Want to make snow ice cream with your kids? This super easy winter recipe makes a great treat for a cold and snowy day. With only a few simple ingredients, you’ll be making memories that will last a lifetime with your little learners.
This simple recipe is perfect for the classroom. You can even whip up a batch at home with your family on a snow day – if you’re lucky enough have them!
Easy Snow Ice Cream Recipe
Making snow ice cream is a great winter activity and a super fun way to enjoy the winter season for adults and children alike, I like to think of it as a tasty science experiment!
But just in case the idea of eating snow makes you cringe, allow me to reassure you that this recipe calls for carefully curated, clean, freshly fallen snow only.
Here’s a pro tip: If the forecast is calling for snow, place a bowl outdoors to collect the snow for you!
Ingredients for Snow Ice Cream
To make this super quick and easy recipe all you need are a few simple ingredients:
- 7-8 cups of fresh snow
- 1 10 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 2 bowls (or more if you’re making enough for a class)
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Optional: Sprinkles
If you live in a warmer climate you can use shaved ice from the store instead of real snow.
Check out this research-based, playful learning unit in our curriculum shop!
The Ultimate Pre-K Winter Lesson Plan Bundle
Winter bundle activities. Includes 22 resources for math, literacy, science, fine motor and dramatic play and more. Make learning fun!
In case you’re wondering how many servings this recipe makes, it will yield 7-8 one cup size servings depending on how many cups of snow you used and how much melting occurs.
It’s important to note that you don’t need a huge, heaping serving for each child if you have a large class. The idea is for each child to have a small taste of their creation, think of it like the samples you get at the grocery store.
Easy Snow Ice Cream Recipe for Preschool
These step-by-step directions will help you whip up this frozen treat in no time!
Begin by placing one bowl outdoors to collect snow if it is being forecast in your area. Ideally you’ll need seven to eight cups of clean snow for this recipe. You’ll want to use several bowls if you’re making snow cream for your entire class of preschoolers.
Next, mix the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract in another bowl.
Then, slowly add one cup of snow at a time to the milk mixture, stirring after each cup is added until it’s a creamy consistency.
Invite your kids to help you make the snow cream so they’ll be participating and invested in the process.
Classroom Recipes: Snow Cream
You can eat the snow ice cream right away or freeze it for a few hours for a firmer texture. Don’t forget to add sprinkles to make it really pop!
Of course, you could add any toppings you would normally add to ice cream like strawberries, fudge, fluff, or whipped cream.
It would be really fun to make snow ice cream in the winter with your kids, then make real ice cream in a bag in the late spring to compare and contrast the difference between the two processes.
One of the best things about this fun winter activity is that age doesn’t matter, everyone from preschoolers to high schoolers, and yes, even adults will enjoy making snow cream!
This sweet treat is safe to eat and always a favorite winter activity that’s lots of fun for kids. Enjoy!
Fun Ways to Stay Busy When It’s Cold Outside
Looking for more ways to keep your little learners active when it’s too cold to go outside? Just fill out the form below to have our FREE indoor recess printable emailed to you.
