Mathematicians love looking for patterns, and one pattern we can see in the world around up every day is symmetry. Let's take a look at a COOL example - the snowflake! Varying temperature and moisture cause the different shapes to form, although scientists aren't sure why those shapes appear. Every snowflake is unique, but all snowflakes grow from a hexagonal (6 sided) base and demonstrate many examples of symmetry.
An object has symmetry if it can be flipped or turned and still look identical to what it looked like before - it still has the same size and same shape. Reflectional symmetry can be seen in faces and butterflies. Rotaional symmetry can be seen in windmills and the recycling symbols. Snowflakes have both reflective and rotational symmetry. For more examples and definitions, go to https://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/symmetry.html Where else can you find symmetry?
Want to make your own snowflakes? Ask a grown-up to help you cut one out of paper. First fold a square sheet of paper into a triangle, then fold in half again by bringing the points together. Fold in half one more time and (carefully!) start cutting shapes out of the paper. Unfold and share your masterpiece! Just like real snowflakes, no paper snowflakes are exactly the same. Experiment with different folds and cuts to see just how many different types of snowflake you can make!
Want to make digital art instead? Play around on this interactive to create your own designs: https://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/symmetry-artist.html
