It’s January! Time to Celebrate Snow!

Not every part of the country gets to celebrate snow with sledding, snowman building, and other outdoor activities, but everyone can catch the winter spirit with stories, lessons, and crafts. The possibilities are endless.

Here, if you will, is the tip of the, uh-hem, iceberg.

SNOW GLOBE CRAFT

You may not know just how affordable it is for your students to make a snow globe using very inexpensive materials and found objects. Each child can make his or her own snow globe using a simple winter or holiday theme. Placing a tiny plastic animal with an aspect or two of its winter environment is one way to make it a habitat snow (or rain) globe. (Use the Scientific Terminology worksheet to incorporate science and math terminology into the project.)

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO BEGIN:

Teacher Supply List:

glycerin (available in most craft supply store and some drugstores)

white snow glitter (Silver or blue glitter also work well.)
glue gun and glue sticks or waterproof craft glue
distilled water

Optional supplies:

medium sand paper cut into small squares, clean medicine dropper, and wooden stir sticks

Student Supply List:

clean glass jar with screw-on lid; small plain mayonnaise, pickle, or jam jars are good choices.
small plastic animals, trees, holiday decorations, toys, or any suitable found objects; objects must easily fit into the mouth of the jar when they are glued to the lid. (Objects should be plastic, rubber, or ceramic; wood decays and metal rusts)

Step 1:	Clean jars and objects. Arrange objects and then glue them to the inside of a lightly sanded lid. Take care that nothing extends beyond the lid’s perimeter. Some glues need to dry overnight before proceeding. (Dirty jars or objects will make the water look cloudy.)
Step 2:	Fill the jar with distilled water and add a small amount of glycerin. (Allow space for the objects which will be displacing some of the water.)
Step 3:	Add a small amount of glitter. (Screw the lid on to test that the glycerin to water ratio allows the snow to gently fall and that the amount of water is full without spilling over.)
Step 4:	Run a strip of glue around the dry top ridge where the lid screws on to the jar; firmly twist the lid in place. (Work quickly if using a glue gun.)
When dry, have each child turn over his or her globe over a plastic bucket or empty wastebasket. The bucket will not only catch water from any leaky globes, but it will reduce the likelihood of breakage if one should tumble from a child’s slippery fingers.

WEBSITES WITH IDEAS AND ALTERNATIVE DIRECTIONS:

Martha Stewart: How to Make a Snow Globe

How to Make a Snow Globe with a Jar

Smart School House: Mason Jar Lid Snow Globe

Washington Post: Make Your Own Snow Globes at Home

SNOW GLOBE MODIFICATIONS:

Using modeling clay, kids can create a snowy bottom and their own objects, like a snowman!

Martha Stewart: DIY Mason Jar Snow Globes

Make a Lego figure or use a purchased Lego figurine.

Handimania: Lego Snowglobe

Have students add a laminated picture of themselves if giving the globe as a gift.

Our Best Bites How To: Make a Homemade Snow Globe

Use this worksheet to introduce scientific and/or mathematical terminology related to the snow globe project.		Use this book list for several great winter/snow stories to share.