5 Little Snowmen

📝 This post, 5 Little Snowmen, was originally published in 2012 and has been updated with new information and resources.

“When is it going to snow? When is it going to snow?” My eldest asked repeatedly, day after day. We are big snow fans in our family. I grew up in the Midwest and have such wonderful memories of waking up to inches and inches of snow. I remember bundling up, putting plastic bags in my boots (to keep my feet dry), and barreling out to the yard to play in the snow with friends. Now living in the Pacific Northwest, however, snow is not nearly as frequent nor as heavy, so any snowfall here is extra exciting, and my boys love, love, love it! Since we don’t get snow here every year, I decided to bring some snow fun into our home to enjoy rain, shine, or SNOW!

We settled on the fingerplay 5 Little Snowmen, and it quickly became a favorite. We actually tried two different versions of the rhyme (you can find both below), but the second one was the clear winner at our house!

Why Fingerplays Are So Good for Little Kids

If you have never tried fingerplays with your kids, you are missing out! These short rhymes with hand motions are such a simple way to sneak in some learning.

✔️ They help with reading skills — all that rhyming and repetition builds the foundation kids need before they start reading.
✔️ They are great for little hands — the finger movements help build the fine motor skills kids need for things like writing and using scissors.
✔️ They help with counting — most fingerplays count up or down, which is perfect for practicing number sense in a fun way.
✔️ They keep kids engaged — perfect for wiggly kids or those moments when you need a quick activity with zero prep.
✔️ They are just plain fun — and a great way to connect with your kids or students!

Best of all, fingerplays are simple to set up and so much fun to do together. The snowman fingerplays below even come with an easy craft to go along with them!

5 Little Snowmen Craft

We had so much fun dressing these snowmen up with scarves, hats, and buttons. We even added carrot noses that actually stick out! My boys thought that was the coolest part! There is no right or wrong way to create your snowmen- or women- just be creative and have fun!

Materials Needed
✔️white construction paper plus other colors
✔️ glue
✔️scissors

How to Make Your Snowmen
☃️ Cut out 5 circles for the bottom of the snowman
☃️ Cut out 5 circles that are a bit smaller for the top of the snowman
☃️ Create a hat, scarf, and/or buttons and add them to your snowmen
☃️Add eyes- we just used a marker
☃️ Add a carrot nose- cut out a long triangle, bend it on the flat side, and glue it onto your snowmen

5 Little Snowmen Rhymes

5 Little Snowmen
Five little snowmen standing in a row,
Standing straight and tall in the deep, cold snow.
Out came the sun, shining bright and hot all day,
And one little snowman melted away.
(Repeat with 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0.)

5 Little Snowmen
5 little snowmen sitting on the ground
The first one said, “Oh my! Aren’t we round!”
The second one said, “There are snowflakes in the air.”
The third one said, “But we don’t care.”
The fourth one said, “Let’s run and run and run.”
The fifth one said, “I’m ready for some winter fun.”
Wooooo went the wind, and out came the sun,
and the five little snowmen knew their fun was done.

How to Use Your 5 Little Snowmen

Once your snowmen are made, the fun really begins! Here are a few ways to bring the rhyme to life:

✔️ Act it out — Hold up each snowman as you say the rhyme, removing one snowman at a time as the rhyme counts down.
✔️ Tape them up — Stick your snowmen to a wall, door, or window and act out the rhyme as you remove each one.
✔️ Finger puppets — Tape each snowman to a craft stick or your child’s finger for an interactive retelling.
✔️ Practice counting backward — Use the snowmen to count down from 5 to 0 before or after reciting the rhyme.
✔️ Practice rhyming words — Have your child listen for the rhyming words in each version (fun/sun, row/snow) and see if they can spot them!
✔️ Create a Scene— Make a simple snowy background and use it while acting out the rhyme.
✔️ Create Your Own — Use the snowmen to make up your own rhyme or story. Dictate it to a grown-up to use again!

My boys loved making these little snowmen almost as much as they loved acting out the rhyme! Every snowman ended up with its own personality!

Whether you use these snowman fingerplays at home or in the classroom, I hope they bring some snowy fun to your little learners!