Gone Snow Mobile-ing!

I have low tolerance for people who whine, but right now I am going to do exactly that!
Where's our snow? Where's the foot-deep-perfectly-packed-dazzling-white-glistening blanket that's absolutely free but yields hours of snowman-building, ball-throwing, and fort-making fun with the grandkids? The few Christmas inches we had have melted away in an early thaw. The only way we're going to capture the twirling-whirliness of a snowflake cascade is if we gather up our scissors, paper, and glue and go "snow mobile-ing" on our own!

Once in awhile I think I may have done something right as a grandma. A few of my friends struggle with the "monsters" they have created in grandchildren who greet them at the door demanding, "Grandma, what did you bring us?" Yikes. In contrast, my own polite grandsons only want to know what we are going make when I come to spend the day with them! (Yeah, okay, full disclosure...mommy has invested considerable time instructing them not to snuggle up in my lap with a toy catalog, pointing at things and asking, "Grandma, can you buy me that?")
 not that this has ever actually happened or anything, of course.......!

Last week, this "perfect" grandma went "snow-mobile-ing" to their house and delivered radiant smiles, a pizza-eating snowman and the splendor of winter on a dreary, flakeless day!

Crafting with kids means you have to plan ahead. Lots can happen to an unattended glue pot and a jumbo sized bottle of green glitter (don't ask! ever!) if you turn your back for a sec to mix paint or cut the 1" and 4" and 6" shapes we need to make our snow-mobile.

Pre-cut 4" white paper circles, folded twice, became our snowflakes. My little artists love scissors, but they did struggle a bit with the triangle shaped cuts needed for an attractive pattern. I supplied those as requested, but they snipped off the center points and fringed the edges. Most of the fun came from paper-punching holes into the flakes and opening them.

Our snowmen began with 6" white shapes, glue sticks, and an assortment of 1" circles in black for classic teeth, and more bright, happy colors for eyes, buttons and "chicken pox!" I also laid out a handful of hats, scarves, and some orange triangles for noses. What a surprise when Sae plastered a second one of those on the face of his little guy. "He's eating PIZZA!" he shouted with joy, and my initial chagrin that this kid might not know that "real" snowmen only have one nose turned to delight when I realized how much spontaneous creativity is expressed when an ordinary basic shape doesn't just serve the most obvious purpose to an observant and uninhibited 4 year old!

Paper punches are what made this project so easy and fun. The boys loved using them to make extra stars and flowers.








What are YOU staring at? Never seen a snowman with chicken pox before?

Finishing touches: 2 foam board strips, each 2" x 20" to make the crossbar hanger. Intersect them at center and glue to hold. Cut random lengths of curling ribbon to tie to punched holes at the top of snowmen and snowflakes and then hang them by tying to the crossbar. Snowmen go in the center. Balance the mobile with equal weight from smaller shapes on the four arms.

But something was missing! Cardinals! There are lots of them around here, frequenting the bird feeders we generously host. I made a paper set of three in vivid red and they flutter about too, admiring the handsome work of our little boys.




Ahhh....winter! Here at last!