My daughter has always been obsessed with snow. Before there was Frozen, all she wanted to do was go sledding and build a snowman. So, it didn’t come as a surprise when she asked me how to make fake snow, which ties into what I do for a living.
My job as a weather anchor involves informing viewers about outdoor conditions. But every once in a while I get questions about various weather phenomenon. I find that kids are the most curious, and while weather events can be hard to explain, I keep it simple enough for my four-year-old to understand.
“Think of when mommy makes tea. What happens when the kettle starts to whistle?” I asked.
“Smoke comes out,” she responded.
“It looks like smoke. But it’s steam like when we take a hot shower. It’s called water vapor” I replied.
“When the water vapor freezes, it becomes a snowflake. Each snowflake is made up of hundreds of ice crystals. This is what happens way up in the clouds where the temperature is much colder than it is down here. All the snowflakes gather in the clouds and when it becomes too heavy, they fall to the ground,” I explain.
Our chat is accompanied by a demonstration. Using the kettle analogy and placing some of her toys in a bag and showing how everything falls out once it becomes full helped her understand the process. But the fun doesn’t stop there. Once we completed our lesson, we made fake snow. I find that we all learn best when we engage in our senses, and this project allows Princess to so just that.
For those of you who would like to try this fun activity with your kids, all you have to do is mix 500g of bicarbonate soda and a can of shaving cream. You can also mix baking soda with baby shampoo until you get the consistency you want. Making fake snow is a great activity for kids to enjoy all year round.
Here’s a quick video of Princess demonstrating how to make fake snow. Please don’t forget to give her a thumbs up and subscribe to our channel.
Have you ever made fake snow? What kinds of sensory activities does you kids enjoy?