In Northeast Ohio, we know the snowflakes aren’t over yet. For some fun snow activities without getting bundled up in gear, check out these five simple experiments you can do indoors.
Experiment 1: Determine if snow sinks or floats!
What you need:
Bowl filled with cold water.
A spoonful of snow (Hint: If the snow is packed, then the results are more noticeable)
Optional: Toy polar animals such as penguins, polar bears, etc.
What you do:
- Ask your kids their hypothesis of what will happen when you toss the snow into the cold water.
- Grab a snowball and toss it into the bowl of water and observe what happens.
What is happening?
Snow floats in water because it is less dense. This is also why icebergs float.
Added Bonus for Imaginative Play: Grab some toy polar animals; let the kids add as much snow as they
like and let them explore a tiny habitat with their imagination.
Experiment 2: Estimate how much water is in a jar or cup full of snow!
What you need:
One cup or jar full of snow
One dry erase marker
What you do:
- Mark the top of the snow in the glass with the dry erase marker.
- Ask your kids what their hypothesis is and mark where they think the water will be when it melts.
- Wait for all the snow to melt.
- Mark the top of the water in the glass with a dry erase marker.
- Optional: Measure the difference
What is happening?
When water freezes, it takes up more volume. When it melts, it takes up less volume. This is because
water is less dense when it freezes.
Added Bonus: Fill a cup full of ice cubes, a cup full of water, and a cup full of snow and guess which one
will have the most water after the snow and ice cubes melt!
Experiment 3: Paint it with watercolors!
What you need:
Watercolor paints
Paint brush
Lots of snow
Bucket, large tub, or cookie sheet
What you do:
Place the snow in the bucket, large tub, or on a cookie sheet. Smooth out the snow so that it is flat or
use your imagination and create a cute item, like a snowman, to paint. Instead of dipping your brush in
water, use the snow for moisture, and then paint like normal with the snow as the canvas.
What is happening?
Since snow appears white, it is the perfect canvas to reflect all the colors of the rainbow.
Experiment 4: Mix in different household ingredients and see what happens!
What you need:
Spoonful of dish soap
Spoonful of oil
A few drops of food coloring
Teaspoon of salt
Four clear glasses or cups half filled with snow
What you do:
Add a small amount of dish soap, oil, food coloring, and salt to each glass individually. Observe what
happens.
What is happening?
Soap causes the snow to melt because it lowers the freezing point. Oil acts in the same way, but will
also float on the surface of the water because it is less dense. The food coloring changes the color of the
snow. The salt dissolves in the snow fairly quickly. Overtime the salt will lower the freezing point of the
water and prevent it from refreezing. This creates more liquid water, which dissolves more salt. This
then causes more snow to melt, and so on. This is similar to what happens when the roads are salted
during snow and ice storms.
Experiment 5: Look at the snowflakes with a magnifying glass!
What you need:
A magnifying glass
Fresh snow flakes
What you do:
As snowflakes fall on your window, observe their beautiful crystal structures. Snap some photos of the
snowflakes and compare the images.
What is happening?
Every snowflake is unique. Just like your fingerprint. Snowflakes are ice crystals that mix with water vapor in the air, travel long distances, before they plummet to your window.
