from usual, even simple games like tag can offer a new kind of fun.

Playing for a while with snowshoes on and discovering how to shift your weight and move your feet for better mobility can be an enjoyable part of the experience.

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Playing in the snow with a hula hoop

Kids Lesson — Snow Play: Hula Hoops

Playing in the snow with a hula hoop

By incorporating hula hoops—often associated with indoor play—this activity helps participants get a feel for wearing bulky winter clothing and walking on snow.

Even a simple motion like spinning a hula hoop becomes more challenging due to the gear and environment, encouraging greater focus and enjoyment.

Repeated walking and running movements on snow can help them grasp the unique sensation, potentially sparking interest in other sports as well.

We also recommend having them dive through a rolling hula hoop—something hard to do indoors—to let them experience the softness of the snow.

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Snow lantern

Snow Play 2 [How to Make a Snow Lantern] Snow and Candles - How to Make a Snow Lantern with Kids

Snow lantern

Snow lanterns.

Just hearing the name, you probably thought they’d be hard to make, right? Actually, they’re very easy.

You can pack snow into balls by hand or use cups or pudding molds—there are various methods—but the idea is to make lots of pieces using the same mold.

Stack the pieces with small gaps between them so light can leak out.

See? It’s already done! After it gets dark, just place a candle inside the stacked pieces and light it.

It’s simple work, so it seems like something you could make together with your kids.

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Making snow candles

Snow Play 1 [How to Make a Snow Candle] Quick and Easy! Glowing Igloo Bucket Candle — How to make a snow candle with kids

Making snow candles

I once saw lots of snow candles at a ski resort event.

They were so magical.

They’re very easy to make—even kids can do it.

First, pack about 10 cm of snow into a bucket.

The trick is to tap it a little to compact the snow.

Place a narrow thermos or any cylindrical object in the center of the bucket.

Pack more snow around it, pressing it firm.

Take it out of the bucket and gently tap the top to hollow it out, then make a side hole to insert a candle—and you’re done.

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Snow Flag

Winter Grand Adventure Camp ⛄ Snow Sports Day ✨ #Shorts

Let me introduce a fun group game for snowy days called Snow Flag.

Here are the rules: First, lie face down on the snow.

At the start signal, get up and run to grab a flag stuck in the snow.

Whoever gets the flag first wins.

It’s a crowd-pleaser at snow field days, and in more formal events, the number of participants competing at once and the number of flags are set according to the group size and number of teams.

Of course, it’s also great for everyday play—kids and adults alike can enjoy it together, so give it a try!

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Maple taffy making

[Canadian Scenery] I Tried Maple Taffy at a Sugar Shack

Maple taffy making

When it comes to classic Canadian souvenirs, maple syrup is the first thing that comes to mind, right? In Canada, there’s a sweet called maple taffy, made by pouring boiled-down maple syrup onto snow to let it set.

It’s another treat that really evokes Canada.

Once the maple syrup you drizzle onto the snow starts to firm up from the chill, you roll it around a stick to make it.

In Japan, it might be comparable to cotton candy.

You can make it in Japan too by simmering store-bought maple syrup and drizzling it over snow, so give it a try on a snowy day.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Airplane slide you can play without any equipment

@kaede_ahtan_family
Winter games taught by a child living in a snowy countrySnow Country #SnowCountryThings What’s possible because it’s a snowy country #CountryLife #CountryLifeThings #KaedeA-tan #Kaede-kunA-tan
Sambomaster – I Want to Work a Miracle With You

Playing in the snow in the mountains will definitely become a memorable experience for children! With this snow play, kids can pretend to be airplanes, roll around on the snow, and even team up partway through to play together.

Make sure to choose a safe slope and dress warmly before you start.

Sledding or having a snowball fight also sounds like a lot of fun.

Be sure to bundle up, and take this opportunity to enjoy the feel of the snow and the winter scenery while building rich experiences!

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Making snowballs with a snowball maker

@koharu138
Tried using all of them: the snow duck, the snow rabbit, and the heart-shaped snowball maker.Snow Snow play #Snowball Maker Snow duck children
♬ Chu,Tayousei. – ano

Let us introduce the Snowball Maker, a fun way to enjoy playing in the snow.

By clamping snow inside it, you can easily make snowballs in various shapes, making snow play even more enjoyable.

There are many types of snowball makers—like snowmen and ducks—so you can quickly create adorable snow shapes.

Of course, directly touching the snow and feeling the cold is one of the real pleasures of winter, but it’s also great to use a snowball maker for quick and easy creations.

We recommend having fun with snowmen and snowball fights, or making snow “cakes” in heart or animal shapes.

Be sure to make good use of it when the snow piles up!

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Try adding a face shape

https://www.tiktok.com/@user5604781208652/video/6913143621285874946

One of the major characteristics of freshly fallen snow is that while it’s soft, it packs firmly when you apply pressure.

Try pressing your face into such snow to make an imprint.

If you press slowly with steady pressure, you can get a more realistic face mold than you might expect.

Rather than stopping at just one, it could be fun to aim for an eerie scene with a whole row of face molds.

Since you’re pressing something cold against your entire face, be mindful of aftercare to avoid injury.

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Making a slide

Snow play: making sculptures and building a slide

Making a slide

When you go to a ski resort, you see lots of “slides made of snow,” don’t you? Kids often get even more excited about the snow slides than about skiing, which was the original purpose of the trip.

The speed you feel on a slide is exactly the kind of thrill that excites children.

With just a little snowfall, you can even build a slide in your backyard.

Even if you copy what you’ve seen, you can quickly make something that looks the part.

Next time it snows, why not try making one with a friend?

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