Static Snow Paper Tree

What you need

• Balloon or plastic comb, 1
• White tissue paper, 2 to 3 sheets
• Paper, 1 sheet
• Kid scissors, 1 pair
• Crayons or markers, 1
• Aluminium foil, a few thin strips
• Rolled socks, 1
• Cotton shirt, 1 (optional)

How to do it

Grown-up prep: Grab a balloon (or a plastic comb), a few sheets of white tissue paper, a sheet of green paper, foil and a wool sock. Check for latex allergies before using a balloon, and keep balloons and tiny flakes away from under 3s.

1. Draw a big tree shape on your green paper.
2. Cut out your tree and lay it flat on the table. Ask for help if you need it
3. Rip the tissue paper into tiny snowflakes and sprinkle them around your tree.
4. Snip thin foil strips for tinsel and lay them on your tree. Ask for help if you need it
5. A grown-up blows up the balloon and ties it. A grown-up does this
6. Rub the balloon on your hair or the wool sock twenty times.
7. Hold the balloon just above the snowflakes and watch them jump!
   Ask: What do you think the snowflakes will do when the balloon gets close?
8. Float the snowy balloon over your tree, tap it, and make the tinsel wiggle.
9. Test hair, the wool sock and a cotton shirt, and count the flakes each lifts.
   Ask: Which one do you think will grab the most snow, and were you right?
10. Show a friend or a grown-up your snow magic, or make a whole snowy forest!

Play it again

• Snow race: two players each get a pile of flakes and see who can cover their tree first.
• No hands tinsel: move all the foil strips from one side of the table to the other using only the balloon.
• Snowstorm challenge: how many flakes can you lift in one single swoop?