I actually didn’t think we’d be getting any snow this year, in our corner of the English South coast. We’d just about got to the end of February without more than one light dusting, but then we were hit! ‘The Beast from the East’ struck, with snowfall and cold temperatures, and to Penguin’s delight we got enough snow to actually play with. He doesn’t like being out in the cold for too long though, and he’s not really interested in making any elaborate (or even not so elaborate) snow creations. But he likes the look of the snow, and loves to squeeze it into lumps and then crumbling them apart again. Plus having a bit of a taste of it, of course. I remember eating snow as a child, but was always told it could give you worms… but now I’m seeing recipes for ‘snow ice cream’ (using actual snow) online, so I’m guessing the risks were exagerated? Anyway, I digress, let’s get on with what this post was supposed to be about, which is: Making your own homemade play snow!
As the snowy ‘Beast’ is now leaving us and the white stuff outside is quickly turning into puddles, some of us might like to enjoy a bit of DIY snow play. This one comes without the coldness, but with a scent of coconut! Here’s our recipe:
Roughly 2 cups of Corn Flour + Roughly 5 heaped tablespoons of Coconut Oil
Very simple, right? The measurements are not precise at all, as I started by putting some coconut oil in a shallow glass dish, microwaving it until it had melted and then added the corn flour bit by bit until we were happy with the texture. Then made some more in a separate dish (because more is more!) and added it all toghether.
I chose coconut oil as it’s clear in colour, to keep the ‘snow’ as white as possible. It also has the added bonus of adding some olfactory stimulation. However, if you don’t like coconut, you could choose a different type of oil, or get an odour/flavour-free coconut oil. I can’t think of any other cooking oil which is clear in colour? If you can, please share it with us in the comments, thank you!
I do like it when good sensory play can be created using edible ingredients, as Penguin has always been happy to have a little taste of things (other than actual food stuffs, ironically, though this has got a lot better over the last year or so). So that’s another bonus with this, other than it being fab to play with, of course! The corn flour is brilliant stuff, as it works really well for squeezing together into snow balls, and then crumbles easily again, just the way Penguin likes it. It even has a ‘creakyness’ to it similar to real snow, though it’s obviously not as icy or cold. We did actually try putting it in the freezer as well, but that made the coconut oil go really hard, so it just made cold crumbs and couldn’t be squeezed into balls etc.
We actually made this play snow just BEFORE being hit by the ‘Beast from the East’ snowfalls. Penguin really enjoyed playing with it then, and now that we’ve had a break from it while enjoying the real thing for a few days, it’s handy to bring this back out again.
If you want to, you can add cups, spoons, playdough tools etc to play with (as Penguin has decided to do on a couple of occasions). Or why not make a little snow world by adding polar bears, reindeer, or… penguins! However, it’s also really nice to just use your hands to fully explore the sensory qualities of this super easy diy play stuff. Enjoy!
My children love catching snowflakes on her tongues ๐. Nut the snow is melting fast today so thanks for this idea to.keep the kids entertained and my house smelling good x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hopefully this can soften the blow of the snow melting away โบ๏ธ I used to love snow as a kid, including catching flakes on the tongue, but nowadays I’m more of a comfort creature and don’t like getting cold x โ๏ธ
LikeLiked by 1 person
We lasted the best part of an hour outside yesterday. That was enough for me!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha yep that’s about as much as I can put up with nowadays too ๐ Not like when I was a little girl who’d happily spend hours and hours tunneling in piles of snow, going up and down slopes on a sledge, making snow angels, or just lay back looking up at the falling snow, trying to focus on individual snowflakes as they got closer and closer to my face. I was an easily entertained child lol ๐x
LikeLiked by 1 person
๐ who needs toys & tv?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have never heard of play snow!! How fun! #thatsatsesh
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it’s great fun! I’ve heard of it before, but we haven’t tried it before now. Loving it ๐x
LikeLike
ooo this looks fantastic sensory play fun X
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! ๐
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a great sensory idea for little ones and so simple to do too! Definitely going to try this with Dex as he too loves putting everything in his mouth- painting can become a nightmare!
Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next time
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for your lovely comment, I hope Dex really enjoys playing with this ‘snow’! x
LikeLiked by 1 person
This looks like a lot of fun. Thanks for sharing #GlobalBlogging
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! ๐
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is such a good idea and looks like a lot of fun! I might have to try it with my youngest. She loves things like this. #MMBC
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s lovely to hear Kim, I hope you both enjoy it! x
LikeLike
What a great idea for sensory play. The creakiness of the cornflour would be interesting in its own right. We’ve made maple syrup snow ice cream in the past. Can confirm that no worms were encountered. ๐ #MMBC
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Cheryl! Good to hear about the absence of worms, too! Might dare to give snow ice cream a try then maybe (when we get snow again, which I hope won’t be anytime soon though ๐ฌ) xx
LikeLike
This looks like a load of fun! I must try this with my three #Globalblogging
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! Hope you all have a geat time with it! ๐x
LikeLike
What a great idea! #thesatsesh xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Hayley! xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ooh, I love the smell of coconut! I think I’m all snowed out for now, though – thanks, Beast from the East! #familyfunlinky
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep, I’m quite happy for spring to arrive now too ๐x
LikeLike
We hardly had any snow at all here, so I might need to give this fun activity a try so my children can at least pretend to play in snow! Sounds like a lovely simple thing to put together too! x #KCACOLS
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it’s very simple indeed, as well as child safe plus soft on the skin. Hope you all have great fun with it! Thank you for commenting x
LikeLike
Looks great and so simple too. Will have to try this with my little boy! #familyfunlinky
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, super simple ๐ Hope you both enjoy it! x
LikeLike
What a great idea! I love the coconut scented bit. Just need a layer of chocolate on the top now! #kcacols
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha, I’ve seen a recipe for chocolate pudding slime, perhaps that’d do?! ๐x
LikeLike
What a great idea! Weโve seen a lot of people do this with different flavours! Snow is great to play with as well and a good sensory activity x #GlobalBlogging #FamilyFunLinky
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, thank you, it’s good fun! x
LikeLike
Oh I have so had enough of snow! Haha. This does look great though, really good activity with the kids – my boy would probably try to eat it whether it was edible or not! Thanks for joining us at #familyfun
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m happy to embrace spring now, too โบ๏ธ But I can live with this kind of snow, that doesn’t cause any issues with traffic etc and won’t make you freeze x
LikeLike
#thesatsesh a fab idea, It reminded me of when little dude was about 2 and `i ran a sensory series on my blog. I ended up stopping because he was bored of dough to play with every week and i was addicted to the scents and textures. lol….the photos just make me want to play ๐
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha that’s fine, just make it for yourself and have some sensory playtime to yourself ๐ x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Looks like fun #KCACOLS
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Frankie, it is! ๐
LikeLike
What a great idea! ๐ My youngest would enjoy playing with this. We have had our fair share of snow these past few weeks. I am quite glad to see the back of it now though. This is a fab alternative ๐.
Thanks so much for sharing with #MMBC xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Jayne! Yep, I much prefer this kind of snow to be honest. The colder kind is welcome to visit for a couple of days per year, preferably starting to fall on Christmas Day โบ๏ธx
LikeLike
Awesome, this looks super messy but loads of fun. #kcacols
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha yes, a bit messy but great fun ๐x
LikeLike
This looks so awesome! Sadly, I am allergic to coconut so the relatively new love affair the world has with it has thrown me into chaos ๐ #GlobalBlogging
LikeLike
Coconut scented snow sounds wonderful, all the experience of snow with a hint of tropical weather ๐
#MMBC
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes! Summer is around the corner ๐x
LikeLike