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Wox knows that sometimes getting outside looks less like a walk, and more like stepping out of the door to create something, play with something, and maybe make a bit of a happy mess. So get out into your winter weather and get crafty!
Ice Block Building
While some of us may have the technical skills to build a full-size igloo, for the rest of us, pint-size ice building is the way to go. Begin by freezing water into a variety of shapes and sizes (think ice cubes, small cake tins, cookie cutter shapes, whatever you have available!)
Then head outside, pop all of the ice shapes out, and let the kids loose! This can turn into so many things: build and decorate an ice cake (bonus points for nature decorations collected from the yard!), pull out the toy hammers and see where the construction takes you, try to build a mini igloo – you get the idea.
Frozen Ornaments
To make these frozen ornaments, have your kiddo grab a basket and head outside, collecting whatever nature winter leaves in your yard or on your street. Evergreen pine needles, bits of berries, they are all fair game!
Next, grab an old muffin tin and have your little one fill up each cup with your nature treasures. Switch up the colors, textures, and sizes of items in each cup. Drop in pre-cut loops of string or yarn (for future displaying!), and fill each muffin cup with water. For best results, fill to cover all items and about half-way up the tin.
Freeze outside, if you have the weather, or indoors in the freezer and leave overnight. To remove the ornaments, run a bit of hot water across back of the muffin tin, the ornaments should loosen and drop right out. Then head outside again, decorate your porch or a tree, and watch the sun shine through your beautiful ice ornaments.
Snow Volcano!
Want to know what is better than a baking soda and vinegar volcano? A baking soda and vinegar volcano made in the SNOW! That’s right, step out and step it up, because watching the ooze slide down a snow volcano makes this kitchen science so much more fun!
Have your little build a big snow mound outside, pack it tight, make a mini-mountain, and then press a small cup into the top (a smaller cup works better as the reaction overflows more quickly and oozes down the sides more!).
Parents, step in here to help add the baking soda, a few drops of lava-colored food coloring, and the vinegar. Step back and watch your eruption! Mount Snow-suvius!
Frozen Paint Cubes
Spoiler alert: This craft is also amazing during the hot days of summer. But kids have fun playing with ice no matter what the season, right? Begin by filling an ice cube tray with different colors of washable paint. Fill them mostly with the paint, and then top them off with some water. Keep the colors solid, or add two colors to the same cube. Then pop in popsicle sticks and into the freezer (or outside!) they go.
Once frozen, bundle up, and head outdoors for a winter painting session! Have your kids paint their favorite thing about the winter, what they see outside, their favorite winter activity, a snowy landscape, the options are endless. The popsicle sticks mean they don’t have to freeze their fingers to paint, and you’ll definitely end up with some unique wintery-art at the end of this one!
Happy crafting and happy time outdoors, it’s a win-win!
