Create a beautiful nature-filled ice sun catcher with your preschooler by taking a nature walk in the woods, a local park, or even your backyard. Also, look at this Simple and Easy Instant Ice Kids Activity Homeschool Science Experiments post and my page How to Homeschool Preschool.
It is a fun way to explore the outdoors and finish up with a neat nature-filled ice sun catcher to remember it (at least as long as the ice lasts).
Fill it with colorful flowers, berries, small pinecones, interesting pebbles or twigs, and leaves.
You can use your ice sun catcher to learn about the objects that they find but also as a different science lesson talking about ice and why and how it melts.
The best part about this activity is that it can be repeated over and over with different results each time.
For example, add food coloring, different items, and different types of water and explore the various results with your preschooler.
Books About Winter
While exploring nature, don’t forget to take along a favorite resource book like Nature Anatomy and see if you can spot any of your finds in the pages.
Preschoolers really love looking through books with good illustrations to compare to.
29 Winter Books to Read to Kids and For Kids Who Love to Read
Add in a few books to make your winter unit study complete. Add books for all ages.
Day after day, a girl goes to her favorite place in the woods and quietly watches from her tree house as the chipmunks, the doe, the rabbits prepare for the winter.
As the temperature drops, sunset comes earlier and a new season begins.
Hanna was a hippopotamus in the Budapest Zoo. Hanna and the other hippos thrived in the warm springs which flowed from the ground. One winter, however, it was so cold that the river froze.
Part of the acclaimed nature book series that includes Over and Under the Pond, Over and Under the Rainforest, and Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, this volume takes readers on a cross country ski trip through the winter woods to discover the secret world of animals living under the snow.
Over the snow, the world is hushed and white. But under the snow lies a secret world of squirrels and snow hares, bears and bullfrogs, and many other animals making their winter home under the snow. This beloved nonfiction picture book reveals the tunnels and caves formed beneath the snow but over the ground, where many kinds of animals live through the winter, safe and warm, awake and busy, but hidden beneath the snow.
ENCHANTING AND EDUCATIONAL: A charming story and beautifully rendered illustrations invite readers of all ages to explore and learn about the "subnivean zone" (the space between the colder snow and the warmer ground) where many animals live in the winter, opening a fascinating window into the natural world.
A young rabbit wakes up to wonderful news: A snow day! School is canceled, and the day that follows is rich with the magic and delight of the falling snow.
This is a clear and appealing book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. Introduce kids to basic science ideas as part of discussions about the seasons and animals.
What happens to seeds that don't sprout? Fortunately, they have Miss Maple to look after them.
Every year, she rescues orphan seeds, taking them to her cozy maple tree house. All winter long, she nurtures them and teaches them the ways of seeds and the paths.
Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. But that was before he stopped talking to her and disappeared into a forest with a mysterious woman made of ice. Now it's up to Hazel to go in after him. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen,"
This winning heroine will inspire every child to cheer her on as she ventures through a bitter cold snowstorm in William Steig's classic Brave Irene.
Trapped in a hidden fortress tucked between towering mountains and a frozen sea, Solveig, along with her brother the crown prince, their older sister, and an army of restless warriors, anxiously awaits news of her father's victory at battle.
The poem is indeed about the yearly cycle in the life of a tree. But it is also an intriguing poetic concoction.
The initial letters of each line in each stanza spell out a word that pertains to that tree's life cycle - SEED, GERMINATE, SHOOT, ROOTS, LEAVES, FLOWERS. It's a kids' acrostic.
Everyone knows the Moomins sleep through the winter. But this year, Moomintroll has woken up early.
So while the rest of the family slumber, he decides to visit his favorite summer haunts. But all he finds is this strange white stuff. Even the sun is gone! Moomintroll is angry: whoever Winter is, she has some nerve.
Blessed--or cursed--with an ability to understand animals, the Lass (as she's known to her family) has always been seen as strange.
And when an isbjorn (polar bear) seeks her out, and promises that her family will become rich if only the Lass will accompany him to his castle, she doesn't hesitate. But the bear is not what he seems, nor is his castle, which is made of ice and inhabited by a silent staff of servants
The freezing ecosystem in the far north of the globe is home to many different kinds of animals.
They can be Strong, like a walrus Tough, like a lemming Resilient, like an arctic fox.
But no arctic animal is as iconic as the polar bear.
An inquisitive polar bear named Duane befriends an array of animals as he discovers where he belongs in this charming classic-in-the making
It is the longest night of the year, and the snow lies deep. All through the forest, animals long for dawn's warmth.
Strong and clever creatures boast that only they can bring back the sun. But the wind knows better.
Flora the pig was born for adventure: “If it’s unexplored and needs to get dug up, call me. I’m your pig,” she says.
The day Flora spots a team of sled dogs is the day she sets her heart on becoming a sled pig.
Before she knows it, she’s on board a ship to Antarctica for the most exhilarating—and dangerous—adventure of her life.
A girl is lost in a snowstorm. A wolf cub is lost, too. How will they find their way home?
Crystal and Ivory snowflake take full advantage of this beautiful snowy evening in New York City as they travel to the park, fly through Time Square, journey past the Statue of Liberty, and more before coming in for their final landing of the day.
A classic of American humor, the adventures of a house painter and his brood of high-stepping penguins have delighted children for generations.
Percy the Park Keeper always feeds the animals in the park where he lives.
But one cold winter’s night Percy discovers that his little friends need more than food and he must find a way to help them find a warm place to sleep for the night.
From the author of Ice Dogs comes a riveting adventure about a musher who sets out to prove her impaired vision won't hold her back from competing in a rigorous sled race through the Canadian wilderness. Perfect for fans of Gary Paulsen.
There are more animals to find among the trees, and the kindly figure with his "promises to keep" exudes warmth as he stops to appreciate the quiet delights of winter.
Forest animals, awakened by the birds' warning that there is a stranger in the woods, set out to discover if there is danger and find, instead, a wonderful surprise.
Late one winter night a little girl and her father go owling. The trees stand still as statues and the world is silent as a dream.
Whoo-whoo-whoo, the father calls to the mysterious nighttime bird.
One cold morning a lonely boy wishes for something to do. His animal friends are hibernating, and he has nobody to play with―even all the birds have flown south.
When he meets Jack Frost, the last thing he expects is to make a new friend . . . or to discover how enchanting winter can be!
With the first ice—a skim on a sheep pail so thin it breaks when touched—one family’s winter begins in earnest. Next comes ice like panes of glass. And eventually, skating ice! Take a literary skate over field ice and streambed, through sleeping orchards and beyond.
With accounts from the survivors and period photos, a tale by the author of the Newbery Honor book, The Great Fire tells what is was like to live through the Great Blizzard of 1888 that crippled New York City with its fierce winds and blinding snow.
Grandmother Winter lives all alone with her snow-white flock of geese. All through the spring, summer, and fall, Grandmother Winter tends her geese and gathers their feathers. Why?
To bring snowfall as soft as feathers and bright as a winter moon. To the woodland and all of its creatures, the arrival of winter is a gift.
Lynn Plourde's text snaps and crackles like the leaves of fall as Mother Earth gently gets her daughter ready for bed.
And Greg Couch's extraordinary illustrations take readers from the soft greens of late summer through the fiery oranges of a fall sunset to the peaceful blues of early winter's eve.
Also, look at these other fun sun catchers to do in winter.
6 Fun Sun Catchers to Do in Winter
While you may not think of sun catchers for winter there are plenty of engaging and pretty ideas for indoors and out and I have 6 more for you to check out
- I just love this Arctic Animal Sun Catcher Craft to go along with studying snowy animals like polar bears and penguins.
- These pretty Snowflake Sun Catchers are a great way to highlight how unique snowflakes are.
- Here is a completely different take on a sun catcher, using beads to reflect the light with this Pinecone Sun Catcher Craft.
- Mitten Sun catchers can launch a good discussion about what kind of clothing is needed for winter and how to protect ourselves from extreme temperatures.
- Make a Winter Tree Suncatcher using tear art for a lovely nature-themed craft.
- Snowman Sun Catcher is just too sweet and makes a simple but pretty craft to decorate your windows.
Frozen Nature Ice Sun Catcher
You will need:
- Nature items: leaves, twigs, bark, pinecones, flowers, etc.
- Shallow container
- Water
- Ribbon
First, add a length of ribbon or rope to the top to hang it from.
After gathering plenty of items for your ice sun catcher let your child lay them out however they like in your shallow container, you could even make multiple small ones by using a muffin tin.
Once it is full of nature it is ready for the next step.
Let your preschooler carefully fill with water.
Place in the freezer overnight.
Carefully remove it from the container, you may need to flip it over and run warm water over the back for a minute or two to loosen it.
Carry it outside.
Hang from a tree and enjoy if the weather stays cold enough to keep it frozen!
Go back outside often as it melts and watch the changes.
Ask your preschooler how long does it take?
And ask your child questions like “Do you think the sun makes it melt faster?” to encourage critical thinking.
Here is how the backside looks with the sun shining through it.
Tip- for super clear ice use filtered water instead of tap water.
