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Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Snow in July

Really? You betcha! In my experience, thinking about snow when the humidity is high and temps are even higher is the only good time to ponder winter weather. Besides, what kid wouldn't love two attempts [clearing throat] ... ur ... I mean experiments to make snow, reading a few fun books, and then having our own "snowball" fight?

To kick things off, we took turns reading the following fiction books: 
  1. Lost in the Snow, a Magic School Bus Level 2 Scholastic Reader by Joanna Cole
  2. I Love Snow by Hans Wilhelm (My son read this Level 1 reader himself.)
  3. The Biggest Snowball Fight! By Angela Shelf Medearis (Get ready for some giggles! This is a funny one.)

Then, we got busy making "snow" from a bar of ivory soap. Check out this Steve Spangler science video to see what we did (and how cool it was).




While it looked like snow, it didn’t feel (or smell) like it. We moved on to our second attempt, using Insta-Snow Powder, which I bought at an educational toy store that just opened (I like to support local business and it was only about $4). Just add water, watch, and be amazed! It felt more like snow but still wasn’t the real deal. We talked about the differences between winter snow and our Insta-Snow.
 

To wrap up our fun, I raided my son’s sock drawer and grabbed as many balled up white athletic socks as my arms could hold. My son claimed the spot behind our living room couch as his fort; I was left out in the open to get pummeled by our “snow balls.” His aim has obviously improved since last winter. At least they weren’t as cold and wet as the real thing! 


What fun!
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12 comments:

  1. Rita SJuly 19, 2011 at 5:16 PM

    You should have ended with a snow cone to top it off!

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  2. MandiJuly 22, 2011 at 12:49 AM

    I love this! We need a little snow to cool down in this crazy heat wave we're having. And I LOVE how you incorporate themed stories into your craft time. I do the same, and I feel like it really ties everything together! Great post here!

    Happily following you from It's Playtime! I would love it if you would stop by my blog and say hi, and maybe consider following me! :)

    Mandi
    http://boredombustingmommy.blogspot.com/2011/07/attack-of-pom-pom-monsters.html

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  3. Kristi @ Creative Connections for KidsJuly 23, 2011 at 6:19 PM

    I really do love the snow in July, especially with this heat. :) Thanks!

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  4. MercedesJuly 23, 2011 at 9:10 PM

    fun idea. We will have to give it a try!

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  5. Christy KilloranJuly 24, 2011 at 10:07 AM

    Great idea. I love the idea of snow in July, especially with temperatures around 100!

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  6. AprilJuly 24, 2011 at 11:35 AM

    We live in FL so the only type of snow we can play with is the insta kind :)

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  7. An Almost Unschooling MomJuly 24, 2011 at 4:19 PM

    Great idea for summer fun!

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  8. TiciaJuly 24, 2011 at 4:35 PM

    That's the only type of snow we really get to play with.

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  9. Mom to 2 Posh Lil DivasJuly 24, 2011 at 4:59 PM

    love Winter in July especially in this heat! :) Living in FL insta snow is as far as we will get to the real thing. I want to take my girls to experience the real thing this winter!

    Hope to see you link up to this week's Sunday Showcase - http://momto2poshlildivas.blogspot.com/2011/07/sunday-showcase-kid-friendly-linky.html

    Bernadette

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  10. Harvest Moon by HandJuly 25, 2011 at 5:56 AM

    It's interesting to read the comments from people who don't have snow in winter. I guess it's something I take for granted here in Minnesota.

    Had so much by November (this past winter) that we literally couldn't get out of the driveway (and I have an SUV with all-wheel-drive). Had a neighbor come by with a tractor and another with a bobcat and push the snow out of the way. They made hills of snow for the girls to slide down. It was so much for them!

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  11. I Am RacheleJuly 25, 2011 at 10:34 PM

    I love the idea snow in july! And isn't that instant snow so much fun! I used it in my preschool class a couple of years ago and the kids had a blast. I made a huge batch for our sensory table and threw in some Arctic animals to play with. Thanks for sharing your wonderful ideas on It's Playtime

    Rachele @ Messy Kids

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  12. Play-based ClassroomJuly 25, 2011 at 10:56 PM

    You guys are having fun! I would have never thought to do snow in July! lol Have you tried making snow balls out of paper balls? Clean up is a snap when you make a game out of it!

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