There is something magical about the way snow transforms the dull browns of winter into a frosty fairyland. But winter can be very different for other parts of the country! Some may be wearing shorts and T-shirts and looking at blue skies. Others may be experiencing a steamy, damp day.
Some children have never seen snow. So does it make sense to carry out experiences related to snow? Each child care provider should make a decision based on what she knows about the children in her care. In general, children are interested in learning about snow, even when they live in warmer parts of the country. They typically have seen snow on television and in movies, and have often read books about snowy places. They are curious to learn more. So if your children are interested in snow and no snow is available, what do you do? Here are a few ways to incorporate snow activities:
USE Shaved Ice
Fill a water table or plastic tub with shaved ice. Provide mittens and let the children explore. Talk about how cold the ice feels. You may also want to offer small plastic shovels for digging.
Use Artificial Snow
SnoWonder® is a nontoxic polymer that looks and feels a lot like snow!
Read Books about Snow
Visit the library and check out a few books about snow. (Always preview books to decide which are appropriate for your group.)
- The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
- Snowballs by Lois Ehlert
- Biscuit’s Snowy Day by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
- The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
- Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner
Have a Snowball Fight
Crush sheets of white paper and invite the children to toss them at each other for a pretend snowball fight. They can also pile up the crushed paper to make mounds of pretend snow.
Build Snowmen
Stuff different sizes of white garbage bags with newspaper or similar materials and tie them off. The children can stack them to create pretend snowmen. They can cut construction paper to make shapes to glue on for faces and buttons. You can even offer hats and scarves. (Note: Be sure to supervise to be sure the children use the materials safely. Empty plastic bags are a suffocation danger.)
Watch Snow
Children may enjoy watching videos of snow falling. You can find many available online, here is one to consider. Just be sure to screen the videos before sharing to be sure they are appropriate for your group.
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