Snowflake, by Steve Begin/flickr/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

For those of our readers in the appropriate climates to be receiving snow this time of year, we have some information on snowflake collection/observation that might be of interest; for those in milder or more tropical climes, we have a science experiment to create your own crystal formation in the shape of a snowflake! Let’s start with finding snowflakes in the wild. You can start by watching this Snowflake Safari video from Science Friday, or if you prefer reading, we have excerpts below (also via SciFri) from the book Mama Gone Geek by science writer Lynn Brunelle:

When the snow starts falling, grab your kids, coats and boots, a couple of pieces of black construction paper, and a magnifying glass or two if you have them. As the snow is falling around you, catch a couple of snowflakes on your black construction paper and observe them with your magnifying glass, comparing how the snowflakes are similar and different. Count how many sides or points the snowflakes have and if any snowflakes appear to match.

If you happen to have a microscope and microscope slides, try pre­serving snowflakes. All you really need for this activity are the slides, but using a microscope is a fun bonus. Prepare in advance by placing a couple of slides in the freezer so that they won’t melt the snowflakes. You will also need hairspray or artists’ fixative. Keep these items in a cold area like your refrigerator or an unheated garage.

When it is time to collect and preserve snowflakes, bring out the slides, the hairspray, and a couple of toothpicks. Spray one side of the slides with the hairspray. Catch the snowflakes on the sticky side of the microscope slides, using a toothpick to gently move the snowflake to center it, if needed. Place the slide with the snowflake in a cold area where no more snowflakes will fall on it, such as inside a covered box or in the unheated garage. Leave the slide untouched for several hours so that the hairspray can dry and the water in the snowflake will disap­pear. You now have the imprint of a snowflake on a slide you can study with the naked eye or a microscope.