Catching Snowflakes

Chilled black paper made catching and examining snowflakes up close and personal easy to do for students! We appreciated the intricacy of each flake and counted the number of points. 

Snowflakes on black paper

We spent time on this snowy day catching snowflakes on black paper in order to study their design.

Geometric Snowflakes

After reading the book "Snow" we discussed snowflakes as a group. 

The children were interested in discussing what snowflakes look like. We used the illustrations in the book as a guide; snowflakes are made of shapes, are symmetrical, and have 6 points. 

We placed paper pattern blocks at a table and invited the children to make their own snowflakes. 

Their work was mathematically stunning!

Geometric Snowflakes

We set up a pattern block provocation that encouraged children to consider whether they could create snowflakes. 

This activity was inspired by much discussion about snowflakes as a result of the recent snowfall we've had locally. 

After some research we were able to find microscopic photos of snowflakes depicting their six points and beautiful patterns. 

We examined the photos and encouraged the children to consider this information when working at the centre. We were amazed by what the children created!

Hopefully the predicted snow for this upcoming week will give us more inspiration for creation!

Snowflake Inquiry

We had a wonderful snowfall here last Friday and on the way home from school the children noticed the perfectly formed snowflakes sticking to the van windows. This interest in the formation of the snowflakes became the provocation for some exploration outdoors.

We used black construction paper that I popped outside while the kids dressed. This way the paper would be cold and could easily catch the snowflakes without melting them. 

Because the snow was falling so gently it was easy to quickly fill up our papers.

We brought our magnifying glasses outside with us in order to see the formation of the flakes even more clearly.

We also noticed that there were hundreds of perfectly formed flakes on our black BBQ - making it even easier to view the snowflakes up close! This was also a great chance to talk about why the metal BBQ was better at keeping the snowflakes cold and formed compared to our construction paper.

Once inside we looked up some nonfiction information about snowflakes. Highlights Kids has a great article here!

Cadence was eager to represent the snowflakes we had observed outside, so after making some out of various kinds of paper (printing paper, parchment paper, wax paper) we stuck them to our back window which had been covered with sticky contact paper.

We now have a beautiful collection of snowflakes decorating our door and reminding us of the beauty we observed outside!

Acrylic Snowflakes

'Loose parts' that consist of interesting objects and materials are an essential part of encouraging children to engage in creative play. Removing commercial materials from the classroom and instead introducing children to objects that are full of intrigue will inspire hours of problem solving and innovative thinking! 

While perusing our local dollar store I found these acrylic snowflakes! 

They are beautifully crafted and because they are clear, would be a great addition to our light table! 

I can just imagine the play these might inspire as children sort, stack, and pattern with them!

When we are done with the light table I may include them in our portable water table and see what happens there!