DIY Melted Snowman Goo for Sensory Play

If you love winter and snowmen, you’ll love this fun melted snowman goo activity perfect for preschoolers, toddlers, and kindergarten kiddos. Let the kids play in the melted snowman goo and have a fun, hands-on sensory experience they will remember all winter long. Goop is a great way to explore the science of states of matter and the kids will love the liquid/solid feel as they explore and play with their snowman.

Recommended Grade Level:

Preschool

Kindergarten

Supply List
Coordinating Activities

Materials for Melted Snowman Goo Sensory Activity:

Cornstarch
Googly Eyes
Pony Beads
Button
Small Sticks

square image of winter scavenger hunt with pictures of winter objects

image of an i spy 'flip' game board with a winter theme and playing cards featuring winter images.

This activity works best either with one large tray for all the kids to play in together, or with individual trays for each child. This activity is quite messy, so make sure the children are properly monitored while doing this activity or you will have snowman goo everywhere. Luckily, the cornstarch mixture cleans up easily and will not damage clothing.

Sprinkle a layer of corn starch onto the bottom of the tray. Add just enough water to make a non-Newtonian fluid, so that when you try to pick it up, the mixture freezes and hardens, but when you relax your hand, the mixture slides off your fingers like goo. There is a happy goo spot that you will find by playing around a little bit with it. The humidity of the room and time of year can also affect how much water to use, so you will need to experiment a little to get the right consistency.

Once the goo is made, sprinkle the top with snowman parts. We used beads for a mouth, buttons, sticks, googly eyes, and a felt nose.

Observe how the kids play with the goo. Some will make snowman faces and bodies, while others will be more interested in playing with the goo. Either way, kids will have a blast playing in the melted snowman goo. The activity makes a wonderful sensory activity for a winter afternoon when it’s too cold to go outside, or when you want another hands-on activity for winter to try.