Snow Day
Snow! Over the weekend, Greenville, SC received a blanket of
snow. It wasn’t much and it melted away by Sunday, however the kids were out of
school and most places had shut down. Snow is such a beautiful gift in the
winter. Yes it may be freezing cold and wet, but the whirl of snowflakes
falling to the ground is a magical sight to see. The stunning color of pure
white, blanketing the ground is without comparison. Snow is nature’s gift to
the earth. It provides much needed moisture as it slowly melts. All plants
including dormant plants lose moisture during the winter months, it evaporates
from their branches. Evergreens that keep their needles all year are even more
at risk of moisture deprivation. Therefore plants greatly benefit from the snow.
Sometimes these snow days can be unexpected and after you have done all the
usual winter activities with the kids, (sledding, build a snowman, and snow
ball fights), you may be wondering what is left to do?
There are tons of creative activities to do in the snow with
the kids. One of my favorite activities to do as a kid with my sister was
observe snowflakes. I was mesmerized by the fact that every snowflake is
unique! The best way to observe them is with a magnifying glass and maybe some
black paper. Snowflakes are ice crystals formed by falling through several
layers of the atmosphere. Every layer of air varies in temperature and moisture
adding to the unique shape of the crystal.
To observe the snowflakes simply place the black paper
outside to catch them, then take your magnifying glass and look closely to see
the ice crystal patterns. This is also a
great opportunity to teach your kids to take time to slow down and observe
nature’s small but significant beauties. Who knows what you will find!
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