We finally have snow! Using just 3 ingredients and some common household items you and your kiddo can have lots of fun in the snow. Or they can have fun in the snow and you can enjoy your coffee while it is hot!

Painting Snow (Inside)

This activity is very simple to set up, and has lots of teachable moments. It is a great activity for when it is too cold to go outside, but you still want to play with snow. First you need to gather some snow in a shallow container (think an under-the-bed tote or casserole dish). Then put food coloring and water in cups or bowls. We recommend using the 3 primary colors of red, yellow, and blue. Then you can use paintbrushes to paint the snow! This is a  great opportunity to talk about what happens when you mix colors. In preschool we have been doing this activity in our large sensory bin and using plastic transfer pipets to add an element of fine motor practice. You can also use the infant medicine syringes to add a new squirter.

Painting Snow (Outside)

If painting snow inside is great, then painting snow outside is even better. There are so many different ways to set up this activity. You can use paintbrushes or pipettes like in the indoor activity, but since you’re outside you can go bigger. Fill squirt bottles with water and food coloring and let them squirt out lines and squiggles. Maybe even practice writing letters or their name. You can also use spray bottles to spray snow. squeezing squirt bottles and spray bottles are great for strengthening hand muscles which will be crucial for handwriting later on. You can also skip the bottles and water, and simply drop some food coloring directly onto the snow. Then kids can mix the colors into the snow either with their gloved hands or large kitchen spoons.