To prepare for this project, place a black sheet of paper in the freezer in advance, so that it's cold for your experiment. When the snow falls, let the child catch some snow with the paper. Using a magnifying glass, let the child examine the snowflakes and describe their patterns. By checking on observations from the other preschoolers, help them create a discussion about whether snowflake patterns can be the same. Try to measure the snowflakes.
Let the students collect snow in a plastic container. Make sure that the containers are full of snow and that they are convinced that the containers are full. Let the snow melt inside a warm room. The preschooler will watch as the snow melts away. Discuss the differences between snow and water. The preschoolers may be surprised when the snow melts and the containers are not full as they originally thought.
Let the preschoolers remove their mittens and create balls of snow. When their hands are cold, let them put one hand in a paper mitten and the other in cloth mitten. Have an open discussion on which hand warms up faster and which mitten is wetter. This activity will enable the child to think about the factors of insulation. Have them repeat the experiment with other materials in the classroom.
Each student will have 2 plastic containers of the same size. Prior to this "fun" experiment, tell them they're going to add salt to one container of snow. Create a discussion among the preschoolers and record their predicted result on which container will melt first. Let them bundle up and fill up their containers with snow. Inside a warm room, put a teaspoon of salt in one container and let them observe which melts fastest. Discuss why we sometimes see salt being spread on icy roads and sidewalks in winter.