Snow Clips!



Hey Science Friends,

I can't stop thinking about snow even though it is more like spring here today. No worries, the weather in Texas can change pretty quick so there is no need to put our coats away just yet. My class has been carefully looking at the weather reports trying to figure out if we will have recess each day. And we were beginning to question if we would even see the sun. Oh, the stories we could wtite about missing the sun shine on our faces. Sometimes we can't decide if we want to see the snow or sun but what we do know is that we want the gray skies to clear! I figures that I needed to gather a few snowy things in case we have a cold front move in and we are stuck indoors just dreaming of...snow! Because if we get it by golly we are going to celebrate! So, this is my snowy video post so that I can be ready when the cold wind blows!

Here we go...let it snow!

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

For a little Number Talking snow fun click on the image above!

 

 

All You Need For A Snowman!



Hey Science Friends,

Over here we have been talking about the weather. And we were wishing for snow and checking the forecast and hoping for a little miracle and when it didn't happen we had to create a little snow fun on our own. All this snow talk really had us wanting to make a snowman especially during those gloomy days of indoor recess.

After we worked in our Weather Notebooks and recorded and graphed the weather we had a few minutes to make a snowman of our own. And the best part is that this took no time at all to prep and prepare. I was able to order these lanterns on Amazon which is my favorite online shopping store for any busy teacher. I shop, click and they deliver. I swear it could not be easier. I was able to cut most of the pieces for the eyes, nose and mouth out of construction paper scraps I had on hand.

The kids finished their work and went over to a back table and put it together independently. Even with precut pieces you could see different personalities emerge when the snowmen were finished.

With these hanging around from the ceiling it kind of made us fell like it was snowing even if it wasn't!  

 

 



Call Me Mrs. Popper!

With so much snow business going on my kids now refer to me as Mrs. Popper! In our sand and water table we have one half of a package of the Snocube package of SnoWonder. I have a very large sand and water table. Right now snow is on sale and shipping is free and FAST! If you are considering snow in the classroom you should give SnoWonder a try. My kids say I am the best teacher ever for making it snow in Kindergarten. My shipment came in three days! This would be perfect to have on hand for a rainy day! 

 

Making Snow!

We have been busy making batches and batches of snow. I think we have come up with our own secret formula recipe for the snow consistency that we like best. Currently we have an entire sand/water table filled with snow and it is hard to take our hands out of there. I have to say this is a perfect product to use for Science in Kindergarten and on a rainy day. 

We have been able to integrate some Math into the snow table while we have been discussing capacity. This is perfect for some hands on capacity lessons. We usually follow most math activities with some recording but it has been difficult to get our hands out of the snow so we will try to record our discoveries tomorrow. 

I have had a lot of people ask me about ordering SnoWonder. If you click on the image above it will take you there. I recommend if you are serious about ordering, look at the order page and then email SnoWonder and talk about what you need the snow for and have someone help you! 

Let It Snow!

We are cooking up some kind of fun in the Science Lab this week. We have been busy making it snow inside the classroom and we have had more fun discovering the wonders of snow. 

I can't tell you how excited I was to get my SnoWonder and get it ready to take inside the lab. I was just like a child when my package arrived. As I was preparing my lesson plans I could not help but wonder myself if this was going to work and I had to give this a try!

To set this little investigation up all I needed was:
1 Plastic cup
1 Measuring cup
1 Plastic spoon
Water
1 Small individual package of SnoWonder!
As I was just about to start the investigation I ran and got a plate...just in case!

 .I added the plate and then the water. The mixture changed right before my eyes.

Don't blink...you might miss it!

What I LOVE about SnoWonder is that it is:
Non Toxic
Long Lasting
REUSABLE!
Safe for young Scientists
Easy Clean Up!
Need I say more?

We made several batches of SnoWonder and watched it erupt right before our eyes! I wanted the children to see exactly how I set up the investigation because they will be doing this independently. As each batch was made, I was able to keep them captivated and narrow down proper material use, expectations and some vocabulary. The children were fascinated with this phase of the snow investigation and this is where the real science is hidden. We will learn more about this during Science this week. It looks like ice but does not feel like it. We wonder why it changed and how. But any good Science teacher knows sometimes before we teach the Science Concepts we just have to:
EXPLORE! INVESTIGATE! DISCOVER! 

Please join us this week as we explore the wonders of snow with SnoWonder!

The tin and pail you see photo were added by me. I wanted to hide the snow inside something so the children could try and guess what was inside...and they did on the first guess!

Brrrr! It's Cold Outside!

Recipe from: Disney Family Fun! 

Our Tips 

This recipe yields enough for two kids to each make a sculpture or two, but if friends are over (as they often are on winter weekends), definitely double the ingredient amounts.

Put out decorative "stick-ons" in little bowls or paper cups. Fun embellishments, as shown above, include sequins, tacks, keys, cup hooks, soda-can tabs, nuts, bolts, washers, and screws. The end piece from a lamp pull-chain makes a nice bell to hang on a reindeer's neck.

A cookie sheet covered with waxed paper can serve as a drying rack (sculptures take a few days to harden).

Materials

• 2/3 cup salt
• 1/3 cup baking soda

• 1/2 cup cornstarch

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, mix the salt and baking soda with 1/3 cup of water and bring to a boil.
2. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water and stir well.
3. When the salt mixture boils, remove it from the heat and add the cornstarch mixture. Stir vigorously for a minute or two to thicken the clay. Spoon it onto a sheet of waxed paper and allow it to cool before working with it.
   
   
   
   I could not wait to give this a try and I really had tons of fun testing this out and making mine. I can't wait to get back to school and try this with my Kinder Friends. This was super easy to make but would not be something that I would make with the kids. I had some leftover clay and I am storing it in a container and will see how long it lasts. My best guess is that you would make it the night before you need it at school. The recipe above is enough for two children so you are going to have to make numerous batches in a big pot. Have fun and check back because snow is coming to Texas!