Pin the Nose on the Snowman {Indoor Activity}

Do you want to build a snowman? Making snowmen is one of my kids’ favorite winter activities, however it is definitely not one of mine. I’d much rather stay cozy inside than outdoors with freezing fingers! That’s why I am such a fan of pin the nose on the snowman!

This activity is something kids of all ages can do together when it’s too cold to go outside. It’s so much fun and easy to build. This one is an all-around winner!

What is Pin the Nose on The Snowman?

This is a winter version of the classic party game – Pin the Tail on the Donkey. However, rather than a tail, the goal is to see how close you can get the carrot nose to the center of the snowman’s face.

Pin the nose on the snowman is the perfect activity to keep the boredom away on a snow day, for a winter birthday party, or even just for fun.

We went the “just for fun” route, and my preschooler was over the moon delighted with him! She loved the snowman even more than she loved the turkey activity we did last month.

This snowman activity is easy to put together, and you can leave him on the wall as long as you want for fun all winter long.

Make some DIY silly putty for an indoor activity – any time of year!

Pin the Nose on the Snowman activity materials:

Here is what you’ll need to make this snowman Christmas game.

• 1 Piece of Foam Board
• 3 Buttons
• 1 Oblong Paper Napkin (or a small piece of fabric)
• 2 Large Googly Eyes
• Small Black Pom Poms
• 1 piece of Black Cardstock
• Red Washi Tape (or card stock)
• 2 Thin Sticks
• Orange Cardstock
• Hot Glue & Glue Gun
• Tape
• Fiberfill (or fake snow)

How to make the snowman game

There are just a few easy steps involved in making your own game. Here’s how to make one for yourself and your family.

Cut out the snowman’s body

If you have foam board at home, use it to cut out the body of the snowman. If you don’t have any foam board, you can use white poster board or even paint some cardboard white.

I’m all about using things that are cheap and on hand. I think that doing activities with the kids should be easy, not stressful. And kids typically don’t care about the aesthetics of the project anyways. 😉

My hubby actually cut out the snowman because I was busy with the kids, but it’s easy to do.

He traced around three circular objects (a serving tray, plate, and lid for a pot) to get the snowman shape. It doesn’t matter what you use for that; you just want to get the general snowman look with three different-sized circles.

He used a Xacto knife to cut the form out.

Make the snowman face and clothes

I used hot glue to attach the eyes, pom poms for the mouth, sticks for the arms, and plastic buttons for the shirt.

Make the top hat

To make the hat, I folded a piece of black card stock in half and cut it in just a small amount to create the brim of the hat.

I decorated it with red washi tape we had been using for another activity, but red card stock would also work great.

Then I attached the hat to the snowman.

Add a scarf

For the scarf, I cut the edge of an oblong napkin to create the part that hangs down and scrunched up the remaining part to go around the neck.

I used hot glue to hold it in place and secured it on the back.

Then, I attached some fiberfill to the bottom for fun to create a snowy look.

Cut out paper carrot nose pieces

Most importantly, for this Pin the Nose on the Snowman game, I cut some triangles out of orange card stock to create the nose and attached rounds of tape to them so that the kids could stick them to the snowman.

How to play this snowman party game

Just like Pin the Tail on the Donkey, you wear a blindfold and try to pin the carrot nose on the snowman’s face. The person that gets the closest to the center of the face wins!

Remember to add the player’s name to the carrot nose, so you know who got the closest to the middle.

In total, our Pin the Nose on the Snowman activity only took me about 15 minutes to make. Super easy.

We had so much fun with this snowman activity, and my preschooler has been playing with him every day!

Snowman game FAQs

Here are some questions people often ask about the Christmas pin the nose on the snowman game.

Can you make a Rudolph version?

Yes, make as many different versions of snow day games as you want! Pin the Nose on Rudolph is a fun idea! Or do Pin the Hat on Santa, or even Pin the Star on the Christmas Tree.

In fact, you can make any number of variations of this game out of Christmas party supplies.

Can kids help make this game?

Yes, the snowman is a really fun craft for kids. Ask younger children to cut out the triangles for the nose – it’s great for their gross motor skills and scissors skills too. Use this craft as a way to teach preschoolers their shapes, or count how many pom poms you use for the snowman’s mouth.

How do you store the pieces until next year?

If you want to use this game next year, make the game in pieces, so it’s easier to store. I suggest placing them in a plastic storage tote and keeping the smaller pieces in a resealable plastic bag, so they don’t fall around or get lost.

This is honestly such a cheap and easy game to create that you don’t even have to keep the game for next year. Just make a new version every season!

More Winter Activities for Kids

• Winter iSpy for Kids (Free Printable)
• Salt Crystal Snowflakes
• Instant Ice Winter Experiment

Plus, make sure to check out these 15+ winter crafts for kids and these 25+ simple winter crafts and activities for preschoolers.