What Do Homeschoolers Do on a Snow Day?

We’ve had some pretty heavy snowfall around here this weekend — at least for our area. Since some of you are also “snowed in,” I thought I’d share some ideas for taking advantage of the snow for learning, fun, and “together” time.

On a Snow Day, Homeschoolers Read!

Don’t we always? Here are a few classic children’s books about snow:

I need to brush up on my children’s literature, because The Snowy Day is the only one of the three I’ve read. Katy and the Big Snow is from the same author (and series) as Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, which some of you may be more familiar with. White Snow, Bright Snow is a Caldecott Medal winner.

On a Snow Day, Homeschoolers Eat

There are some foods that can only be enjoyed when there’s snow on the ground. Snow cream is perhaps the most obvious. You can make it the traditional way, or try my recipe for a healthier (but just as delicious) twist.

Another option is maple candy. This is made by boiling maple syrup, then pouring it onto the snow to harden it. (If you’re looking for a literature tie-in, this candy is made in Little House in the Big Woods!)

On a Snow Day, Homeschoolers Study Science

There are so many experiments you can do with the snow! Check out some of these:

On a Snow Day, Homeschoolers Study Math

Math is probably not the first thing you think of when you think of snow (unless it’s measuring the depth!) But you might be surprised.

The weight and volume experiments in the previous section are a math/science overlap. Here are some more projects that involve measuring snow’s volume (also be sure to measure by depth near the beginning!), as well as measuring hail. (I hope you don’t actually have hail, but you can talk about it.)

Snowflakes display the Golden Ratio. Here’s a slide show that talks about the Golden Ratio. Its reference to snowflakes is brief, but snowflakes are included. (Maybe you can make a Golden Ratio gauge and play around with measuring some blown-up images of snowflakes?) This subject is also a fun one to look up on YouTube, but be aware you may find some from “strange” religious perspectives.

On a Snow Day, Homeschoolers Create Art

Obviously, snow angel-making and snowman-building are options. (That is, if the snow is the “packable” variety. If you want to add some more science to the mix, you can check out this diagram about various snow crystal formations and discuss whether the differences in the crystals make a difference in how packable your snow is. Note: I found the image on a blog somewhere, where it was credited to CalTech. I cannot find the original source, though, so I’ve linked to the largest version I could find on a “safe” site, which happens to be a Twitter post.)

If you’re tired of snowmen, why not try some abstract art?

Check out instructions at the Artful-Kids blog for making this gorgeous ice art!

Paint the snow (either outside, or inside in dishpans) with colored water. Paintbrushes or spray bottles — either one works.

Or add the food coloring to the snow itself, and paint with the snow.

Paper snowflakes are always fun, once you’re ready to come inside and get warm. These name snowflakes make an interesting twist. (This would be a good time to talk about how many “sides” snowflakes have, and whether our paper flakes are mathematically accurate or not.)

Making a Snowman

KOVOT Build a Snowman Decorating Kit – 13 Pieces Included!

A friend’s recent experience helped me realize that not everyone knows how to make a snowman. This makes sense, since not everyone grew up with snow! If the snow is too powdery, it may not “pack” well — that is, it won’t hold together; it will just crumble apart. But if it is packable, the process is pretty simple.

Scoop up a nice big handful of snow (in gloved hands, please — no bare skin!). Using both hands, pack it together to form a ball. It doesn’t have to be perfect; a rough ball shape will do, but do form it into a roughly spherical shape as you pack it. If you want, you can add a couple more handfuls to the outside and pack them on, too, to make the ball a little larger to work with.

Then place the ball on the ground and begin to roll it across the snow. It should pick up snow as it rolls, increasing the size. Roll in a couple directions as needed, so your ball grows fairly evenly. You may need to periodically stop and use your hands to pack the snow on more tightly. When it’s reached the size you want, get it where you want. Then roll another, slightly smaller ball, lift it, and place it atop the first. (It might take a little “fiddling” to get it to stay put. You can also “glue” it on by packing some handfuls of snow on along the seam if you need to.) Then add a third, even smaller, ball.

Now you have a snowman form you can decorate as you like!

On a Snow Day, the Preschoolers Aren’t Left Out!

Of course the preschoolers can participate in many of the activities already mentioned, but some of the experiments may be over their heads, so here are a few projects especially for the little ones.