I figured this recipe out by accident while trying to come up with a recipe for something I'll share in a few more days (once I get the photos of it), but immediately realized that it was a VERY fun and NEW play recipe.  Just like real snow it is puffy and cold and the best part is that it re-puffs once you compress it several times (somewhere around an hour in it starts to lose steam, but for that hour it's REALLY FUN!)

It actually has two stages.  The first is thin and smooth like cloud dough.  You can sculpt things with it and S enjoyed making a winterscape.  It is highly moldable, despite being crumbly - it is very reminiscent of cloud dough.  In fact, it took awhile before S believed that it wasn't cloud dough, hahaha!

When your child has tired of playing with it in the cloud-dough-esque stage, they can sprinkle the citric acid powder over the surface of the dough and begin mixing it in with their hands.  Please note that citric acid can sting cuts.  It is the citric acid in lemon juice that causes it to sting broken skin, so please be sure not to play in it if you or your child have any cuts on your hands.  It doesn't actually harm you or anything (nor does lemon juice) but it certainly doesn't feel nice!  :)

It puffs slowly over the space of a minute or two, so it's very hard to capture on film.  But this should at least give you a sense for the texture of the Puffing Snow.  You can play with it and compact it and watch it grow up again.  It will continue to react for about an hour before the reaction is spent and it no longer puffs.  Here's a super short (8 second!) video of the texture:

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To make your own Magic Puffing Snow, you'll need:

Baking Soda (aka Sodium Bicarbonate)

Shampoo (we used this Unscented Baby Shampoo )

Water

Liquid Watercolors or food coloring (optional)

Plastic Snowflakes (optional)

Citric Acid Powder

In a large cake pan (or other container), measure out 3 cups of baking soda and use your hands (or your child's hands) to break up any clumps.  Measure out 1/4 cup shampoo and add 1-2 drops of food coloring OR 1/8 cup blue liquid watercolors and stir them until combined.  Add the colored shampoo to the baking soda and using a spoon or your hands (or your child's hands) mix until completely combined.  Finally add 5 Tablespoons of water and mix until completely combined.  The dough should be crumbly, but hold together if compacted.  

In this state, you can play with it for quite awhile building and sculpting.  Once you're ready for it to start puffing, sprinkle 1/4 cup citric acid evenly over the top of the dough and mix it until well combined.  It will start puffing up within about a minute and continue for around 1 hour.

For more fun, once you are completely done, add scoops of the dough to a bowl of water and enjoy some blue foaming action!

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All activities here are activities I feel are safe for my own children.  As your child's parents/guardians, you will need to decide what you feel is safe for your family.  I always encourage contacting your child's pediatrician for guidance if you are not sure about the safety/age appropriateness of an activity. All activities on this blog are intended to be performed with adult supervision.  Appropriate and reasonable caution should be used when activities call for the use of materials that could potentially be harmful, such as scissors, or items that could present a choking risk (small items), or a drowning risk (water activities), and with introducing a new food/ingredient to a child (allergies).  Observe caution and safety at all times.  The author and blog disclaim liability for any damage, mishap, or injury that may occur from engaging in any of these activities on this blog.