Homemade Snow | Ontario Science Centre

What you’ll need:

A large, flat container
Measuring cups and spoons
1 cup baking soda
2-3 tbsp white-coloured shampoo or conditioner or 3-4 tbsp shaving cream

A close up of hands pressing down homemade snow.

Activity setup:

Add the baking soda to a large, flat container.
Add the shampoo/conditioner or shaving cream 1 tablespoon at a time. Combine the ingredients with your hands as you go, and stop adding your materials once your homemade snow reaches the desired consistency. It should stick together easily, like real “packing” snow.
Use your hands to make sure your ingredients are fully combined.

Note: To reduce sensory overload, use unscented or mildly scented products.

Sculpt, build and play

Play in the snow! Make snowballs, draw pictures with your fingers, pack down the snow, cut out shapes using cookie cutters or even build a snow family. Experiment with the different materials to find out which recipe makes the fluffiest snow, which snow feels the coldest and which packs the best.

Once you have finished playing, store your snow in an airtight container for 7-10 days to keep it fresh. To create an extra chilly experience, try freezing your baking soda before mixing up your batch.

How does it work?

This mixture mimics the texture of real “packing” snow, specifically fluffy dendritic snowflakes that are formed just below freezing temperatures when there is a lot of moisture in the air.

When you form a snowball, the pressure from your hands causes the snowflakes to melt slightly and then refreeze together in a process called sintering. As the snow melts, the hydrogen atoms in the liquid water also form bonds that help hold the snowball together.