25 easy FAKE SNOW sensory bins & sensory play activities for kids this winter

Little kids love playing with snow and love, love, love sensory bins.  So when winter comes and you just don’t have the time or energy to bundle them up and play with the real white stuff, having some fake snow sensory bins up your sleeve is a must.

Fake snow makes for an ideal filler for a winter or Christmas sensory bin.  But it’s easy to make at home and is, err, fake so there’s no need to be limited by the season!

Use these fake snow sensory bins whenever your toddler or preschooler has the need to make a snowman, set up a wintery snow scene, Santas workshop or any of the other 101 dramatic play scenarios your child comes up with. Plenty of these fake snow sensory play ideas will be suitable for babies too.

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When should you start sensory bins & activities?

Sensory play for toddlers and preschoolers is imperative for child development, so the earlier you start sensory activities and bins the better. Infancy is a fine time to begin sensory play; toddlerhood is when you can begin to capitalize on your little ones growing curiosity and capabilities.

Sensory activities work on multiple areas, from fine motor skills, cognitive skills, e.g. problem-solving skills, cause and effect and observation skills.  They’re also good for social interaction and relationship building, as young children act out play scenarios or play with little friends.

A sensory play activity can be fancy and detailed, or it can be as simple as providing a soft, baby-safe mirror for them to touch and look at.  Providing new and interesting materials, such as fake snow, in a bin for your young child to play with provides another easy sensory activity.   

How do you make fake snow for a sensory table or bin?

There are many different recipes for fake snow, and a lot of them use materials you probably already have in your pantry or bathroom cabinet. Baking soda combined with shaving cream or white hair conditioner is a popular 2-ingredient fake snow recipe.  However there are plenty of other ways you can make fake snow, using flour, oil, salt, ice, coconut flour, polymer beads to name but a few.

Below you’ll find plenty of fake snow sensory bin ideas complete with the fake snow recipe. 

How long does fake snow last?

There are many fake snow recipes that can be played with over and over, and last for several months if stored correctly.  Normally that means removing any additions that have been added to the fake snow, such as toy characters and tools, and packing into an airtight container of some sort.

Of course, it will also depend on the ingredients used as well as how (and who!) it was played with.  To increase the lifespan of fake snow, ensure little hands are clean before playing with it to avoid contamination.

How do you make fake snow with two ingredients?

Some of the best pretend snow recipes have two ingredients.  By best, we’re talking fake snows that are close in texture, sponginess, consistency and moldability to real snow.

Popular 2-ingredient fake snow recipes use cornstarch, baking soda, shaving cream, hair conditioner, flour, oil, for example:

• Cornstarch & shaving cream
• Baking soda & shaving cream
• Conditioner & baking soda
• Conditioner & cornstarch
• Aloe vera gel & baking soda
• Flour & oil

Quantities of each are included in the “2-ingredient fake snow sensory bin ideas” below.

How to make fake snow without baking soda

Baking soda is often used in fake snow recipes but you can make it without as well.  A popular 2-ingredient fake snow without baking soda is cornstarch and shaving cream, but you can also make fake snow with salt and water or the polymer beads from a diaper, mixed with water.  Details below.

If your fake snow doesn’t need to resemble the real stuff that closely, i.e. it simply needs to be white and a little bit fluffy, try shaving cream, crushed ice, cooked or uncooked rice or even cotton balls.   Although not as realistic, in dramatic play, anything goes!  Young children have incredible imaginations so will be more than happy to pretend that cotton balls are snow balls.

Below you’ll find plenty of fake snow recipes without baking soda in the sensory play ideas below.

TWO-INGREDIENT fake snow sensory bins

If you want to make some fake snow close to the real thing in terms of sponginess and squishiness, with some ability to mold, two-ingredient fake snow recipes are the ones to try.  Here are few different ways you can make snow with just two-ingredients, most of which you’ll likely to have at home already.

For supplies and materials for these festive activities check out our recommended product list.

1. Cornstarch & shaving cream fake snow sensory bin

Mixed together in equal parts, cornstarch and the foamy pumped shaving cream makes for a cumbly soft fake snow. 

Rainy Day Mum adds miniature houses, stickers to act as stamps and a toy character as the postman to the fake snow base to create an adorable jolly postman sensory bin, which pairs with the Jolly Christmas Postman book. 

Toddlers and preschoolers alike will enjoy acting out the delivery of cards and holiday mail. My little ones are always fascinated by the postman – obviously at Christmas he, or she, has a very important role to play in ensuring those Christmas letters make it to Santa!

2. Baking soda & shaving cream fake snow sensory bin

For this fake snow sensory bin you need four pounds of baking soda with a half can of shaving cream. Freeze the baking soda for a few hours beforehand or overnight to make fake snow that’s ice-cold, just like the real thing!  That’ll also add to the experience of this fake snow sensory bin.    

Why not turn this into a literacy activity by adding clear glass pebbles with a letter written on each and creating a “Letters in the snow” sensory bin.  Your toddler will enjoy digging around the snow, finding the stones and exploring the different letters. Help them sound out each one out. 

Of course, they must just simply want to squish and mold that lovely fake snow!

3. Conditioner & baking soda snow sensory bin

This two-ingredient fake snow sensory bin uses 3 cups of baking soda and 0.5 cups of white conditioner to create a silky-soft snow that’ll smell good too. (Well, it’ll smell as good as your conditioner!)

However, the best part is that it’s ice cold when first made.  Mixing the baking soda and conditioner starts an endothermic reaction, cooling it right down.

In addition, this fake snow has a similar sponginess to the real thing.  My toddler and preschooler just loved this stuff, from squishing and squashing to squeezing and molding.  The scent adds another sensory dimension to this fake snow sensory play.

For a Christmas-themed sensory bin, add Christmas decorations and characters to the fake snow base.

4. Aloe & baking soda fake snow sensory bin

Try making pretend snow with a 1/2 cup of aloe vera gel and 2 1/2 cups of baking soda.

Happy Toddler Playtime used this fake snow recipe to create an arctic sensory bin, complete with ice pool (a blue bowl plastic bowl).  To this add arctic animal toys and character, such as TOOB brand animals, polar bear erasers, or arctic animal figurines and packing peanuts as big lumps of ice.

5. Conditioner & cornstarch fake snow sensory bin

Here’s another 2-ingredient fake snow recipe with conditioner, but this time it’s mixed with cornstarch.  Combine 2 cups of cornstarch with 0.5 cups of  conditioner.  Add toys and characters and let your toddlers get stuck in.

6. Flour & oil fake snow

For a simple, taste-safe 2-ingredient fake snow, mix flour and oil in a ratio of 8 to 1.  Any oil will do.  This mixture is often called moon sand, moon dust or cloud dough – of course, if you’re going to create a Christmas tree sensory bin as above, with it, well then it’s fake snow!

7. Yogurt & flour fake snow sensory play

Yogurt mixed with flour makes for a sticky white fake snow that’s not particularly close to the real stuff at all – it’s pretty wet and goey!  It’s certainly not a mess-free option but if you have a baby or toddler who loves messy sensory activities then why not. Just be prepared for a good clean up afterwards, or perhaps stick them straight in the bath.

The big benefit of sensory play with this fake snow is that it’s edible, ideal for babies and other little ones who put everything in their mouth.

8. Glitter & bubble foam fake snow sensory bin

Last but not least on the 2-ingredient fake snow list is this sparkly winter snow ensory bin.  So far, this is the least like real snow as it’s watery, rather than spongy.  But the sprinkle of glitter does add that bit of shimmer that you get on freshly fallen snow.  

For this foamy fake snow sensory play, simply whisk up equal parts water and bubble bath.  An electric whisk works best to create a really thick foam and is much quicker too.  My older love the prep of this sensory play activity too.  Playing with bubble foam is a great activity for preschoolers and toddlers for outdoors or inside and a favorite in our house.

For a winter, snowy sensory bin, add jingle bells and snowflakes, as pictured.    

Other easy fake snow sensory play ideas

Here are some more recipes for fake snow sensory bin fillers that use more than 2 ingredients.  In addition, there are some alternative ideas for fake snow sensory play.

For supplies and materials for these festive activities check out our recommended product list.

9. Cornstarch, flour, vegetable oil snow dough sensory bin 

Snow dough is fluffy, but also can be molded and shaped when desired, much like the real thing.  This snow dough recipe from Wildflower Ramblings is made from 3 cups corn starch, 3 cups flour and 0.5 cups vegetable oil.

Use the snow dough to create the arctic sensory bin pictured.  Add polar animals, white/blue gems or sequins and glitter to the fake snow base.  Then add in an empty tray to act as an icy cold pool of water or another arctic feature.   

Offer your child ice cube trays, in which they can pack the snow dough which will be just sticky enough to hold its shape and resemble ice blocks.  A fun and easy fake snow sensory bin that’ll keep your toddler lost in an arctic wonderland for hours!

10. Potato starch, flour and coconut oil snow dough sensory

For an alternative to the above try this snow dough recipe from Steam Powered Family.  Simply combine 0.5 cups potato starch and 0.5 cups flour, then add in 2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil for an incredible silky fake snow that’s taste-safe too.

Add in toys, mini Christmas trees, whatever else you desire to this easy fake snow sensory bin.

11. Fake snow sensory play with snowdough

Two Pink Peonies has their own take on snow dough, which is simply white playdough.  It’s made from cornstarch and baby oil in a ratio of 3 to 1.  

Unlike several play dough recipes, there’s no need to cook this. Simply mix the two together and you have yourself some lovely soft, pliable snow dough, perfect for fake snow sensory play of a different kind. 

It has a much firmer consistency than the previous too snow doughs so can easily be molded into larger 3D objects, like the snowman pictured.  Just add pipe cleaners and googly eyes.  You could also find a strip of fabric to use as a scarf.

12. Fluffy snow slime sensory

This fun fluffy snow slime introduces a different and exciting texture for your child to investigate. To create snow slime, use ½ cup Elmer’s White Glue, 2 cups of shaving cream, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, and a ½ teaspoon of saline solution/contact solution (with boric acid.)

Start by adding the glue to a bowl, and then add in the shaving cream. Then mix in the cornstarch, then finally add the contact solution. The snow slime will feel less sticky the more contact solution that is added.

You can use this snow slime however you wish. Put it in a sensory bin with arctic animals or add it to a reusable plastic bag for a mess-free option.

Easy 1-INGREDIENT fake snow sensory play ideas

Here are some more options for fake snow sensory bins and activities.  These are less realistic in texture and consistency but provide an alternative sensory experience that your baby, toddler or preschooler is sure to enjoy.

For supplies and materials for these festive activities check out our recommended product list.

13. Crushed ice as fake snow

Whizz up ice cubes in the blender into it’s blitzed into ice crystals.  It’ll look like a slushy.  Then simply tip into a bin for your little one to explore.  Add scoops, shovels and how about some mini dump trucks?  They’re sure to enjoy shovelling, scooping and transporting the snow around the bin.

14. Baking soda (+ water) fake snow sensory play

The most popular fake snow recipes use baking soda with conditioner or shaving cream.  But you can also make a fake snow sensory bin with baking soda alone, simply by adding water.  

Start by storing your baking soda in the freezer for several hours.  At the same time, put some water in the fridge with ice cubes added, so that’s icey cold.  When you’re ready to start, add the ice-cold water to the baking soda, little by little until you have a snowy texture. 

You’ll need around 4 tablespoons of water 2 cups of baking soda but it depends on the consistency you want.  For a more moldable fake snow, add a little more water.  Alternatively, add less water for a lighter, fluffier texture, more like freshly lain powdery snow.

15. Shaving cream sensory play

Shaving cream right out the can makes for a great sensory play whatever the season, so it’s ideal for a fake snow sensory bin.  Add in some ice cubes for a contrasting texture and temperature.  They’ll cool the shaving cream down and add an extra dimension to the play. 

You could also freeze colored water in ice cube trays, (dye the water with water colors or tempera paint).  As the colored ice blocks melt, the colors will mix into the shaving cream which toddlers and preschoolers ar sure to enjoy.  Check out Learn Play Imagine’s frozen shaving cream sensory play to see how this turned out.

16. Salt (+ water) fake snow sensory bin

To make salt into something that resembles snow, the method is similar to the one above for baking soda.  Add ice-cold water slowly and in very tiny quantities.  Stir the salt as you add in the water.  Use just enough to create a fluffy texture similar to snow.  Too much water and the sale will simply dissolve, so go slow and steady.