Several incorrect solutions are presented in the game that lead to failure. These include: attempting to melt snow with the sun (leaves ground slippery, woman falls), using a dog to dig, using salt from the kitchen, having children play in the snow (only partially clears path), using a manual shovel (too tiring for the woman), and using the snowplow from the garage (it breaks down).
The key is to find the hidden tool (gas can) and use it to upgrade another item (snowman's toy gun) to solve the puzzle. Avoid obvious solutions that are presented as traps.