Being outdoors already offers rich opportunities for learning across multiple developmental areas, and when snow arrives, these opportunities expand even further. Snow play encourages sensory exploration as children feel its coldness and texture, and it fosters scientific thinking as they observe cause and effect—for example, noticing how snow melts in their hands. The snowy environment also supports active physical development and nurtures emotional growth as children test their abilities and engage joyfully with nature.
Throughout this month, the children had many opportunities to explore the snow. Cari, Glorianne, and Megha used snow and containers from the childcare playground to “cook.” They formed small snowballs and used them as ingredients, combining them with slushy snow and ice. They experimented with different textures, mixed materials together, and observed changes in form. Through this play, snow became a versatile material for imaginative exploration, scientific discovery, and creative thinking.
Using his large motor skills, Samuel pushed a snowball around the soccer field and the childcare playground, watching it grow bigger as it rolled. When it became too heavy to move alone, he asked James F. and Santiago for help. The boys explained to the educator that good snowball-making requires freshly fallen snow—old snow will not stick together as well. Meanwhile, on the hill behind the school, the children had a wonderful time sledding. Geetan and Glorianne experimented with different ways of sliding down together, discovering which methods were easiest, hardest, and most successful. Climbing snow hills, pulling sleds, and shaping snowballs all supported the children’s fine and gross motor development.
In addition, through these collaborative activities, the children practiced important social skills such as turn-taking, communication, and cooperation. Overall, snow play provides a meaningful and joyful learning experience—supporting physical, cognitive, social, and language development while strengthening the children’s connection with the natural world.
