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Ice Sculptures

December 18, 2009 by notjustcute Filed Under: Get Outside, Learning through Play and Experience 9 Comments

Ice is a fun, inexpensive, and fascinating material to explore in your sensory table!  I like to add color to the water before filling my ice molds, to add interest, and so that the colors begin to mix as the ice melts.  Then I fill a variety of containers – ice-cube trays, of course, but also empty plastic food containers (Cool Whip, sour cream, yogurt, etc.), plastic cups, popsicle molds, muffin tins – anything to create an interesting shape.  You can place these in your freezer, if you have the room, or if you’re lucky enough to have absolutely frigid temperatures as we did here, just place them outside overnight.

Place the ice in your sensory bin with paintbrushes and water, and show the children that if they brush the ice with water and then press two together, the water freezes and holds the ice pieces together like glue!  They can build castles and forts to their hearts’ content!  I also add a salt shaker so that they can observe what happens as salt is added to ice.  inevitably, they’ll eventually want to chop at the ice (particularly if they’re only partially frozen, with water in the middle, a fortuitous and fascinating accident), so if you want to protect your paintbrushes, provide something else, like craft sticks to use for chopping.

This activity provides experience with science concepts like freezing and melting.  Talk about why the ice is slowly melting and discuss whether the ice would stay frozen or melt outside right now!  It also provides a frigid sensory experience that paves the way for language development as you use synonyms for the word “cold”, like “freezing”, “frigid”, “chilly”, and “icy”.  Other words to describe the experience, such as “slippery”, “smooth”, “melting”, “freezing”, and “dissolve,” easily come into play.  (And, if your children are anything like my own boys, words like “destroy”, “blast”, and “invincible” will also likely come into play.)

See how much learning fun you can have with a little water and coloring?  For a fun spin, you could also try the same activity outside on a snowy day!

For more wintry activities, click here!

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Comments

  1. 1

    Deborah Stewart says

    December 18, 2009 at 6:58 pm

    That is a terrific idea – I love all the elements this activity provides. Science, sensory, colors, art, motor skills – well just about every content area can be touched on through this idea.

    Thanks for the wonderful pictures and ideas.

    Reply
  2. 2

    susan says

    January 1, 2010 at 12:19 pm

    Excellent please add my e-mail address to get your blog. Thank you. Susan

    Reply
    • 3

      notjustcute says

      January 1, 2010 at 1:15 pm

      Hi Susan! I just added a feature on the comment form that allows you to click the box to get email updates. I’m still looking into better options, but that’s the fastest one for now!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Tweets that mention Ice Sculptures « Not Just Cute -- Topsy.com says:
    December 19, 2009 at 9:04 am

    […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Wendy Zachrisen, Early Childhood. Early Childhood said: I love what this blogger has done with ice – add some color and explore away! http://short.to/112py #ece #preschool […]

    Reply
  2. uberVU - social comments says:
    December 20, 2009 at 5:07 pm

    Social comments and analytics for this post…

    This post was mentioned on Twitter by Teach_Preschool: I love what this blogger has done with ice – add some color and explore away! http://short.to/112py #ece #preschool…

    Reply
  3. Colorful Ice Sculptures | Not Just Cute says:
    December 6, 2010 at 1:15 am

    […] This is one of my favorite winter-time sensory activities!  Though it’s great any time of year, colder temps outside make it easier to freeze all those ice blocks!  Get your kiddos in on all the action by letting them mix the colors (I like to use washable liquid or powder watercolors), and letting them observe the change from liquid to solid…..and then back again!  Pop the colored ice into your sensory table, kitchen sink, or even the bathtub, and get building!  (Originally posted 12/18/09.) […]

    Reply
  4. Winter in the Southern Hemisphere says:
    August 4, 2014 at 11:00 pm

    […] Ice Sculptures | Not Just Cute […]

    Reply
  5. 23 Ice Crafts & Decorations For Winter Fun says:
    January 15, 2015 at 5:01 pm

    […] Ice Sculptures The best frugal fun to keep your kids engaged. Watch the colors mix and change as the ice melts. via notjustcute […]

    Reply
  6. ice play says:
    August 2, 2015 at 4:41 am

    […] some ice cube boats :: make colourful ice sculptures :: paint on ice cream :: go excavating for frozen […]

    Reply

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In early education, there is too much distance between what we know and what we do. I bridge the gaps that exist between academia, decision-makers, educators, and parents so that together, we can improve the quality of early education while also respecting and protecting the childhood experience.

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