Bring winter fun inside with these DIY paper snowballs – great for kids to make and use for an indoor snowball fight or winter games!
We’ve once again hit the point in winter where patience with the season is starting to run a little thin. The snow activities that were thrilling in November are getting fairly old, the indoor entertainment has been played out, and there is a palpable longing for weather that calls for a light jacket and flip-flops.
If you’re finding yourself in need of a pared-down activity and some simple entertainment that will help your kids blow off steam, I humbly recommend this late winter classic – an epic indoor paper snowball fight.
For more indoor winter games and activities, make a DIY thin ice game, a recycled mini snowball factory, or sugar cube ice castles for tabletop STEAM play.
To make your own paper snowballs, you’ll need:
BASIC SUPPLIES:
- Copy paper, wrapping paper, scrap paper, or similar
OPTIONAL SUPPLIES:
- Acrylic paint
- A spray bottle (like this)
- Small pails or buckets
How to Make Paper Snowballs – DIY Instructions:
Quickly and easily make a big pile of scrap paper snowballs using our quick tutorial.
Crumple paper into balls.
Gather up some paper – any paper! It can be scrap wrapping paper, newsprint, tissue paper remnants, copy paper – anything you’ve got! When printing at home, I often end up with a handful of printed pages that only have a few lines of text. I like to pile them up and save them for projects just like this one.
Crumple your paper pieces into balls (a tremendous stress-relieving activity all on its own!), rolling and shaping them in your hand just as you would a regular snowball.
Spray with paint (optional).
This is optional, but if you’re REALLY going for that authentic snowball aesthetic, you can use some small spray bottles to spray your crumpled paper balls with paint.
I filled small spray bottles with a couple of squeezes of turquoise and silver acrylic paint, then added about two tablespoons of water to each bottle. Give them a good shake, and you’re ready to coat your snowballs with a little bit of color and sparkle!
Gather paper snowballs into small pails or bins.
Toss your snowball piles into small bins or pails and hand them out to participants.
These paper snowballs are just begging to be paired with a blanket fort, and they’re light enough that they won’t bring down the camp walls or hurt any of the participants.
Seven Paper Snowball Games for Indoor Winter Play
Beyond a classic snowball fight, there are so many ways to use these for indoor winter play….
1. Play snowball toss.
Grab an empty container or small bucket and set them a few feet in front of your kids. Toss in snowballs for points, then add them up at the end – the highest score wins!
2. Grab some spoons for paper snowball relay races.
Swap out the egg in egg-and-spoon relay races for a paper snowball. For one or two kids, you can challenge them to beat the clock, carrying the snowball from one side of the room to the other within a specified amount of time. For a group of kids or classroom, you can divide the group into teams and have kids pass the paper snowball from spoon to spoon.
3. Perfect your aim with paper snowball target practice.
Set a few quick targets around the room (simple paper targets, empty water bottles, etc.) and practice your aim. You can even make a DIY snowball launcher (or use a paper cup confetti popper for shorter distances).
4. Make paper snowball runs from recycled items.
You’ve probably seen examples of all the clever DIY marble runs made from cardboard tubes and boxes. Invite your kids to make one for the snowballs. You can also try making a snowball maze (like this playdough marble maze, but on a slightly larger scale). Use straws to blow the snowballs through your kid-made mazes.
5. Try indoor snowball bowling!
Line up empty water bottles or similarly lightweight objects and roll your snowballs across the floor to knock them down.
6. Create a learning game with your paper snowballs.
I love this idea for a snowball compare-and-contrast game!
7. Build a fun snowball balance game.
Pile up a few cardboard tubes of various lengths – from toilet paper rolls to wrapping paper tubes, and every size in between! Stand them up, then invite kids to place extra large paper snowballs on top.
Little ones will experience enough of a challenge just trying to keep the cardboard tubes standing upright as they balance the snowballs on top.
For older kids, here’s the twist: they have to pick up the snowballs and put them on top using two cardboard tubes. Great for gross motor skills and active movement play, this game also incorporates elements of balance and dexterity for afternoon entertainment that will have everyone giggling by the end.
Do you prefer a more permanent DIY snowball solution? Instead of using paper, try these super soft, squishy handmade fleece snowballs with a free snowball sewing pattern (from Mama Smiles)! You can also skip the sewing and use a pair of white socks folded together for eco-friendly reuseable, no-sew cloth snowballs.
More Easy Snow Day Activities for Kids
Make cut-paper snowflake suncatchers or a cardboard snowplow for more kids’ indoor snow activities.
For low-prep ideas to get everyone outside for some cold-weather fun, visit our collection of over 50 simple outdoor winter play ideas.
GETTING READY TO TRY this?
I love seeing all the ways people make these ideas their own! If you're sharing the results of one of our projects, mention or tag me with @barleyandbirch, or share it in the comments of one of our Pinterest project pins.
