Snow Much Fun

Full disclosure: This was a straight up repeat program! The only thing I changed was the book that I read. You can read my original post here, and read on below for the *new* and (juuuust barely) updated version:

As usual, we started with a book. This time I read the classic, Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. It's perfect for this age group, and, in fact, perfect for lots of age groups. Just about a week before this program we had an actual snowy day, which I think was a good reference point for making the story sort of come to life for the kids. I was was able to ask things like, "Did anyone else make angels in the snow the other day?" and the kids could actually remember if they did or didn't.

Next, was the craft. I did the same thing I did last time: snowflake tape resist paintings. For this, mom/dad/caregiver puts down painters tape in the shape of simple snowflakes and then the kids can watercolor over the whole sheet however they want. This time I added dot markers to the mix too. Then, later, when the tape is pulled up, it looks like a snowy sky! Just a thing to note: Don't have patrons pull the tape off until their paint has dried. It's way easier and there's a much lower chance of the paper ripping this way. Here are a few craft pictures:

Last, when there were about 20-minutes left in the program, I took out the "snow" bins. These were cooling for about 30-45 minutes in the fridge ahead of time, just for fun. This was the part of the program that we were all the most excited about. It was a chance for the kids to get some good sensory play in. The snow wasn't made with the kids, but rather made ahead of time for the kids. There are a lot of homemade snow recipes floating around online, but my go-to one is ridiculously easy! It is made with only baking soda and white conditioner:

Two 1-lb boxes of baking soda + 1 cup of conditioner.  

2 boxes. 1 cup. Mix. Done. 

You wind up with something the consistency of dense snow, possibly just a little less wet and "pack-y." I also added a few plastic toy animals and matchbox cars to each bin, and, like I said, let them chill in the fridge for a little bit and--viola!--snow that's fun to play with inside! 

What worked least: I'll say the book worked least, but not because it was a bad book or even because it just wasn't a success. It was, in fact, probably about as successful as reading to 2-4 year-olds can be! But compared to the craft and the homemade snow, I'd call the book the least exciting part of the program.

What worked best: The snow! IT was SNOW MUCH FUN! We even played with it at home the next day, as seen below: