Winter Engineering Activity for Kids

How would you get the middle snowball in position on the tall snowman? This is an awesome winter kid challenge. I would love to say I gave them the challenge of how to raise a large snowball three feet off the ground, but that was their idea.

As I was watching the kids roll extra large snow balls with the superb packing snow we recently received, I wondered what they would do with it. The largest snowball was chest high measured on the kids. Well they decided to build a snowman.

I laughed at them from the comfort of my window as they tried to lift the large snowball which would soon form the middle section of the tall snowman and thought it would never happen. A few minutes later I was stunned and very impressed with what I saw.

She is standing on the the base of the second and third snowman that was built. But, before those structures became bases of snowman they were used as a ramp. The kids rolled the snowball up the ramp into place on the tall snowman.

Some people walking by stopped to give them a standing ovation. They had also seen the whole show.
Lifting the huge snowball was not the only engineering that went on. Although the mouths of the snowmen are difficult to see they involved a bit of science. The mouths were created by breaking open the berries on Chinese Lantern Flowers and using the juice to dye the snow.


I'm constantly amazed by what kids can do.





I'm topsy turvy tuesdays parents as teachers Highhill Homeschool Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall Science Sunday

8 comments:

  1. Thanks for linking up to show and tell this week. What a great post! I wouldn't have the foggiest idea of how to even start building a snowman!
    Denise
    Sunny Days In Second Grade

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    Replies
    1. Yes Florida weather is much different than Michigan where I grew up, and Germany where I live now. I can't imagine a winter without snow. - Too funny.

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  2. Oh, I'm LOVING this activity. Play is learning! You got it right! Ramps...go further, but make the work easier...all good stuff.

    I'm hosting a STEM-themed linky party and would LOVE for you to link this post! What a great addition!

    http://www.stemmom.org/2013/01/stem-themed-linky-party-1.html

    Glad to have found you!

    Darci the STEM Mom

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  3. Look at the size of that snowman, great work on the snowman family too

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  4. A whole snow family! I love the idea of the natural juice too and the ramp, well,some one is a budding engineer in your house hold! A lovely post I really enjoyed reading. Thank you for sharing on Country Kids.

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  5. brilliant photos, fab snowmen xx

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  6. They did a great job of solving their problem!

    Thanks for linking up to Science Sunday!

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