What to Read on a Snowy Day

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We don't get many snowy days where we live, but when we do, you will find my boys knee deep in it. Okay, maybe only bottom-of-foot deep, but it's still heaven to them!

When they finally come inside to get warm and dry, what's a mom to do with all that leftover energy? You can't "do school" on a snow day, can you? Well, being that we are homeschoolers, why not turn a snow day into a unit study?
So, grab a cup of hot chocolate and plenty of marshmallows, snuggle under a warm blanket, and spend some quality time celebrating all things SNOW!

1. Snow by Uri Shulevitz is a Caldecott Honor Book that depicts what happens in a village when a single flake of snow appears. Watch as this gray world suddenly becomes vibrant and alive. When you're done reading, try painting your own scene with watercolors.
2. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats is the classic story of a little boy named Peter's day in the snow. Peter makes interesting tracks in the snow by pointing his feet in different directions and by dragging his feet along. When you head back outside, see what kind of tracks you can make.
3. Snowballs by Lois Ehlert is a fun picture book that uses collage illustrations. If you don't have enough snow for a snowman (like us), gather some materials like the ones in the book or use scraps from magazines and junk mail to make a snowman collage on paper. You can also cut scraps from Christmas cards and leftover wrapping paper.
4. The Big Snow by Berta and Elmer Hader, another Caldecott Medal recipient, is a timeless classic (1948) that shows what happens to the animals when the big snow arrives. This book explores migration and hibernation, as well as depicting how the other animals prepare for winter. Pull out your nature journals and draw what the animals in your backyard are doing. Be sure to throw some seeds out for the birds and watch from your window to see what appears.
5. The Story of Snow by Mark Cassino and Jon Nelson is a science lesson in picture book form. Learn how snow is formed and see enlarged actual photographs of snow crystals as if you were looking through a microscope. Take a piece of dark card stock and a magnifying glass outside to catch your own snow crystal and see what it looks like. This book might also inspire you to make cut paper snowflakes in different patterns to decorate your window!

Even if you don't get snow where you live, you can always turn the air conditioning on and pretend it's snowing outside! Everyone deserves a snow day once in a while.