Liz, from Chicago, IL, sent in this great idea. Let’s take a look at it…
What did you do?
Collect any small toy animals, beads, or buttons you have around the house and drop them into an ice cube tray. I used our miniature rainbow bears this time, but I’ve also used Learning Resources jungle animal counters. Fill with water and freeze for at least several hours. When fully frozen, pop out the cubes and put them on a baking sheet. We opted to do the next part outdoors, because there will be a bit of flying ice. Supply your kiddo(s) with a toy hammer and/or a pitcher of warm water and have them “rescue” the animals. They could also simply use the warmth of their hands to melt the cubes. Once an animal is freed, we sorted them into the corresponding colored cup.
This activity is a great opportunity to talk about the various states and sensations of water, as they experience how cold ice is and how heat melts it back into water. Our dog enjoyed licking up the leftover ice chunks as it was a hot day, so it was a win-win for the whole family!
You could also add a couple drops of food coloring to each ice cube to make things even more exciting!
Tell the Housebound With Kids community a bit about yourself…
My name is Liz Stanish, and I’m a SAHM to my 2-year old son. We live in Chicago, IL.
@ecstanish
