Popsicle Snowflake Art Project

The branches. The lights. The ornaments. Christmas is such a magical time, and what fun it is to bring our children

 into the fun by having them create one-of-a-kind homemade ornaments! I love to wake up early in the morning, pour a cup of my favorite holiday coffee, and sit and stare at our lit up Christmas tree and all its lovely ornaments. I treasure the precious homemade ones the most, I think.

These popsicle stick snowflakes are one of my 

all-time favorites. I think we made them every year when the kids were between the ages of 4-8. Depending on the types of beads you find and use, they come out differently each time! Sometimes we used my vintage beads…yes, my mom is awesome and saved the beads I had when I was a kid. I have also found a variety of beads at the local dollar store. I’m sure you’ll be able to find just the right ones for your masterpieces!

 If you want to change it up a little you can use sequins instead of beads. You can also paint the popsicle sticks before gluing them together for a different look. A third idea is to use beans instead of beads for a more natural look. So many options. 

Not only are these snowflakes beautiful, but there are infinite educational and developmental benefits as well. This project requires very fine motor skills. Picking up beads is a very common exercise for developing the hand, wrist, and forearm muscles needed for all fine motor skill tasks. The hand-eye coordination and proprioception used when placing the beads into the glue drops on the popsicle sticks is a secondary element that gets practiced in this project. Additionally, kids can practice pattern skills, color matching, and shape identification of the beads. 

What you’ll need:

• glue (liquid white or clear work the best)
• 4 popsicle sticks per snowflake 
• an assortment of small, light-catching multicolored beads
• a bit of ribbon or yarn (optional)

Mom Tip: If you’re like me and don’t want the beads to roll onto the floor, I suggest placing them into an empty pie tin for containment purposes. 

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