I have fond memories of winter snow days in upstate New York. And this time of year, no matter where you live, my picture book "Over in the Arctic, Where the Cold Winds Blow" so beautifully illustrated by Jill Dubin, always sells best. Click on the cover to check it out on Amazon.com.
After the first good snowfall, my students and I couldn't wait to be angels in the snow. We also made snowballs from freshly fallen snow and quickly brought them inside to put on sugar cones and top them with fruit juice.
As my students and I enjoyed our "snow cones" we talked about animals that live in icy habitats. (Little did I know back then that years later I'd be writing a book about these amazing creatures.)
We also did an experiment to find out how blubber keeps Arctic animals warm. Polar bears, for example, have a thick layer of fat under their skins which acts as insulation on their bodies to trap heat so they can swim in frigid waters and hunt for prey. Learn more about this fun experiment by downloading it at:
https://dawnpub.com/activities/Arctic-Berkes-Activities.pdf
You will see a photo of my two young granddaughters eight years ago doing the "blubber experiment." So glad that this book, published in 2008, is still going strong. We need to do what we can to preserve the wonder of the Arctic and the animals that live there, especially the polar bears who are in serious danger of extinction due to global warming. Why not celebrate polar bears on International Polar Bear Day in February. To learn a bit more about them go to:
http://polarbearsinternational.org/get-involved/international-polar-bear-day/
Happy Reading!