Snow was a big inspiration for many of our lessons in January! Today, we’re sharing two simple and fun snow-themed STEAM activities you can do at home with your budding scientist. These are perfect for a snow day, or any day when you want to bring winter indoors!
Of course, it’s always best to pair your project with a good book. This month’s recommendation is Snowballs, by Lois Ehlert.
In this story, a young child waits for a “perfect snowball day” with a bag of saved treasures like nuts, seeds, popcorn, bottle caps, fabric, and buttons. When the snow falls, the child’s family builds a whole family of snow people! As the sun comes out, the snow family melts, each turning into a different form of slush or a puddle.
After enjoying a book together, it’s time for a little snow science… Try these two easy experiments for some fascinating winter fun!
Baking Soda Snow
Mix one cup of baking soda with 2 cups of shaving cream to create moldable snow dough. Challenge your child to build different figures and shapes out of the snow. When you’re done building, add vinegar to the mix and watch for the fizzy chemical reaction!
Melting and Freezing
Bring some snow indoors (or use ice cubes). Place the snow/ice in different locations around your home – a sunny windowsill, a shaded area, the freezer, etc. (Note: make sure it is placed on or in something water-safe). Have your child predict, observe, and record how long it will take for the snow/ice to turn into water at each location.
Some helpful tips: If you are doing this experiment with a younger child, give him/her different lengths of time to choose from when making a prediction about how long it will take the snow to melt (time can be a difficult concept for littles to grasp). You can also ask whether he/she things the snow will still feel cold after it has melted. Come up with your own questions or ask your child to think of more predictions and observations!
As always, be as creative as you want, and have lots of fun learning together!