The Classic Winter Time Experiment Every Kid Should Do (At Least Once!)

Winter time is a wonderful time of year to enjoy with children, especially preschoolers.  It can also be the time of year when parents could use a few extra activities in their repertoire! Today, I have a classic winter science experiment for you, one every kid should try at least once.  This experiment involves snow, and we are hoping to get some.  However, if snow is the rarity for you that it is for us, you can always substitute ice.

Let your preschooler get some snow

My kids are always eager to do this part. Again, if you do not expect to get snow, use ice.

Make a hypothesis about how snow melts

We actually did this experiment for the first time after my preschooler made a hypothesis about how snow melts.  "I think pouring water on snow will make it melt."  Now, before you judge, we live in the South where some adults believe this myth too. The results can be tragic for their windshields!

Set up your experiment

Set up one container of snow in the circumstance that your child believes will melt the snow, and one in the opposite circumstance.  You may also want to set up one trial of each type in the freezer, and one outside of the freezer. (Wink!)

Check out your results

Let your child check the results.  Talk about what you see. Use the terms "liquid snow" and "solid snow."  You might encourage them to draw a journal about their experiences.

My daughter saw these pictures from last year as I was prepping this post.  She immediately asked, "If we could please do that experiment again?" It is always a treat to re-enjoy these simple activities with an excited preschooler!

Once your child gets bored repeating this activity,  challenge them to find new ways to melt the snow, or measure the volume and mass to see if they are the same very time.  Do you know exactly what temperature is the melting point for snow?

If you decide to try this experiment, I would love to hear what your preschooler decides to try!  Leave their ideas in the comments or on our facebook page.  Who knows, maybe you will discover a new way to melt snow!

This post is part of a blog hop hosted by  Preschool POWOL Packets. Each day a different blogger will share one fantastic winter time fun idea for preschoolers.  Be sure to check in for another great Preschool Winter Fun idea tomorrow!

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