Snowball Puddle

[30 Minutes]

Playing out in the snow? Extend your child's learning with this easy science activity about melting. Your little "scientist" will be making predictions and observations about the fluffy white stuff.

You'll need:

• snowballs or ice cubes • construction paper • pencil • crayons

What to do:

1. Ask your child what happens to snow in the sun. (If she needs practice in observing and seeing this, place an ice cube out in the sun or on the kitchen table and observe it.)
2. Tell your child that you are going to put a sheet of paper outdoors, and she can make a snowball and place it on top of the paper.
3. Invite her to use a crayon to draw a circle on the paper, predicting how much of a puddle there will be when the snow is melted.
4. At another time, try the activity again, using bigger snowballs and observe.

Let's Talk: Ideas to Explore Together.

• What happened to the snowball?
• Do you think that the same thing will happen if we use ice cubes?
• Can you show with your body what it looks like when snow is melting?

Useful information:

While you are having fun together, this activity helps your child develop observational skills and an understanding of cause and effect.