It’s seven years since the last widespread white Christmas in the UK, according to the MET Office. So, if you are under 7 years old you may not have played with or even seen snow! However with Insta-Snow, kids of all ages can experience the magic of playing with snow, no matter what the weather outside...

There's nothing better than waking up on a December morning to see that everything is covered in a layer of white powdery snow... at least that's what everyone thinks. But believe me the novelty soon wears off. Our office is deep in the heart of Devon's Dartmoor and just a couple of cms of snow means we can venture out and take some amazingly beautiful photos. However, once the novelty has worn off, and we've plastered our Facebook pages full of wintry pictures of Dartmoor ponies, the realisation that you're cut off soon sets in (you can't drive anywhere and the nearest shop is three miles away). Insta-Snow captures just about all the fun of snow without the nightmare of being trapped in your house.

The kit comes with easy to follow instructions and while you won't have enough to go sledging or build a snowman, it brings a little bit of Christmas magic into your warm house. Insta-Snow Powder was the Winner of Science Toy Awards 2017. Simply add water to the special Insta-Snow powder and it expands, like magic, to 100 times its original size. The kit comes with everything you need to have your very own white Christmas. Included in the starter kit is a test tube full of Insta-Snow Powder and a small dish.

You have to make sure you follow the instructions to ensure that you get the right consistency of "snow". Too little water and it won't fluff up right, and too much water and you'll end up with a slushy mess. The end result will last for over a month (if you spray water on it every two or three days to fluff it back up) so it's perfect for sprinkling on your Christmas decorations or anywhere else you want to place it.

It's non-toxic and environmentally safe. Once you've finished with it you can put in the bin or it can be dissolved by adding more water. One thing that's worth mentioning is that it's extremely slippery when wet, so placing it on your path or other area where people are likely to walk is not a good idea. Also, unlike snow, it doesn't bind together, so you can't make snowballs.

If you want to add even more of a Christmas feel, simply seal the snow in a zipper lock bag (in order to stop the water from evaporating) and place the bag in the freezer overnight. When you take it out it will feel exactly like fresh, cold snow.

For adults with young children this kit makes an ideal stocking filler for Christmas. Or, if you want to add a bit of extra magic to Christmas morning you can sprinkle it by the fireplace or front door to show that Santa has been.

8

Darren Rea