A snowball fight is a physical game in which snowballs are thrown with the intention of hitting somebody else. The game is similar to dodgeball in its major factors, though typically less organized. This activity is primarily played during months when there is sufficient snowfall.

Snowball fights have occurred since the dawn of civilization, in the oldest human populations where snow was available.

Today, the activity is notable for its prominence in the western world. Modern snowball fights tend to have very loose official regulation or constant properties, and so can only loosely be referred to as games. However, a common snowball fight played for fun will often have the following characteristics:

There is crude formation of "teams", usually two groups of opponents throwing at each other. Snowballs are usually not thrown at the face, but rather at the body.

Those in a fight often do not behave malevolently; a target is usually not viciously assaulted by snowballs.

There is minimal physical contact, aside from perhaps wrestling.

In contrast to other forms of fighting, there is usually no intention of bodily harm.

Construction and use of snow forts is permitted.

Ice balls being made from hard ice rather than soft snow, or the insertion of hard objects such as rocks into snowballs, are considered poor sportsmanship as they can cause an injury.

Although particularly heated battles may devolve into whitewashing, or rubbing snow directly into an opponent's face, this is widely frowned upon for more casual affairs like throwing snowballs.