Snow Days- Make a language-based snowflake!

Snow Days is a simple and elegant interactive from Popular Front, a web-based media company. Although 362 days of the year, I want nothing to do with snow, kids sure like it. This site provides a user-friendly way to make a snowflake, and you don't have to sweep up afterward. The click-and-drag interface lets you make a geometric or irregular design, add a "message," then let the snow fly! You can use your snowflake's number or other features to find it later. In the course of my inspection, a lot of users had not added a message, and all who did kept it clean.


Try it out while it's timely. Maybe this would be a good change-of-seasons activity.

Language Lens:

• The design process and snowflake showcase lend itself to using mathematical language and concepts, such as shape names, counting or more complex ideas such as center/perimeter.
• The message is a great little web publication opportunity (very motivating) and could be used for a language target. "When winter is over I will..." or "I will miss the snow because..."
• Locating peers' snowflakes provide a pragmatic context for commenting/complimenting, etc.