Snow day science

Brrrrrr… too cold to go outside? Gather up some household items and warm up with a few science experiments at home. Forget the winter blues! Here are some of our favorite winter science experiments.

Snow Storm in a Jar

Kids love snow storms, especially when they get to play in the snow all day! Lemon Lime Adventures shares a fun experiment where kids can actually bring a snow storm inside. By combining baby oil, white paint, water, effervescent tablets and glitter, your child can create his/her very own snow storm! So how does it work? An effervescent tablet contains baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) & citric acid. Carbon dioxide gas is formed when mixed with water, causing tiny bubbles or in this case “snowflakes” to rise up.

Crystal Snowflakes

Ever wonder how crystals are formed? Science Kids shares how you can create a snowflake from crystals. How cool is that? Using string, pipe cleaners, food coloring, a glass jar and pencil, along with boiling water and borax, you can see these snowflakes come to life. What is the science behind creating these crystals? Well, crystals are made up of molecules that are in repeating patterns. Borax is also made up of colorless crystals that dissolve in water. By adding borax to boiling water, the crystals dissolve faster because the molecules are moving around quickly and are more spread apart. Once the solution cools, the molecules will move closer together, but will be unable to hold the solution. This allows the crystals to form on top of each other to create your very own snowflake!

Arctic Animals

Polar bears, penguins and seals may love the cold weather, but how do they survive in those below freezing temperatures? The Science Kiddo shares an experiment that allows your child to understand how these animals can survive in some of the harshest conditions. By using a bowl of ice cold water, your child can use their hands to see how cold these conditions are without the animal's blubber. Then use some shortening (to represent the blubber) and have them stick their hands back in the water to see the difference.

Of course, make sure to check out MakingScienceMakeSense.com for more ideas!