This is the perfect activity for a hot summers day! And it is super easy and affordable to complete. Don't have an active world tray? Don't worry! This activity can be done really anywhere; a bucket, in a water table, a large bowl. I personally prefer the active world tray because it keeps the mess contained and is a great place for the kids to explore. I did a few different variations of this activity that I will share with you.
Ice Cube Painting This was my favourite version of the activity. Lily and I did the prep for this one together and it was fun to have her involved. The supplies you need are:
- Popsicle sticks - food colouring - ice cube tray - water All you have to do is put water and food colouring into the ice cube tray. After that you add the Popsicle sticks and you put it in the freezer. I broke the sticks in half so that they stayed in the tray better. I did the prep for this activity the night before and then it was ready for us in the morning. Lily and I had so much fun mixing the colours together and talking about what would happen. You can choose how many drops of food colouring you put into the water and make different variations of the colours.
This activity is great for toddlers and infants. Mason really liked this one because he was able to hold the Popsicle stick and not touch the ice cube. I found with the others he didn't like how cold the ice cube was so shied away from the activity. He thought the ice cubes were Popsicle. He loved sucking on them and I think it helped with his teething pain. So another reason this activity is great as it can be used as a teething remedy.
Ice Cube Planters
This activity is fun and I love how pretty it looks! I call this one Ice Cube Planters because basically you are "planting" flowers in the ice cubes. Again we prepared this activity the night before so it was ready for us in the morning. The supplies you need are:
- fake flowers
- ice cube tray
- water
We used fake flowers for this activity so that we can reuse them multiple times. I got a variety of different types and sizes of flowers to make the activity more fun. The flowers looked so pretty inside the ice cubes and Lily had fun trying to figure out how to get them out. We tried a variety of different ways;
we used tongs and tried to pick up the ice cubes and put them in a bowl to work on fine motor skills
i let her use her small hammer while Mason wasn't occupied doing something else to try to break open to the ice.
using a spray bottle with warm water in it. we talked about how warmth melts the ice.
The opportunities are endless. We did this activity inside on a rainy day. Using the active world tray kept the mess contained and allowed me to leave the activity out for a few hours. Lily would go back every now and then to see how much the ice melted and to re-engage in the activity. It was great for keeping the kiddos busy throughout the day.
Another alternative is to use reusable ice cubes. I purchased these when we were in the States but I've seen them at Marshalls, Homesense and other stores. I love how these ice cubes at a pop of colour to the tray and provide a different sensory experience for the kids.
Who knew ice cubes could be so much fun? And distract your child for so long! What I love about ice cube sensory play is it is great for all ages and something both Lily and Mason can enjoy together.