Snow and winter cold temperatures provide a unique opportunity for children to gain gross motor activity, experience new textures, and have fun. Below are a few ideas!
Forest Creation
Collect items from outside (e.g. pine boughs, pinecones, cedar branches, sticks) from the ground. Place the collected items in various containers filling each part way with water. May add food coloring. To tie the ice creation outside in a tree, place a piece of twine in the container leaving a large portion outside of the ice. Place the container outside or in the freezer. Once frozen, remove from the container and use the twine to hang from branches.
Frozen Ice Balloons
Fill a balloon with water and add 4 drops of food coloring. Leave some air in balloon so it has room to expand. Freeze outside or in the freezer. Once frozen, slit the balloon and leave outside for a pretty decoration. You may also use containers instead of balloons.
Tips: Placing the balloon in a container or in the snow will insulate the balloons causing them not to freeze. So don't place the balloons directly in the snow or in a container.
Choking Hazard: Carefully dispose of the balloon pieces.
Frozen Ice Hands
Using the same idea as above, fill vinyl gloves with water and food coloring.
Snow Paint
Place water and food coloring in a bottle to spray or squeeze on the snow. Read more...
Play in the Snow
Yes, it will be cold. Yes, it will create more laundry, but there is great fun to be have! Sled. Make a snowman, snow angels, or a fort.
How Fast Will It Freeze?
When the temperature dip below freezing, we saturate t-shirts, towels, or other fabric items to hang outside. Then we watch to see how fast each item freezes. The kids love it and don't even realize they are learning about science!
Play Roll-a-Snowman
Roll-a-Picture are fun games to incorporate fine motor skills, visual perception skills, taking turns, and family time! Think Cootie with a pencil. Perfect for the cold weather, enjoy the snowman version of this game.
I had heard about it, but never experienced it until our last snow storm. One bite was not enough! Snow ice cream is our new family tradition. When you find out how easy it is, you will add it to your snow activities as well!
Paper Snowflakes
Make paper snowflakes and enjoy a lesson on how God made us unique, just like each snowflake is unique. Discover more...
Add to the snowflakes the verse Psalm 51:7b, " wash me, and I will be whiter than snow."
Rescue Toys
Obstacle Course
Children love obstacle courses. They have so much fun doing it that they didn't realize they were getting exercise and learning. An added plus is that this activity can be done inside on a rainy day and with more than one children at a time. Learn more...
Play with Snow Inside
Fill a large container with snow and bring it inside for fun play without the cold. Shallow storage containers provide a wide play area and easy access for little bodies. For older kids, place the snow in the bathtub allowing the melted snow to run off. Have fun building roads for cars and igloos for toys animals.
Bake
Enjoy making some letter sugar cookies, Kiss Cookies, make bread in a bag, or other kid-friendly recipes.
Imagination Play
Set up a tent or blankets over a table to create an igloo. If appropriate, play with snow in a container in the igloo.
Read Fun Winter and Snow-Filled Books
There is never a better time to read fun books about winter and snow than when it is cold out. You will love the teachable moments and the child will love the connections.
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