Do You Wanna Build a Snowman? An Interactive Activity to Celebrate Winter!

Hello everyone! It has officially snowed here in the Midwest and the temperatures are becoming colder and colder! One of the best things about living in the Midwest is that we experience all the seasons which gives us the opportunity to use them as themes for our students in school! We decided to build a snowman with our students and it was a huge hit! This intervention works on turn taking, direction following, body identification, and sequencing. It is to the tune of “Do You Know the Muffin Man?” and visuals are pretty easy to either find online or even make yourself. Read below for step by step instructions.

Materials

• cardstock paper – white, black, brown, and orange for sure. Feel free to use any color for the scarf
• scissors
• pencil/pen
• laminating machine
• laminating pouches
• Velcro sticky back strips

Directions

1. Either print or create your snowman, top-hat, scarf, carrot nose, and hand sticks
2. Cut out each visual and laminate
3. Once laminated, place the Velcro sticky backs where each visual will go

Intervention Directions

1. Show students the bare snowman and tell them that it’s time to build our snowman!
2. Pass out one part of the snowman to each student (scarf, hat, nose, etc.)
3. Once every student has a visual, have everyone tap their knees
4. Sing, “Do you know the snowman, the snowman, the snowman, do you know the snowman, who wears a hat?”
5. Ask the students who has the hat and have that student place it on the snowman
6. Sing, “Yes, I know the snowman, the snowman, the snowman, yes, I know the snowman who wears a hat”
7. Review with the students that the snowman has a hat and say, “Let’s see what’s next, tap your knees!”
8. Repeat steps 4-7 until the whole snowman has been put together
9. Review with the students all the parts that have been put on the snowman

Lyrics

Do you know the snowman, the snowman, the snowman

Do you know the snowman, who wears a (hat)?

Yes, I know the snowman, the snowman, the snowman

Yes, I know the snowman, who wears a (hat)

Other verses:

– who wears a scarf

– who has stick hands

– who wears a carrot nose

– who wears a smile

Our students loved this intervention, we hope you enjoy it as well! Do you know of any other snowman activities for this winter? If so, let us know! Thanks for reading and stay warm!

Alannah Forstner, Toneworks Music Therapy Intern