Reseda : Children Delight in a Day of Snow

As groups of children at Magic Years Nursery School were led out of their classrooms Friday, their eyes widened when they finally saw what they had been anticipating all week.

Rushing past their teachers, they quickly squeezed through a gate and jumped into nine tons of snow awaiting them in the play yard.

Most of the 120 3- to 5-year-olds at the Reseda school had never before seen snow, so owner Mary Campbell ordered some artificially made and dumped at the schoolyard Friday.

As a bonus, nature pitched in some early morning fog to give the atmosphere a more realistic feel of winter.

But the weather was the farthest subject from the kids’ minds.

They immediately slid down a slope, tried to build a sloppy snowman and threw occasional snowballs.

“I like to get in a hole and try to climb out,” said 4-year-old Stephen Bishop, looking for a good spot to sink his heel into.

Campbell said the children have been excited all week.

“Today’s a more fun day,” said Hannah Davis, 4.

Some children who had been in the white stuff before noticed that Friday’s snow wasn’t quite like what they had seen in the mountains.

“My cabin is funner,” said 4-year-old Jeremy Bernfeld of his previous experience at Big Bear. “There’s acorns there.”

Jake Jacob, a 4-year-old who also visited Big Bear recently, said, “It’s much more bigger.”

Linda Cameron said snow had been the topic of conversation around her house all week for daughter Elizabeth, 4.

“Where else would kids get excited over this little bit of snow?” she asked.