Complete this step by step snowman drawing art activity with a classroom. Teachers can help their students learn to draw and paint.

Today I am sharing a “Winter Friend” snowman drawing art activity that I completed a few years ago with my first-grade classroom. If you know me and my blog, you know how much I LOVE directed drawings because students feel incredibly successful, and the results are simply precious!

The Most Adorable Snowman Directed Drawing Activity

This directed drawing can be adapted for any primary classroom or completed at home with a few simple materials. You will need white art paper, pencils, erasers, fine black markers or Sharpie pens, and watercolor paints. I recommend proper paper meant for art because it can handle the water and paint and shouldn’t tear the paper if used properly.

You’ll see in the images that I am standing front and center and using my large easel and chart paper to draw on. My students are sitting at their desks with their supplies. I take things slow and draw each step and give each instruction one at a time. I make sure to give my students plenty of time to follow along and ask questions. You will have the most success if you model the lesson this way and take your time.

How to Make a Snowman Drawing with Students

Occasionally you’ll have some students who overuse their erasers. They may be tiny perfectionists that want their snowman to look exactly like yours or are never happy with their efforts. Make sure to give plenty of encouragement along the way! We will often pause and take a look at our group’s drawings to give compliments and encourage one another.

I usually complete the activity over two days or periods. On day one, we complete the drawing and the tracing with a black marker. One day two we paint. If your class hasn’t used watercolor paints before, you should demonstrate how to make proper brush strokes with a paintbrush and the water to paint ratio. I usually use larger paintbrushes instead of the small ones that are typically included with watercolor paint sets.

These snowmen pop out because of the brightly painted backgrounds. I instruct my students not to use dark colors, like black or brown, but to use brighter colors, such as red, yellow, or light blue. After they paint the backgrounds, they paint the details they’ve drawn for their snowman. The details should be different colors from the background; otherwise, they disappear and don’t stand out.

Once everyone completes their “Winter Friend” snowman drawing art activity, they place them somewhere to dry completely. Don’t make the mistake to hang them or put them upright. Paint and water would drip down onto the snowman.

Each snowman looks unique in its way. Each child followed the same instructions, yet they were able to add their special touches to make theirs different from the rest.

You can create a colorful bulletin board display with your “Winter Friends!” I cut large pieces of cardstock in a variety of bright colors to create a frame for each snowman. Each piece is cut large enough to leave a 1″ border around the outside. I added punch letters by Creative Teaching Press to create a title for the board.

Directed Drawing Resources for this Snowman Drawing

FREE Printable Instructions

You can download and print the instructions to use in your classroom during your art lesson by clicking the image below!

Directed Drawing Mats

Add directed drawings to your weekly lesson plans to help children follow directions and build drawing skills. There five different directed drawings included each month of Drawing Mats.

Watch this video to see Drawing Mats in action!

Are you looking for more directed drawing activities?

The ultimate guide to teaching directed drawing in the classroom. Directed drawing art activities help kids produce masterpieces and build confidence. This guide provides a listing of directed drawing resources, suggested materials, and FREE step by step tutorials. Click HERE to check it out!

FREE Winter Snowman Poem & Activities

You can grab my poem called “My Winter Friend” and six differentiated activities to go with the drawing for FREE! Click the image below to download.

More FUN Directed Drawing Activities

Frankenstein Drawing

How to Draw a Groundhog

How to Draw an Easter Bunny

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