The first snowfall of the season is thrilling. We rush outside to greet it, open-mouthed to catch flakes on our tongues. We thrash in the powder to make angels. We build massive forts and create monsters out of snowbanks. Snow transforms our gray world into something splendid and mysterious, and for that we are grateful, at least for a time. Of course, a season of daily blizzards can bring on cabin fever. What to do? Get back out there and celebrate the snow all over again. To inspire you, we've organized a snow appreciation day. Have fun. Toss snow in the air, color it, carve it into an ice dog. This is one day you'll remember long after the first thaw.

GO SNOW HARVESTING

First warm up with a big breakfast, and then, when your insides are radiating heat, pull on a second pair of socks, pull on your boots, and head outside for a snow-harvesting expedition. Your quest: Find the cleanest freshly fallen snow. A prize of some sort is in order for the fearless adventurer who stakes out the richest snowfield. (Go for the snow under the topmost layer because it's bound to be cleanest.) Once you've found pure powder, fill two mixing bowls with it and put the bowls in your freezer (more on this later). Then, using empty egg cartons as storage containers, make an arsenal of miniature snowballs. Store these in the freezer, too. These diminutive blobs of cold will be perfect for cooling you off next summer, when (believe it or not) it's going to be really hot again.

BUILD AN IGLOO

Igloos require a diligent team of architects to pack snow tightly into large containers and build the resulting snow blocks into walls. Build a thick base for your igloo, leaving a gap for the door. Add each successive row along the inside rim of the row beneath it, so the walls appear to lean in. Continue until the tops of the rows touch. Alternatively, you can make an igloo of successively smaller snowballs (with the bottom ones at least 2 feet high), like a circle of snowmen leaning on each other. Spritz the finished igloo with water, which will freeze to make a shiny exterior. (An adult must supervise all igloo play in case of cave-ins; ask your kids to break it down at day's end.)

MAKE SNOW ICE CREAM

When you're back inside and thawed out, take the two bowls of snow from the freezer and wet one of them thoroughly. Add food coloring to the wet snow, stir and return it to the freezer for sculpturing later. Then transform the "dry" bowl into snow ice cream:

3 cups loose, clean snow
2 tbsp. milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix all the ingredients, sample the result and add more sugar and vanilla extract to taste.

CREATE AN ICE SCULPTURE

Take the wet snow out of the freezer and dump it on a tray. The snow and water will have frozen almost solid, but you should be able to chip off pieces with a spoon. If it's too hard, wait five minutes. Dig right in and create an ice sculpture--perhaps a dog or a meatball still life. Keep your masterpiece in the freezer until dessert time, when you will serve--what else?--baked Alaska.

MAKE BAKED ALASKA

4 cupcakes
1/2 pt. ice cream
4 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar

Fill hollowed-out cupcakes with ice cream. Freeze for at least four hours. Make meringue by whipping the egg whites until stiff. Then, still whipping, add sugar until the mixture has the consistency of marshmallow creme. Spread the meringue on the cupcakes with a knife, then quickly brown for 3 minutes under a broiler.

Here are two more snowy day projects to try:

BUILD A CITY MADE OF SNOW

A fresh layer of sticky snow offers kids even more opportunities for building the playscapes of their imaginations than a sandy stretch of beach. Unlike sand sculptures, which are prone to collapse--and subject to flash floods--packed snow holds its shape and can last for weeks.

To help your child build his dream city, use a shovel to build a mound of snow. Then, with mittened hands, he can shape miniature skyscrapers, bridges and parks. If the snow isn't damp enough to pack well, use a spray bottle filled with water to moisten it.

Use the edge of a metal spatula to smooth walls, slope roofs and square up corners. It's also a handy tool for plowing the city's roads and walkways. Hollow out windows, doorways and tunnels with a large serving spoon.

For a glitzy effect, your child can use food coloring mixed with water to spray-paint the completed city. He can even populate his creation with a bunch of mini snowmen and pets or line the streets with tiny snow cars. Afterward, take a picture to send to relatives.

--by Maryellan Sullivan

MAKE A FAUX SNOWMAN

To mix up a batch of faux snow, measure 2 cups of powdered laundry soap (not detergent) into a mixing bowl. Add 1/2 cup of water and whip with an electric beater until the mixture resembles dough.

Using your hands, shape the damp soap into three balls. Stack them by gently pushing a toothpick halfway into the center of the bottom ball. Then push the middle ball down onto the toothpick until the two balls touch. Do the same for the snowman's head.

Now your children can add twig arms, clove eyes, shirt buttons and a felt scarf. To make a smiling mouth, press on a row of seed beads. For a mini carrot nose, color the tip of a short twig with orange craft paint. For a hat, use an egg cup from a cardboard carton. Or craft a pair of earmuffs from a pipe cleaner.

As the soap dries (this can take a few hours), it will lose its grayish tinge and turn bright white.

--by Cindy Littlefield