This was a winner, which kept my children entertained for hours not minutes! A very simple activity in which the children collect objects from their natural environment and then freeze in ice cube trays to be investigated when frozen.
How to do this activity
What you’ll need
- Ice cube tray or small plastic container suitable for freezing.
- Some interesting natural objects such as flower petals, stones…etc.
- Tap water.
Instructions
- Pick a range of interesting objects from the garden or on a walk (flowers, stones etc..)
- Place in an ice cube tray or plastic container, cover with water and put into the freezer
- Once frozen let the children use their imagination…(we used coloured water, pipettes, magnifying glasses, play tools and added glitter).
Why do this activity?
4 year old loved it because…
- he got to smash ice up with his tool kit!
- he enjoyed using a pipette and warm water to melt the ice.
- it sparked his imagination (he created a medicine to help those with the coronavirus).
2 year old loved it because…
- she got to pick flowers in the garden (which she is always told not to!)
- she loved pouring, mixing and re-pouring (making a mess).
- she was intrigued by the different coloured water.
Mum says.
- its a simple activity to set up.
- uses minimal resources.
- it keeps both children interested for a long period of time.
- you can easily expand the activity and ask lots of questions about what they were observing.
Enjoy this activity?
Let me know in the comments!