Parent Support

 

Although Wisconsin isn’t known for its great snowfalls like its neighbor to the west, it’s safe to say that winter of 2024-2025 has been particularly dry when it comes to precipitation. Although building snow forts might not be an option this year, here are a few wintertime activities for which you just need a bit of snow, or none at all!

Snow Painting

Materials:

• Water
• A few small bowls
• Food coloring
• Paint brushes
• A bin of snow

Snow painting is a great activity for creative kiddos. Although it may be less messy to try snow painting outside, it can be done inside on the colder days.  Start by mixing water with a drop or two of food coloring in each of your bowls. Set the bowls in a snowy area and place a paint brush in each bowl. Then, let your kid create! To modify this activity for the indoors, use a large storage bin or tray to bring some snow inside and set up the same way. Put a towel under the tray if you’re worried about snow melt. For another fun variation on this activity, try putting dyed water into spray bottles and allowing your child to spray the snow to create colorful snow art.

 

Animal Track Hunt

For the little explorers in your home, this Animal Tracks Hunt activity will be a perfect way to get outside and make use of the snow, no matter how little there is! Take a lap around your home, a public park, or a nature trail and take photos or make a sketch of all the animal tracks you can find. Alternatively, use our free Animal Tracks Hunt PDF and try to find tracks that match each of the animals listed! For tracks you find outside that aren’t on the sheet, use this guide from our neighboring state to help identify other tracks you come across.

Download the free Animal Tracks Hunt PDF. 

 

Freezing Bubbles

Materials:

• 1 cup of hot water
• 2.5 tablespoons of corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 2.5 tablespoons of liquid dish soap
• Straws
• Mixing bowl or container with a lid

When the air is absolutely frigid, but there’s no snow on the ground, making Freezing Bubbles is a great STEM activity for the little scientists in your home. Mix all of your ingredients together in your container, allowing each of them to dissolve thoroughly in the water. Add the dish soap last and mix gently so that you don’t end up with a bowl of bubbles! Set your container outside (or in the freezer) for about 30 minutes so the mixture cools down (but don’t let it freeze!) Head outside with your bubble liquid and a straw and find a cold surface or patch of snow for your bubble to freeze onto. Dip your straw about an inch into the liquid, remove it slowly, and gently blow through the straw to create a bubble! Let the bubble attach to a surface so that you can pull the straw away and watch it freeze.

 

Hot Water & Cold Air Experiment

Another great STEM experiment for kids is this hot water and cold air experiment. This one requires an adult to help, but even adults are amazed by the results. All you need is a thermos of hot (like, really hot, almost boiling) water and a very, VERY cold day (this experiment only works if the temperature is in the negatives!) Heat up your water and put it in a thermos or container that will keep it warm. Head outside and find an area that is clear of people and animals, like a field or park. Have your child stand next to you and make sure your backs are to the wind. Take the lid off of your thermos and throw the water out into the air, and watch as it instantly evaporates into a cloud of water vapor!

 

Snow Sensory Bin

Materials:

• Large but shallow storage bin or tupperware container
• Snow
• Waterproof toys of your choice

Sensory bins are popular activities among early childhood professionals and parents alike, and this one has a winter twist. This indoor activity is for the days that it’s just too cold to go outside, but your kids still want to play in the snow. Scoop up as much snow as you can and dump it into the bin, and set it on the floor (perhaps with a towel underneath) for children to play with. Common items like spoons, bowls, and ice cube trays make great accessories to add to this sensory bin, allowing kids to scoop, dump and mold the snow into small cubes. Don’t want to use real snow? Cotton balls or artificial instant snow make great alternatives (that won’t make your hands cold!)