Ice painting – ocean themed

We’re making the most of the cold weather by sticking with our ice theme this week. This ice painting science activity is super simple and huge amounts of fun. I just wish I had a bigger freezer to get a bigger sheet of ice.

Materials for ice painting

Tray ( I used the cheapest oven tray I could find )

Water

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Water based paints

Felt tips

Paintbrush

Kitchen roll or paper towels

Paper

Instructions for painting on ice

Freeze water in your tray so you have a sheet of ice.

Paint on the surface of the ice.

Place the paper on top and press down gently, rubbing all over.

Leave your paper to dry.

Wipe the remaining paint off the ice and paint again!

Decorate your ice paint picture.

Questions to ask

How does the ice feel? Is it slippery? Sticky*?

Does it get harder or easier to paint as the ice starts to melt?

What happens to the paint as it mixes with the water, do the colours get more diluted?

Extension activities

Can you leave some water in a big tray to freeze outside if it’s cold enough? I’ve left some in our Tuff Spot hoping one morning we’ll wake up to a lovely big fresh sheet of ice.

Is there a difference if you paint the ice indoors or outside on a cold day? Does the paint freeze on fresh ice?

Can you try different types of paper? Which absorb the paint the best?

*Ice can feel sticky when you first remove it from the freezer at is immediately freezes the moisture in your fingers.

Suitable for EYFS

Key Stage 1 – properties of materials

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