My Kids and I Had a Blast Experimenting with Super Cool Inexpensive Ice Activities
Hey guys, so it's been so hot here in Los Angeles, my kids and I had a blast experimenting with some super cool inexpensive ice activities. Here are our three favorites.
First up, if you judge an activity by how long it keeps your kids occupied, these ice blocks were a huge winner. All you need is a bin, toys that can get wet, and colored liquid. I wanted to do it in layers so that the toys were dispersed and I could get a little color gradation. So, I started with a clear bottom, let that freeze, pour cold water over it, and it's very important that the liquid is cold or else it will crack the first layer. You keep going until it's done, but I have to warn you, it takes a while for a liquid of this volume to freeze, so you'll have to start this the night before.
I gave it to the kids with a few tools they started with brute force, how do you make ice go away, and then we tried salt, and then finally, they figured out that heat would melt the ice the fastest. What else makes ice melt? Hot water, don't worry, it's not complicated. I feel like they learned a lot because they were really motivated to get the toys out, and if you don't have a lot of time to set this up, you can also do something more simple like these really cool dinosaurs.
Next we tried ice painting, and this was surprisingly not messy. My kids loved it. All you need is paint, an ice cube tray, and toothpicks or bamboo forks. Then, it's really easy. You just fill the containers up a third with paint, the rest water, stir it up, let it freeze for about two hours, then you stick the ice picks in. You can also tape them in, but I thought this was easier. Let them freeze the rest of the way and you're ready to go.
All right guys, let's see how these work. We used paint with glitter, and I think the pictures turned out gorgeous. Here we are, good job. Finally, we sailed some ice boats, and these are really easy. All you need are small plastic containers, supplies to make the sails, which can be paper or fabric, and then we used aluminum foil as our river.
Oh my gosh, yours is going out again! I have to say, these are the quickest to melt, so maybe I'd use bigger containers next time, but they were absolutely the coolest to watch. All right guys, hope you give these a try if you do take a pic tag us on Facebook or Instagram, I will see you next week stay cool bye.
The Ice Blocks Experiment
Our first experiment was with ice blocks. As mentioned earlier, all you need is a bin, toys that can get wet, and colored liquid. To create the layers, we started with a clear bottom and let it freeze, then poured cold water over it. It's very important to use cold water, or else it will crack the first layer. We kept going until it was done, but I have to warn you, it takes a while for a liquid of this volume to freeze, so we started it the night before.
When we gave the ice blocks to our kids, they started with brute force trying to break them apart. Then, they tried using salt to see if it would help melt the ice. But finally, after some trial and error, they discovered that heat was the fastest way to melt the ice. What else makes ice melt? Hot water! It's not complicated, but I'm sure you'll have your kids thinking of all sorts of ways to melt ice in no time.
The Ice Painting Activity
Our second experiment was with ice painting. This activity was surprisingly not messy at all, and our kids loved it. All we needed was paint, an ice cube tray, and toothpicks or bamboo forks. We filled the containers up a third with paint and then added water to stir it up. Then, we let it freeze for about two hours before sticking in the toothpicks.
We used paint with glitter, and I have to say, the pictures turned out gorgeous! Our kids were so proud of themselves for creating these beautiful works of art. It's a great way to encourage creativity and fine motor skills in your kids. And the best part? The ice doesn't melt right away, so you can work on it over several hours.
The Ice Boats Experiment
Our final experiment was with sailing ice boats. These are super fun and easy to make. All we needed were small plastic containers, some supplies to make the sails (which can be paper or fabric), and then aluminum foil for our river. We cut out the sail shapes from the material and attached them to the container using a string.
Then, we placed the ice boat on the aluminum foil "river" and watched as it glided across the surface. It's amazing how much fun you can have with just a few simple materials. And don't worry if your kids get bored or want to try something else – there are plenty of other ideas for inexpensive ice activities that we'll be sharing in future posts.
Conclusion
We had such a blast experimenting with these super cool and inexpensive ice activities with our kids. Whether you're looking for ways to keep your kids occupied on a hot day, or just want to encourage creativity and fine motor skills, I highly recommend giving one of these ideas a try. With just a few simple materials, you can create hours of fun and entertainment for yourself and your family. So go ahead, get creative, and make some memories with your kids!