Winter

​Wintertime. As I write this blog post it is -14 outside and it is only early evening. Schools 
were closed today and most will remain closed tomorrow. This has provided an extended 
holiday vacation for most students. These days may be bliss for the children, but I’m sure 
there are a few parents out there thinking otherwise. 

While it is too cold for children to go outside at the moment, by the end of the week it will 
warm up to more ‘normal’ winter temperatures and the snow will beckon our kids. Gifted 
children often crave exploration and new things to learn. This winter take some time to 
explore the wonder of the season. Take advantage of unique winter opportunities. 

The activities listed below are only a few of the many experiments and activities children 
may do outside during the winter. Once an experiment or activity is finished outside, the 
student may do further research on the Internet, in books, or any other sources they find. 
This list is not exhaustive so a little searching by the student or you should produce many 
more things to do on a winter day to spark learning in new and different ways.

• Today I saw a few kids outside for just a few minutes experimenting with hot water when tossed in the air on a below zero day. This website has instructions
• Another fun experiment is to make frozen bubbles. You may find the instructions at How Stuff Works
• Children often play in the snow, but have they ever wondered what the temperature is of the snow? This experiment makes for some interesting results. Check out this website tolearn how to measure the temperature of the air and the snow
• Take a closer look at snowflakes. We’ve all been told that no two snowflakes are alike, but is that really true? Let the children look at some snowflakes up close to conduct their own research with instructions from this website: 
• To help the birds on cold winter days children may wish to make a pinecone birdfeeder, keep a record of the birds who eat from it, and monitor the time of day when the birds are there. The children may research further to learn about the birds once they identify the different types of birds they see. Here are instructions for the pinecone birdfeeder