Playing Indoors in the Snow

One of the instructional assistants in the high school class for students with autism was so excited to show me a great activity this morning, based on this post:

Playing Indoors in the Snow

3 cups of baking soda + 1/2 cup of hair conditioner = great indoor snow

Here we go:

Have a whole cup and a half cup measuring set out on the table.  Ask the students to choose the needed size, based on the recipe.

Just stir.  Take turns.  Observe grasps...

I think stirring by hand would work, too.

Dump it all on the clean table and start squeezing.

It really does clump together, like real snow.

It really does hold together long enough to make a snowman.

Gather up the remnants and squeeze again.

There's the snowman.  Just needs a little decoration.

 

 

Your snowman won't melt, but he won't firm up like bread dough, either.  I say, take him apart and make something new.  Maybe...a polar bear?

 

 

Measuring, firmly grasping the mixing spoon and keeping the bowl from flying all over the table, touching the cool, silky mix and thinking of an object to create, asking a neighbor to share materials--many skills to practice.


Thanks to Kerry J. for her Pinterest sleuthing and sharing this idea with me!


Update--used this activity with two middle schoolers yesterday during a combined Speech-OT session and it was very interesting...the students were a little hesitant to touch the "snow" but they also loved the cool feel of it.  Even the student who had difficulty holding the snow in her palm was willing to pinch little bits of it so she could "make it snow" on the adults' hands!

The SLP got loads of concepts snuck into the activity.  Gave the leftovers to the students' teacher for more fun this week.