Snow
Wonders
By Sandy Fleming
In the fuss and worry
about driving and shoveling, we adults tend to forget just how fascinating the fluffy white stuff can be to
young people. Next time it snows in your area, take a few minutes
to enjoy this miracle of creation with your children. The exact
activities will vary according to the age of the children involved,
but try a few of these ideas to explore snow in all its glory.
Very young children are often experiencing
snow for the very first time! Even if your child is past his
or her first winter,
young children's memories are hazy at best. Talk with your child
and provide special words for what he sees and feels, such as "crunchy," "slippery," "frosty," and "slushy." Older
kids will enjoy exploring new words such as "hoary" and "crystalline." This
vocabulary-stretching will also give your students a head start
when they begin to study literature and poetry in the upper grades.
What kind of word picture can your son or daughter make about
this snowy day? Encourage her to use words that appeal strongly
to the senses!
Tracks are a natural study
on snowy days. Look for animal tracks, people tracks and vehicle
tracks. Try this game: While players
are not watching, the leader makes unusual marks in the snow with sticks,
rocks, or other devices. Players try to guess how the tracks
were made. These simple activities help your children understand
cause and effect, and encourage logic and reasoning.
Your young scientists
can explore snow's physical properties. Catch snowflakes
on a black piece of paper and check them out up close and personal with a magnifying glass. Have your child describe what
he sees: Is the flake thin, hexagonal, pointed, round, or...?
Older children can create diagrams of different types of flakes.
Does your scientist notice any categories of shapes? What happens
to snowballs that are put in a container in the freezer? The
refrigerator? How is snow similar to ice? How is it different?
Why does it take longer for piles of snow to melt than thin layers?
The questions are as endless as your child's curiosity, and all
that separates another annoying question from a science experiment
is your attitude. This is a great chance to use reference books
to find out the "hows" and "whys."
How about a snow-sculpture contest? Traditional
snowmen are nice, but can anyone build a snow cow? How about
a snow rabbit?
One caution, however: Older children and great packing snow can
create a dangerous situation. Be aware of what the young architects
are up to, and supervise tunnels, tall walls and roofs to be
sure your children are safe from cave-ins. Or, try playing "Fox
and Geese." This tag-like game is best played when the snow
is deep enough to make paths. Tramp out a large circle, and make
several spokes that meet in the middle at a hub. Choose one player
to be the fox. The fox tries to catch a goose and the first goose
caught becomes the next fox. Players must stay on the paths!
If a goose steps out of bounds, that player becomes the fox.
If the fox steps out, that player must catch two geese to be
done being the fox. The hub area in the center of the circle
is safe for up to two geese at one time. For indoor fun, make
paper snowflakes. Young artists will enjoy folding paper into
quarters and cutting holes along the folded edges. Older children
who want a more elaborate and realistic creation can try their
hand at this more complex method:
1. Fold 8 x 11 white paper in half, then in half again so it
looks like a book.
2. Find the corner where
all the folds come together. Put that on the
bottom left. Bring the bottom right corner of the paper so it
folds
about 1/3 of the way to the opposite corner. You will have a
triangle in the bottom right of the paper now. The bottom left
corner should stay the same.
3. Fold the left side
of the paper until it meets the fold you made in
#2. Crease everything firmly!!
4. Cut the top (open edges)
off at an angle, or round it off. Cut
notches and shapes out of the snowflake. The bigger the holes,
the lacier the finished flake will be.
Another snowy art project
is to use white soap flakes mixed with enough
water to make a paste on black or dark blue paper to create a
snowy scene. It makes a nice textured creation.
If your family is looking for books about snow, check these
titles: Snow by Thelma Bell; A Walk in the Snow by Phyllis S.
Busch; Snow is Falling by Franklyn M. Branley; and The Snowy
Day by Ezra Jack Keats. Your librarian will have other suggestions
as well. Have a cup of hot chocolate and snuggle up with a good
book!!
Sandy Fleming
is an educator, author and workshop facilitator. She resides
in southern Michigan with her husband and three daughters.
Sandy leads workshops for daycare providers and parents
in the region, tutors students, volunteers for Girl Scouts
and her church, and teaches online classes for adults and
children. She loves to make new friends, so please drop
her an e-mail at kids@busyparentsonline.com
