Tag Archives: art

12 Snowman Stories for Children and Snowman Enthusiasts

Hello everyone!

Katie Merkel

For those of you who wanna build a snowman, check out these twelve amazing snowman story books and the lists of themed activities. I love to combine literature with other subjects, so expand the snowman fun with the suggested crafts, math activities and games, and snowman recipes.

In addition to being cute art projects, the snowman crafts make adorable decorations or gifts for relatives and teachers. And if you really want to make the snowman magic come to life, check out the snowman sensory and fine motor activities and the delicious snowman snacks.

I often pair up my picture book recommendations with the activities that best suit them, but since all of the books are about snowmen, this month’s themed projects naturally go with whichever book or books you choose to use.

I hope you and your young snowman lovers have fun experiencing snowmen on multiple academic, sensory, and culinary levels! And if you’re looking for Christmas specific books, crafts, and sensory activities, check out my Christmas books blog post.

Making a Friend

Making a Friend by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Alison Friend is about how Beaver, who can make anything with his hands but struggles with knowing how to connect to other animals, makes a friend while making a snowman.

If Picasso Painted a Snowman

If Picasso Painted a Snowman by Amy Newbold, illustrated by Greg Newbold introduces kids to different artists and their styles by showing how they would draw or paint a snowman.

Sneezy the Snowman

Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright, illustrated by Stephen Gilpin is about a snowman who is cold and keeps melting as a result of trying to get warm. Thankfully, some kids rebuild him after each failed attempt.

Snowmen at Night

Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner, illustrated by Mark Buehner offers an imaginative explanation for why snowmen look messy the day after they are built. Obviously, it’s because of all the fun things that snowmen do at night!

The Most Perfect Snowman

The Most Perfect Snowman by Chris Britt is about a snowman who is outcast by the other snowmen because he was not given a nose or clothing. Children give him what he is missing and declare him to be the perfect snowman. However, it’s not until he gives his treasured gifts to someone who needs them more that he truly becomes the perfect snowman.

Snow Dude

Snow Dude by Daniel Kirk is the snowman version of “The Gingerbread Man.”

Snowzilla by Janet Lawler, illustrated by Amanda Haley is about a little girl who builds a ginormous snowman with her family and how she finds a solution to the town’s polarized reaction to her having such a large snowman in her yard.

The Snowman and the Snowdog

The Snowman and the Snowdog based on characters created by Raymond Briggs is about a boy whose dog died shortly after they moved to a new house. On Christmas Eve, the boy finds a photo of another boy standing beside an amazing snowman, and he decides to build his own snowman and a snowdog. The three of them spend Christmas Eve flying around the world and competing in the Snowman’s Annual Downhill Race at the North Pole.

The Smiley Snowman

The Smiley Snowman by M. Christina Butler, illustrated by Tina Macnaughton is about three friends who build a smiling snowman. The next day, the snowman looks sad, and the friends try to make him feel better.

Tinyrannosaurus and the  Bigfootosaurus

Tinyrannosaurus and the Bigfootosaurus! by Nick Ward is about a young T-rex and his friends building a Bigfootosaurus out of snow and then accidentally mistaking a real (and not amused) Bigfootosaurus for their snowman.

Martin MacGregor's Snowman

Martin MacGregor’s Snowman by Lisa Broadie Cook, illustrated by Adam McCauley is about a boy who desperately wants to build a snowman. In his impatience for it to snow, he tries different, creative ways of making a snowman (like dumping flour on his younger sister and gluing cotton balls to his dog) that get him in trouble.

A Really Good Snowman

A Really Good Snowman by Daniel J. Mahoney is about an older brother who wants a little time away from his younger sister and her constant desire to “help” him. But when she demonstrates that she is not yet old enough to compete in the snowman building competition by herself, he sacrifices his chance of winning to help her build a snowman.

Crafts

  1. Cotton Ball Snowman (Preschool through Elementary)
  2. Egg Carton Snowman (Elementary)
  3. Marshmallow Snowman (Preschool through 2nd grade)
  4. Melted Snowman (Elementary)
  5. Puffy Snowman Painting (Pre-K through Elementary)
  6. Snowchildren (Preschool through Kindergarten)
  7. Snow Globe Snowman (Preschool through Elementary depending on amount of adult prep)
  8. Snowman Christmas Card (Preschool through Elementary depending on amount of adult prep)
  9. Snowman Paper Plate Masks (Preschool through 2nd grade depending on amount of adult prep)
  10. Snowman Puppets (Pre-K through Elementary)
  11. Snowman Suncatcher (Preschool through Elementary)
  12. Toilet Paper Roll Snowman (Elementary)

Math

  1. Christmas Pattern Blocks (Preschool through Kindergarten – There are two snowman patterns.)
  2. Counting Snowballs (Pre-K through 1st grade)
  3. Five Little Snowmen Felt Story And Math Activity (Preschool through Kindergarten)
  4. It’s Snowing Angles! (Elementary)
  5. Snowman Addition Fun (Pre-K through 1st grade)
  6. Snowman Counting File Folder Game (Pre-K through 1st grade)
  7. Snowman Fractions (Elementary)
  8. Snowman Math Activities (Elementary – The Last Snowman Standing Game was my favorite of the activities.)
  9. Snowman Place Value Worksheets (Pre-K through 2nd grade)
  10. Snowman 20 Frames Math Game (Kindergarten through 2nd grade)
  11. Temperature Snowman Melting Sequencing Cards (Pre-K through 2nd grade)
  12. Winter Math Activities With Printable Snowflake Number Circles (Preschool through Kindergarten)

Sensory and Fine Motor Activities

  1. DIY Fake Snow for Sensory Play (Preschool through Pre-K)
  2. Magnetic Snowman (Preschool through Pre-K)
  3. Make A Snowman Fine Motor Activity (Preschool through Pre-K)
  4. Snowman Activity Tray (Preschool through Pre-K)
  5. Snowman Sensory Bottle (Preschool through Pre-K)

Snacks

  1. Banana Snowmen
  2. Chocolate Pretzel Snowman
  3. Deconstructed Snowman Popcorn
  4. Marshmallow Snowman
  5. Snowman Brownie Bites
  6. Snowman Dessert Dip
  7. Snowman Oreo Cookie Balls
  8. Snowman Pudding

Happy reading!

Katie

P.S.

For more themed book recommendations and activities, visit my post library.

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Dragon Tales for Preschool through High School

Katie Merkel

Disclosure

This blog post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means that as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. There is no additional cost for you, and it helps me to keep creating awesome content!

Hello everyone!

Last year, a friend let me read her work-in-progress dragon novel, and it got me on a dragon kick. I started reading published books featuring dragons. Below are some dragon stories that I think young dragon lovers will enjoy, too!

After reading a dragon tale or two, try drawing a dragon of your own. Dragon coloring pages and how-to-draw-a-dragon videos and instructions for preschool through high school are at the end of the post.

Preschool and Early Elementary

One Drowsy Dragon by Ethan Long is a counting story about a dragon who just wants to go to bed.

One Drowsy Dragon

Have You Seen My Dragon? by Steve Light is part story, part search and find.

Have You Seen My Dragon

How to Dress a Dragon by Thelma Lynne Godin, illustrated by Eric Barclay is about a boy helping his dragon to get dressed.

Dragons Love Tacos and Dragons Love Tacos 2: The Sequel by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Danie Salmieri are about dragons and the situations caused by their tacos obsession.

Dragons Love Tacos

When a Dragon Moves In and When a Dragon Moves In Again by Jodi Moore, illustrated by Howard McWilliam is about a boy who has fun, and gets into trouble, with a dragon that his family does not believe exists.

When a Dragon Moves In

Dragon Brothers Trilogy by James Russell, illustrated by Link Choi

The Dragon Brothers Trilogy

The Dragon Brothers Trilogy is about two brothers who live on an island inhabited by dragons and the dragon-related adventures they have.

The Boy Who Painted Dragons by Demi is about a boy who must overcome his fear of dragons by seeking their wisdom.

The Boy Who Painted Dragons

Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman is a retelling of the legend of Saint George and his fight with the dragon. This book is best for elementary-aged children.

Saint George and the Dragon

Behold…the Dragons! by Gail Gibbons is a non-fiction book that gives a brief overview of the different types of dragons from around the world and some of the mythology surrounding them. This book is best for elementary-aged children.

Behold...the Dragons!

How to Draw a Dragon by Douglas Florian is a book in rhyme about drawing all the different parts of dragons.

How to Draw a Dragon

Late-Elementary through High School

The Wings of Fire Series is a good read for children in late-elementary, middle, and high school. It is your typical high fantasy series, but with dragons as the protagonists. The books also contain social and relationship themes and explore the concept of destiny versus choice.

Dragon Rider Series by Cornelia Funke

The Dragon Rider Series is ideal for children in late-elementary or middle school. On the surface level, it’s a quest to find home, but it also has themes of friendship, self-sacrifice, belonging, respect for all creatures, and the consequences of greed.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin is a good story for children in late-elementary or middle school. The primary plot is the protagonist’s quest to improve her family’s fortune, but the story could also be viewed as a collection of folktales because legends and other characters’ fantastic backstories are interspersed with and woven into the protagonist’s journey.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

The Inheritance Cycle is a good read for high school fantasy lovers. Elves, spells, dragons…what’s not to like? Some of the themes explored in the series are loyalty, respecting differences in beliefs, and responsibility and consequences for actions.

Ralph Masiello’s Dragon Drawing Book by Ralph Masiello is great for middle and high schoolers. It is primarily mini, step-by-step art lessons, but it also contains cultural blurbs about dragon lore around the world.

Ralph Masiello's Dragon Drawing Book

Activities

  1. Printable Dragon Coloring Pages by Supercoloring.com
  2. “How to Draw a Dragon (For Super Young Artists)” (This YouTube tutorial is appropriate for preschool through elementary.)
  3. “How to Draw a Dragon” (This YouTube tutorial is appropriate for mid-elementary through middle school.)
  4. “How to Draw a Dragon” by wikiHow (These step-by-step directions are appropriate for middle and high schoolers.)
  5. “How to Draw a Dragon Step by Step” by Monika Zagrobelna (These step-by-step directions are appropriate for high schoolers.)

Happy reading!

Katie

P.S.

For more themed book recommendations and activities, visit my post library.