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winter crafts

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

October 6, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Your kids will love doing three different cocoa winter hands-on science activities to go with my winter season unit study.

And we’re taking one of our favorite winter treats and turning it into science.

Using a simple packet of cocoa, we’re going to do three fun winter hands on science activities that your kids will love.

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

These activities will appeal to multiple senses and can be used to teach some basic science principles.

Adding a new sensory experience to some science activities that might be ordinary and basic can give them new life.

Too, it makes them interesting, stirs your child to ponder about science, and helps your child retain what he has learned in an exciting new way.

3 Fun Cocoa Science Activities for Kids

Grab some of your favorite chemistry books like Basher Chemistry to reference while exploring these cocoa winter science activities.

And learn some of the vocabulary and scientific terms that go with them.

Don’t forget to enjoy a delicious cup of cocoa with your little scientist while you have fun with these activities.

Don’t confuse it with one of science mixtures.

1. Hydrophobic Hot Cocoa Science Activity

First, begin with this hydrophobic hot cocoa activity.

You’ll need:

  • A clear container
  • Spoon
  • Hot cocoa mix
  • Water- hot and cold

Directions:

Grab a glass of cold water and a heaping tablespoon of hot cocoa powder.

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

Slowly lower the spoon into the glass.

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

Twist and move the spoon a bit.

Raise the spoon out of the glass. What happened? The liquid that was wrapped around the powder rolls right off.

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

Now heat up a cup of water. It doesn’t have to be boiling just nice and hot.

Stir another tablespoon of cocoa into the water and see how fast it dissolves.

What is the Science of Hydrophobic Hot Cocoa

Cocoa is a substance that is known as hydrophobic. This means that it repels water.

The fat in the cocoa makes it hydrophobic. Oil is also hydrophobic. Have you heard the old saying oil and water don’t mix? It’s true.

So why does it dissolve in hot water so much better than cold water? Simply put, hot water has more energy in it than cold water.

This means that the molecules move faster and break down the cocoa powder faster than cold water does. 

You can also try this experiment with cold and hot milk. It will work the same due to the amount of water in the milk.

2. Hot Cocoa Slime Science Activity

Second, slime is not just a fun sensory activity.

It can be used to learn some basic chemistry terms like

  • molecules
  • polymers
  • chemical reactions
  • and nonnewtonian fluid ( neither a solid or a liquid).

And slime is also calming. It helps with focus and builds fine motor skills. This slime smells amazing and is a great winter themed experiment.

You’ll need:

  • 1 packet of hot cocoa
  • 1 cup of school glue
  • 2 Tablespoons of contact solution
  • 3 teaspoons baking soda

Directions:

Place glue, baking soda, and contact solution in a large bowl.

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

Stir in an entire packet of hot cocoa.

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

Remove from bowl and knead with your hands for a few minutes until desired texture is reached.

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

What is the Science of Cocoa Slime

When you mix baking soda with contact lens solution the main ingredients polyvinyl alcohol and borate ion undergo a chemical reaction called an endothermic reaction

Together, these two ingredients create a non-Newtonian fluid which is a substance that is neither liquid nor solid.

Slime is a polymer.

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

And polymers are made up of long chains of molecules.

Too, the glue contains polymers which can bend and slide past each other. This allows the slime to flow and to take the shape of the container it is in.

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

Last, this activity is the hot cocoa volcano.

3. Hot Cocoa Volcano Science Activity

This is a fantastic multi-sensory science experiment. It smells great and creates an exciting chemical reaction that kids love.

You can continue to add baking soda and vinegar to keep the reaction going indefinitely.

You’ll need:

  • Small plastic cup
  • 1 Tablespoon Hot Cocoa
  • 2 Tablespoons baking soda
  • Vinegar

Directions:

Mix baking soda and hot cocoa in a small cup.

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

Place your cup outside or on a surface that is easy to clean, this could WILL get messy.

Slowly pour vinegar into the cup and watch it bubble over.

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

Add more baking soda and vinegar to continue with the cocoa lava flow.

if you really want to get a bubbly foaming concoction that resembles lava add a bit of dish soap to your mixture.

What is the Science of the Hot Cocoa Volcano

Baking soda and vinegar react to neutralize each other.

Vinegar is an acid and baking soda is an alkali.

And the resulting reaction releases carbon dioxide which is the bubbles of gas that make it look like a bubbling volcano.

3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities

More Winter Season Unit Study Resources

Then, here are some other winter unit study resources you’ll love.

  • Free Amazing Winter Unit Study and Winter Lapbook for Kids
  • Inuit of the Arctic: How Animals Survive Harsh Winters Fun Blubber Activity
  • Colorful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook & Unit Study
  • 16 Ways to Make Homeschool Memorable During Winter
  • Arctic and Inuit Unit Study. Free Lapbook – Hands-On Ideas

And add my other unit study Arctic Region.

What do you think? Are you ready for a bit of winter fun and science?

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: earthscience, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, science, winter crafts, winter season

Free Amazing Winter Unit Study and Winter Lapbook for Kids

October 1, 2022 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

You’ll love this free winter lapbook for kids. Add to the other lapbooks I have here and you can create your own unit studies. In addition add it to my winter unit study.

And if you have multiple ages of children, this free winter lapbook has several minibooks with various topics.

Add the lapbook to a winter unit study or do it alone as an enhancement to your studies.

Free Amazing Winter Unit Study and Winter Lapbook for Kids

Besides, when your kids create a lapbook it becomes a tool for review.

In addition, the lapbook should reflect what interests the child.

If you choose to do one lapbook for all your children, then your children can do one or two minibooks each.

However, if you want to spend a longer time on the topic, let each child prepare their own lapbook.

Winter Unit Ideas and Books

Then add some fun books for reading aloud and ideas for crafts. I’ve included books for a variety of ages.

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.

Winter Is Coming

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's Cold Winter

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.

Over and Under the Snow

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.

The Snow Day

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.

Animals in Winter

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.

Miss Maple's Seeds

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.

Breadcrumbs

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,"

Brave Irene: A Picture Book

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.

Icefall

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.

Poetree

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.

Moominland Midwinter

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.

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

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

If Polar Bears Disappeared

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.

The Very, Very Far North

An inquisitive polar bear named Duane befriends an array of animals as he discovers where he belongs in this charming classic-in-the making

The Longest Night

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.

The Adventures of a South Pole Pig: A novel of snow and courage

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.

Wolf in the Snow

A girl is lost in a snowstorm. A wolf cub is lost, too. How will they find their way home?

The Snowflake Sisters

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.

Mr. Popper's Penguins

A classic of American humor, the adventures of a house painter and his brood of high-stepping penguins have delighted children for generations.

One Snowy Night (Percy the Park Keeper)

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.

Dog Driven

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.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

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.

Stranger in the Woods: A Photographic Fantasy (Nature)

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.

Owl Moon

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.

Here Comes Jack Frost

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!

Twelve Kinds of Ice

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.

Blizzard

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

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.

Wild Child

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.

How to Start With the Lapbook

Also, when I begin a themed lapbook, there are a few steps I do each time.

First, I decide if we will use a book or if it will be strictly interested-led. Even if it’s interest-led, you still want to add beautiful books.

Second, my kids do the minibooks after they study each topic instead of waiting until later. While the information is still fresh on their mind, they write their thoughts.

The very last step is putting the lapbook together.

Besides, it’s easier to cut and prepare a few minibooks at a time each day.

As you can see lapbooks are not meant to be put together in hours, but over a period of time.

A week or longer to prepare minibooks is a good rule of thumb if you want to go a relaxed pace.

It doesn’t take long to do minibooks. We normally do a few each day.

Free Amazing Winter Unit Study and Winter Lapbook for Kids

Do not force crafts on your children. Some of the kid’s lapbooks are real crafty others not so much.

That is the beauty of a tool the child creates. It’s a personal project.

Other Winter Posts

Also, look at these other winter activities to go with this winter lapbook.

  • Inuit of the Arctic: How Animals Survive Harsh Winters Fun Blubber Activity
  • Colorful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook & Unit Study
  • 16 Ways to Make Homeschool Memorable During Winter
  • 21 Hands On Homeschooling Ideas to Keep the Winter Chill Off {Activities for Tots to Teens}
  • Free Winter Copywork for Middle School – Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
  • Fun Winter Craft Ideas for Middle School Homeschool
  • 50 Keep Me Homeschooling Activities During the Long Cold Winter Days
  • Arctic and Inuit Unit Study. Free Lapbook – Hands-On Ideas
Free Amazing Winter Unit Study and Winter Lapbook for Kids

How to Get the Free Winter Lapbook

How to Grab the Free 40 page lapbook and freebies
This free printable is a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get access my subscribers library and this freebie.

However not all of my freebies are in the library (wink).

And because I like to keep up to date with what is valuable to you so I can give you more, some freebies you must sign up again on the form below even if you are already a follower.

I hope it’s not too inconvenient but it takes just a minute. And it’s the only way I have of freely delivering them to you. If you’re a new follower, just follow the steps below.

This is how you get access quickly.
► 1) Sign up on my list.
► 2) Go to your inbox and confirm your email from the automatic reply I sent you.
►3) Look for my reply AFTER you confirm your email with the freebie access.

Exploring Space and Astronomy Free Unit Study for Multiple Ages

2 CommentsFiled Under: Hands-On Activities, Lapbooks Tagged With: homeschoolinginwinter, lapbook, lapbooking, lapbookresources, lapbooks, seasons, winter crafts, winter season

Inuit of the Arctic: How Animals Survive Harsh Winters Fun Blubber Activity

September 25, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

If you’re studying the Inuit of the Arctic in my Arctic Region unit study and my Arctic and Inuit unit study, your kids will love this blubber activity.

This winter experiment is perfect for demonstrating how Arctic animals can survive harsh winter conditions.

I have seen this experiment done with preschoolers.

However, this is an amazing hands-on visual aid that demonstrates the science of blubber.

Inuit of the Arctic: How Animals Survive Harsh Winters Fun Blubber Activity

So, this is an activity which can be done with tots to teens.

A great thing about this Arctic activity is that it just takes minutes to set up and complete.

In addition to science, you can have your child point out Arctic areas on a map and you have incorporated geography too.

Weigh and measure the lard. Then, you have added math into a mini unit study created simply from one Arctic activity.

Before you begin your experiment, have your child research some questions using your favorite living books or the internet to find out the answers.

I have some to get you started that will give your student a good understanding of blubber, its uses, and what animals have it.

For younger children you can just read from the information in the book below.

Inuit of the Arctic: How Animals Survive Harsh Winters Fun Blubber Activity

This is a great opportunity to learn not only what animals need blubber for but also what the people of the Arctic use it for.

In addition, Ocean Anatomy has a section on ice, seals, penguins, and polar bears.

This can be used for their illustrations to sketch because they are beautiful.

What is Blubber

Look below at some facts about blubber which you can use for this unit study.

Blubber is a thick layer of fat (adipose tissue) that is directly under the skin of marine animals.

What types of animals have blubber?

Marine animals have blubber.

Then there are 4 different types of marine animals.

  • cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises),
  • pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, and walruses),
  • sirenians (manatees and dugongs), and
  • fissipeds (polar bears and sea otters).

But out of the four different types of marine animals, sea otters are the only ones that don’t have blubber.

Arctic animals like seals, whales, walruses, and polar bears have a thick even layer of blubber throughout their body to help them stay warm and it helps in a few other ways as well.

Why do Arctic animals need blubber?

Besides a thick coat of fur to keep them warm, Arctic animals need blubber for warmth.  

It takes a lot of energy to keep a warm body warm in cold water.

The blood vessels in the blubber constrict (get smaller) in cold water. This reduces the flow of blood and the energy needed to heat the body.

Also, blubber is less dense than ocean water and helps the animals float effortlessly so it increases buoyancy.

In addition, oil is stored in the oily layer of blubber and allows animals to go longer periods of time without food.

Is blubber really edible?

Muktuk is a traditional food in the Arctic. It is made of whale skin and blubber. 

Most often made from a bowhead whale but it can also be gathered from beluga and narwhal.

It is eaten raw, frozen, pickled, and cooked.

A bowhead whale could feed an entire community for a year off its meat, skin, and blubber.

Today, many Arctic peoples still eat blubber as an important part of their diet. It contains great amounts of glycogen and ascorbic acid.

Are there any other uses for blubber?

Whale oil was used in soap, margarine, and oil-burning lamps.

There are some indigenous Arctic people, like the Inuit that still harvest blubber and use it in whale-oil lamps.

Fun Blubber Arctic

Next, let’s see how effective blubber can be for the animals of the Arctic

You will need:

  • A large bowl
  • Rubber glove
  • Box of lard
  • Ice
  • Water

First, pack a bowl full of ice and add cold water leaving a little room for displacement.

Inuit of the Arctic: How Animals Survive Harsh Winters Fun Blubber Activity

Now have your child place their hand in the icy water.

Count how long they are able to keep it in until they can’t take it anymore.

It’s not long is it? 10 seconds ? 30? A full minute?

Inuit of the Arctic: How Animals Survive Harsh Winters Fun Blubber Activity

Now have them slip on a rubber glove or a plastic baggie over the same hand.

Inuit of the Arctic: How Animals Survive Harsh Winters Fun Blubber Activity

Use your block of lard to completely encase the gloved hand Be sure to cover it well so that there are no openings for the ice water to penetrate.

Inuit of the Arctic: How Animals Survive Harsh Winters Fun Blubber Activity

Have them slip their lard covered hand back into the ice water, not so cold right? 

How long can they keep their hand in now? Much longer and they barely feel the cold.

Like we learned before the blubber insulates the animal against the frigid temperatures.

Inuit of the Arctic: How Animals Survive Harsh Winters Fun Blubber Activity

This is a fantastic topic and experiment for winter study.

Instead of tossing out the lard after the experiment use it to make Eskimo ice cream or it can be used to make a suet block to help feed birds during winter when food is scarce.

Other Winter Ideas and Resources

You’ll love these other crafts and ideas for studying about winter.

  • Easy Hands on Snowflake Winter Craft for Kids Who Don’t Have Snow
  • Winter Nature Craft: How to Make Easy DIY Bird Feeders
  • 16 Ways to Make Homeschool Memorable During Winter
  • 21 Hands On Homeschooling Ideas to Keep the Winter Chill Off {Activities for Tots to Teens}
  • Free Winter Copywork for Middle School – Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
  • Fun Winter Craft Ideas for Middle School Homeschool
  • How Animals Cope With the Cold (Easy Nature Study)
  • Colorful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook & Unit Study

What do you think? Ready to add some winter fun?

Inuit of the Arctic: How Animals Survive Harsh Winters Fun Blubber Activity

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: arctic, earthscience, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, inuit, science, winter crafts, winter season

Easy Hands on Snowflake Winter Craft for Kids Who Don’t Have Snow

September 22, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, we’re making an easy hands on snowflake winter craft. Add this to my winter season unit study.

While not everyone gets to enjoy the splendor of white crystal winters, we all appreciate the beauty of that type of winter.

Even if your winters rarely reach below 70℉ you can still at least touch on all that it entails for the cold months.

Easy Winter Craft for Kids Who Don't Have Snow

This craft allows your child to bring out an artistic side while also getting in some science.

Too, this activity works great for kids in early elementary through middle school.

And can be adjusted to give more or less information.

Next, look at some research questions for kids to dig deeper into a topic.

They can either find the answers in living books or on the internet. Research skills is another component to add to this unit study.

Flake Facts

Look at these facts to get you started

  • What US state gets the most snow? Vermont
  • Approximately how many crystals make up a flake? 1-200
  • How big is the largest lake ever recorded? 15” wide, 8 “ thick – Guinness World Book,1887
  • What are the smallest flakes called? Diamond Dust Crystals
  • How many sides does a flake have? 6
  • How long does the average flake take to reach the ground? 1 hour
  • What temperature does it have to reach for flakes to form? 35 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius)

And then add some of these resources for a mini unit study.

Watch a couple of YouTube videos:

  • Where do flakes Come From?,
  •  The Science of Snowflakes, and
  • Dr Binocs

If you live in a place which gets mountainous drifts try out some of these Activities That Celebrate Snow for more fun. 

Resources for a Winter Unit Study

Also, look at my How to Make Easy DIY Bird Feeders and work birds into your winter study as well.

Winter is an especially important time to give them a little extra help as food is scarcer.

If you want to continue adding activities to your mini winter unit study give your child some copywork.

Grab my Free Winter Copywork for Middle School

Easy Winter Craft for Kids

Or chose a writing prompt like:

  • The little dancing snowflake was on its way to…
  • We ran out into the snow and….

Finally, be sure you spend some time learning about the science of how and why borax creates these crystals on objects. 

Crystals are molecules that bind together ionically. Borax crystals have a square shape.

First you heat the water and the borax dissolves into it. Warm water holds more powder and it becomes super saturated.

As the solution cools the molecules they need somewhere to grab onto. So, they cling together as well as the object that you put in the solution.

Try different amounts of borax in the different bowls. Too, try different temperatures for the water to continue the experiment.

I love how the crystals make the pipe cleaners sparkle like real flakes.

There is a double page spread in Nature Anatomy that I love to recommend as a must have science reference. It covers a little on flakes and their characteristics.

Easy Winter Craft for Kids

Let’s make this winter fun craft.

How to Make a Borax Fun Easy Craft

Look at this easy list of ingredients:

You will need:

  • 2-3 colored pipe cleaners per flake
  • Large glass bowl or other container
  • 2 cups water
  • ⅓ cup borax
  • Pencil, skewer
  • String

Then look at the directions below.

Easy  Winter Craft for Kids

For each flake you will need 3 longer pieces 3”-4” long and least 12 pieces about 1” long.

Easy Winter Craft for Kids

Twist the 3 long pieces together in the center and spread them out evenly to create 6 spokes.

Easy Winter Craft for Kids

Twist each of the small pieces around the end and center of each spoke, bend to point outward slightly.

You want your flake to be slightly smaller than you container so it doesn’t touch the sides.

Tie a piece of string around the center of each flake and then around the skewer or pencil so that it hangs down into bowl.

Easy Winter Craft for Kids

Heat 2 cups of water to boiling. Stir in ½ cup borax until mostly dissolved.

Easy Winter Craft for Kids

Pour liquid carefully into the bowl.

Easy Winter Craft for Kids

Let your flakes sit for 24 hours or more. Here is what mine looked like after about 5 hours.

Easy  Winter Craft for Kids

After just about 16-18 hours.

Easy Winter Craft for Kids

And a little over 24 hours.

Easy Winter Craft for Kids

They are so fun to make you are going to want to create all kinds of shapes. Make them over and over to celebrate season and event. Try making your name or initials.

Other Winter Fun Resources

Finally, here are some other resources you may love.

  • 16 Ways to Make Homeschool Memorable During Winter
  • 21 Homeschooling Ideas to Keep the Winter Chill Off {Activities for Tots to Teens}
  • Fun Winter Craft Ideas for Middle School Homeschool
  • 50 Keep Me Homeschooling Activities During the Long Cold Winter Days
  • Colorful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook & Unit Study
Easy Snowflake Winter Craft

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: crafts, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolinginwinter, middle school, middleschool, seasons, snow, winter crafts, winter season

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