100 (Attempted) Ways to Entertain a Young Toddler, Day 56: Snow Chef

Oliver was sick and miserable all night last night. Even though he seemed better this afternoon, I decided not it and didn't take him outside to play in the snow (even though I really wanted to). Instead, I decided to take the snow to Oliver!

I went outside and filled up a big bowl full of snow. I brought it to Oliver and proudly set it in front of him (on a towel):

Oliver wasn't so sure about the snow at first. In fact, he wandered off for a bit. I got another idea: food coloring! I busted out the dyes and showed Oliver how to put some drops in the snow. He did it and thought it was OK. Once he figured out how to mix the dye into the rest of the snow by stirring, he got into the activity:

After about twenty minutes (yes, twenty!), I got a little tired of wiping up every green drop. I put the dyes away, dumped out the slush, and refilled the bowl. I decided to give Oliver the measuring cups, too. He had so much fun! He'd scoop and yell, "Plop!" as he dumped each scoop into a separate bowl. OK, so it was a jack-o-lantern bucket. For a good hour, Oliver enjoyed scooping snow from one bowl to the other and back again:

What fun Oliver had playing "Snow Chef!" He hasn't been so thrilled with anything since "Pasta Play." This activity is obviously dependent on the weather outside, and it does make a mess. If you use dye, it can even damage the floors or cloth, not to mention staining your kid's fingers for the day. The entertainment value of the activity really outweighed all the negative aspects of it, though. I give "Snow Chef" an A.