There is a reason school kids pray for snow days. Not only do they get to skip out on worksheets, but they also get to go outside and handle some of nature’s funnest fluffy stuff.
And those powdery flakes aren’t just fun, they can be educational as well.
Build Snow Caves and Forts
If you’ve got enough snow, go for the grand challenge of building a snow fort or cave. You can demonstrate survival as well as construction skills by helping your kids dig their very own snow cave. Enviro-Tech has a great article that demonstrates the technique.
You may not make the masterpiece that Ray Mears on Extreme Survival does, but with a decent snowdrift you can make something big enough to fit the kids. I remember digging tunnels and caves for hours as a child, pretending I was living in a barren land.
Make Snow Animals
Let’s face it. Snowmen are cool- but don’t you get tired of making them? Spark some artistic creativity by making different animals out of snow. Decide on an animal together, and then brainstorm what shapes you would need to make it. Or, you can demonstrate sculpting by starting with a big blob of snow.
Use anything you can think of in nature or in your house to embellish your snow animals!
Look For Tracks
Go on a walk together and look for signs of living creatures out in the snow. What kinds of animals have been travelling? Look for tracks from birds, dogs, cats, and other wildlife.
Check out a book from the library about animal tracks to help them. Draw the tracks in a journal or on a notebooking sheet.
Go Sledding
One of the most popular snow activities, sledding is also one of the most educational. Don’t have a sled? Trying making a makeshift one out of cardboard or a number of other materials.
What learning is involved in sledding? Physics of course!
- Sledding and Physics
- Preschooler Sledding- Learning the Physics of Fun!
Just remember that with all the fun physics come a real danger of injury. Always make sure children are sledding in a safe place- away from streets, fences, trees, and the like.
Research Snowflakes
When your family gets too cold and decides to come inside, you can learn about the geometrical properties of snowflakes.
- BrainPOP video about snowflakes
- Science of Snowflakes at LabGrab
- Experiment: Make a crystal snowflake
- Guide to Snowflakes at SnowCrystal.com
What other snow activities can you turn into educational adventures with your kids?
Article by Aadel Bussinger
Aadel has been married to her career Army man for 11 years and they have 2 daughters and a freshly made son. She is a homeschooling mom, volunteer, and online college student. Her hobbies include cooking, organic gardening, sewing, and crocheting. She blogs sporadically at These Temporary Tents.
Aadel has written 82 awesome articles for Natural Family Today.
