More than six tons of snow will be produced beginning a 1 p.m. onto the lab's playground as parents and teachers decided to give some Southern California-raised kids a taste of what winter is really like.

"Children in Southern California really don't always have knowledge or access to real winter weather, though we talk about it being winter right now," said Barbara Hill, director of the center. "Knowing how children think concretely, we thought we'd bring the concrete experience of snow to their own backyard."

The Lab School, which serves preschool and kindergarten children, is located at 18330 Halsted St. in Northridge.

The Lab School and the center are part of the CSUN's Department of Family Environmental Sciences and are dedicated to fostering the growth and development of the whole child as well as forming a partnership with the child's family. The school also serves as a learning environment for CSUN students interested in working with children.

California State University, Northridge has more than 27,000 full- and part-time students and offers 48 bachelor's and 39 master's degrees. Founded in 1958, it is the only four-year university in the San Fernando Valley.