Snow Science

Looking for a way to beat the February blahs? Here are some great winter science projects to enjoy with your kids.

Study a snowflake under a magnifying glass. Here’s an activity that’s guaranteed to be a hit with kids of all ages, including the toddler crowd. Take a sheet of black construction paper and a magnifying glass outdoors during the next snowfall. Give the piece of paper a few minutes to cool off and then use it to catch some snowflakes. Then examine the snowflakes under your magnifying glass before they have a chance to melt. Your kids will be amazed to see how different each snowflake looks when you study it up close.

Make some snowflake fossils. This activity is a bit more involved than the previous one, but it will score lots of points with the budding Einsteins in your family. You’ll need a box with a lid (a shoebox is ideal) a can of Crystal Clear liquid plastic spray (available at craft supply stores), some glass microscope slides, and a microscope. Here’s what to do. Place the glass slides in the box with the lid and place it on your porch overnight. These items need to be cold in order to prevent the snowflakes from melting when they land. When you’re ready to start catching some snowflakes, spray a thin layer of Crystal Clear on the microscope slide. Then hold it out so that a few snowflakes can land on it. When you’re finished collecting snowflakes, but the slide back in the box and put the lid back on. Leave the box outside for a few hours so that the plastic has a chance to harden. When you bring the slide indoors later on, the snowflake itself will melt, but you will have captured its shape in the plastic. You can then study these “snowflake fossils” under the microscope.

Build a snow gauge. Here’s a fun way to measure how much snow falls overnight. Remove the label and the top half from a large, clear plastic pop bottle. Then turn the pop bottle into a snow gauge by drawing a scale (in inches or centimeters) up the side of the bottle using permanent marker. Place it in your yard and then check it in the morning to see how much snow fell overnight. Your kids might enjoy recording their findings in a snow log that they keep from year to year.

Create your own backyard glacier. Fill a large plastic pail with snow and then bring it indoors so that the snow has a chance to start melting. Then put it outside again. Add another layer of snow on top and then allow that layer to partially melt. You’ll soon end up with glacier-like layers of snow and ice.

Try some winter bubble fun. If your kids love blowing bubbles in the summer, they’ll have even more fun blowing bubbles when the temperature goes below zero. It’s possible to catch the bubbles on the bubble wand and watch them freeze.

Whip up some frozen surprises. Here’s a fun winter activity for the preschool set. Place some toys in a milk carton and fill the milk carton with water. Place it outside until it is frozen and then bring it back inside. Then peel off the carton and place the ice block in a large bowl. Your child will enjoy watching the toys reappear as the ice block melts.

Make a frozen rainbow. Here’s a variation on the previous activity. Instead of freezing toys in the carton, freeze layer upon layer of water that has been colored with food coloring. If you use enough colors, you’ll end up with a rainbow effect. Your kids will enjoy watching the rainbow melt before their eyes.