Looking for a fun indoor activity to entertain your kids this winter? Find out how to make fake snow for sensory play using two edible ingredients—and it will actually be cold to the touch!
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There are lots of ways to make homemade snow for sensory play at home. But like real snow, this 2-ingredient fake snow one is actually COLD to the touch, which makes it extra fun for kids!
All this recipe requires is two simple ingredients that you probably already have at home. So if you’re looking for a fun indoor winter activity to make for your kids, this easy DIY sensory activity could be just what you’re looking for!
Related: 37 Wonderful Winter Sensory Bin Ideas for Kids
Is This Recipe Taste-Safe?
If your children are still young and like to put everything in their mouths, you may be wondering whether this fake snow can be harmful if ingested.
The answer is: it depends. While baking soda is generally considered taste-safe and can be used in cooking in small quantities, it can be toxic when consumed in large quantities—especially for babies and toddlers.
If your child has a tendency to eat everything and you think they will try to eat the fake snow, you may want to skip this recipe and make taste-safe moon sand instead.
To make moon sand, simply combine 8 parts all-purpose flour with 1 part vegetable oil and stir until combined. (You’ll need to heat-treat the flour first since raw flour can contain harmful bacteria.)
To make your moon sand cold to the touch, simply store it in the freezer. Since the moon sand doesn’t contain any water, it doesn’t harden—it simply stays cold, which makes it ready for play whenever you need it!
Related: 2-Ingredient Play Dough
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Required Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make your own 2-ingredient fake snow for sensory play:
- Baking soda
- Ice water (or very cold water)
Note: You can also add glitter, but if you do, your fake snow will be more difficult to clean up. As much as I love glitter, I don’t usually use any for this particular activity.
How to Make Fake Snow with 2 Ingredients (Step-by-Step)
1. Freeze Baking Soda
Start by placing some baking soda in your freezer overnight. I like to keep a box of baking soda in our freezer at all times in case the kids feel like playing with fake snow.
I used an entire 500-gram box because I wanted the kids to have plenty of snow to play with. (For those of you in the U.S., I measured out the contents of the box and it came out to about 2 ¼ cups.)
Because the baking soda is dry, freezing it won’t actually change its texture. It will simply make it cold—which is perfect for setting up a winter sensory bin filled with fake snow!
2. Pour Baking Soda
Take the baking soda out of the freezer and pour it into a large plastic bin or container that your kids can use to play.
3. Add Water
Some fake snow recipes call for shaving cream, but we prefer to simply use water because it’s taste-safe and eco-friendly.
Once your container is filled with frozen baking soda, slowly pour in some ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing with a metal spoon between each addition.
Keep pouring until the fake snow reaches the consistency you want. I used about 5 tablespoons of water, but you can always add less or more depending on your preference.
Once the water is mixed in, you’ll have instant snow…
…and because it was made from frozen baking soda and ice water, it will be cold to the touch just like real snow!
How to Play with Fake Snow
There are many ways to play with your homemade fake snow.
The most obvious way is to simply give it to your littles ones and let them explore. The texture will be similar to powdery snow, and they can have fun squishing it around in their hands and turning it into snowballs.
You can also try adding small plastic toys or figurines to create your own winter wonderland. Elsa and Anna from Frozen come to mind… but feel free to get creative and add anything else your child loves to play with.
We used plastic dinosaurs, because why not?
We also decided had fun making a snowman! (You may need to add a little water for this if your fake snow is too powdery.)
In the spirit of keeping this activity taste-safe (make sure to read the section the top for more information about this), we used sprinkles for the eyes and nose. But feel free to experiment with other materials if they work for you!
How to Store Fake Snow
How long does this fake snow last? Since all you did was mix water and baking soda, it should keep for quite a while (assuming your little ones have clean hands when playing with it).
In order to keep it cold, I usually store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Storing it in the freezer will cause it to harden as the water freezes, but the fridge will keep the temperature cool without causing it to freeze.
If you don’t care about keeping it cool, just leave it in an airtight container on your kitchen counter (or wherever else you usually keep containers).
2-Ingredient Fake Snow
The Craft-at-Home Family
Looking for a fun indoor activity to entertain your kids this winter? Find out how to make fake snow for sensory play using two edible ingredients—and it will actually be COLD to the touch!
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 0 minutes mins
Total Time 5 minutes mins
Course Sensory Bin
Cuisine American
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups baking soda
- 5 tbsp ice water or as needed
Instructions
Leave baking soda in the freezer overnight.
Pour the baking soda into a large container. Slowly pour in the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing with a metal spoon between each addition, until the fake snow reaches the consistency you want.
Use immediately. Store in an airtight container in the fridge when not in use.
Notes
While baking soda is technically taste-safe, it can be toxic if consumed in large quantities. If you think you think your child will try to eat the fake snow, we recommend that you make moon sand instead.
To make taste-safe moon sand, simply bake some all-purpose flour in the oven for about 5 minutes at 350°F to kill any bacteria. Then, stir in a bit of vegetable oil (following an 8:1 ratio of flour to vegetable oil) and let your child play.
Store your moon sand in the fridge or freezer when not in use to keep it cold to the touch. To find out more about moon sand, please visit this article: https://thecraftathomefamily.com/coloured-moon-sand-taste-safe/
Keyword baking soda, fake snow, pretend snow, sensory play, taste-safe, winter activities
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Related Sensory Recipes
Love sensory play? Check out these taste-safe sensory activities that call for 3 ingredients or less:
- Edible Frosting Play Dough
- Scented Oobleck
- Taste-Safe Sensory Foam
- Edible Water Beads
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