We live in Australia. We also live in a part of Australia that never experiences snow!
Snow isn't something that Miss M has any tangible experience with, yet at the moment in the lead up to Christmas, she is seeing it on TV and in books and hearing about it quiet a bit! Christmas where we live is... well... mostly hot!
Her favourite DVD at the moment is Disney The Fairies, Secret of the Wings. She would happily watch it everyday and I do have to hide it away.
Out of sight out of mind.
It is however, a lovely movie and has stunning snow scenes that make you wish you were really there! I could watch it every day too lol!
Her favourite book 'How Big is a Million?' also features a snowy, wintry landscape.
As do many of her favourite Christmas books.
We do have Australian ones also.
We have had plenty of discussions about the weather and what snow is and what it might feel like. We know it is cold. "The winter woods are too cold for the warm fairies wings Mummy". We can see in the books that you wear warm clothes and shoes when it snows and that's why Santa wears a big red cosy suit.
He will get hot when he comes to our house won't he!!
We were blessed with a wintry storm not too long ago that provided plenty of hail
and we played with ice and did ice paintings. Which let us experience how cold it might be.
Then I remembered that somewhere I had some magic snow that I had used with a class when learning about weather. This stuff was wonderful and it is reusable!
And I found it without too much looking.
And I found it without too much looking.
As you can see it wasn't too expensive and can be used again.
I purchased it at a National Geographic Shop from memory!
I made sure to be clear with Miss M that this was not real snow but that it was only 'pretend' and that it was like magic because when you added the water it went a little bit like snow! I explained that if it were real snow it would melt like ice and turn into water because it is so warm where we live.
If you can't get a hold of anything like this but think your child would love sensory play with 'pretend' snow then you could try using cloud dough or moon sand.
Here Miss M is playing with some dinosaurs in cloud dough.
Or you could try using shaved/crushed ice!
To make cloud dough you will need
Approx 4 cups of plain flour
Mixed with 1 cup of baby oil
(you could use any oil really but baby oil is nice and light and smells nice)
Use more or less depending on the quantity you want to make.
The only thing about cloud dough is that it is not cold as like the magic snow and it doesn't feel as wet. You could perhaps put it in the fridge.
Alternatively try using crushed ice, which you can make easily if you have an ice crusher. Just be warned if you live where it is warm it will likely melt quickly, especially with warm little hands playing.
The great thing about magic snow is that it does feel cold and wet.
It feels like tiny mashed up water beads, which is likely what it is, although nowhere on the packaging mentions what it is made off.
Just be sure that your little one won't try and eat it. If they are likely to, then avoid this one. Make sure your child washes their hands after playing.
We collected a few props that she wanted to play with in the magic snow!
These little Santa and Christmas tree were perfect!
Here is the wintry scene Miss M created. As she played she wanted to add different things, like presents under the Christmas tree and we need a seal for Pipkin to play with Mummy! Lucky we had one in her Zoo set.
Fun, imagination, creativity, storytelling and retelling stories were all inspired by this sensory play!
The best part is that we can do it all again tomorrow!!
Enjoy
Play and Learn
Katey
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