The Science of Snowflakes

As temperatures drop and we head out into the world bundled up, young innovators might have some questions about the changing weather. From movies to decor and, perhaps, even our own backyards – we’re surrounded by examples of fluffy, frozen scenes of snow. Keep reading to inspire curious kids through nature’s miniature masterpieces and encourage them to practice making their own with a paper snowflake activity!

Snowflake Science

When water vapor condenses onto a debris particle in the sky, an ice crystal, commonly referred to as a snowflake, is formed. The snowflake expands in a symmetrical, six-sided pattern when additional water vapors freeze and expand upon the main crystal. Even though they have a great variety of features, snowflakes almost always have six arm-like structures because the hydrogen bonds between water molecules arrange in a hexagonal lattice structure as the ice crystal forms. Once the structure is heavy enough, the snowflake begins its descent.

You might be wondering: “If snowflakes almost always are formed in symmetrical, six-sided shapes, how are they each so different?” Well, this is all dependent on the temperature and humidity surrounding the snowflake as it is created, the atmospheric pressure, as well as the path it takes as it falls to the ground.

When the ice crystal forms, you’ll notice either flat crystals at 5 degrees Fahrenheit or long, needle-like crystals at slightly warmer temperatures. The same idea applies to the arms of the snowflake, as differences in temperature or humidity will change the ways in which they form. Because each snowflake takes its own unique path down from the sky, it will be exposed to slightly different conditions. The final snowflake will reflect its journey through a one-of-a-kind pattern!

Make Your Own Paper Snowflakes

Now that you know how real snowflakes are formed, put your creativity to the test and design a custom paper snowflake of your own.

1. Starting with a rectangular piece of paper, fold the bottom right corner of the shorter side diagonally across to the left, long side of the paper until the edges line up. Then, use scissors to cut off the excess paper at the top, making a folded triangle.

2. Next, fold your paper triangle in half. Place the long side of the triangle facing away from you and fold it into thirds by taking the top two corners inward and upward. This creates a thin, cone-like shape with folds along the two long sides and two points sticking out of the top.

3. Trim the excess top corners of the cone to create a narrow triangle.

4. Cut small shapes into the long sides of the triangle and then unfold it to reveal your masterpiece!

5. Create your own flurry of one-of-a-kind snowflakes indoors by repeating these steps with different shapes and designs.

Check out our blog for detailed instructions.

Keep Exploring!

We encourage you to visit our blog for more ways to encourage STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) exploration and to spark children’s curiosity.