This ice activity is very simple and a perfect first preschool science experiment or activity.
All I did was freeze a LEGO man and a dinosaur in some ice. Once frozen we felt the ice very carefully and talked about how it felt a little sticky.
It’s generally best to leave the ice out for a while so it starts to melt, or little hands will stick to it which can be painful.
We then discussed where would be the best place to put the ice for it to melt, eventually deciding to leave it in the garden with the sun shining down.
Sure enough after a few minutes the ice was no longer sticky. We tried picking it up and found it was quite slippy and very cold. Freezing was the word the children used.
This was such a simple activity, but it led to so many questions, lots of giggles and many requests to do it again.
Science for Kids
Why does water freeze?
Water can be a solid, liquid or gas. In liquid form the water particles can move around freely, so the water takes the shape of the container it is in. When you cool the water down the movement of the particles slow down and the particles become tightly packed together, which means its shape cannot change easily. We will come back to this later on and investigate in more detail.
Why is ice sticky?
Ice feels sticky because when you touch it, the ice immediately freezes the moisture in your skin, which makes the cube feel sticky.
You can find lots more ice activities here.
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Last Updated on January 7, 2022 by Emma Vanstone
What a fun summer day activity!
Yes, they loved it!
So cute. Ice play is just perfect for this time of year!
Yes and very simple and easy!
That’s a fun idea. I may try it with my kids. They would probably enjoy it. : )
This looks like lots of fun! I can’t wait until it gets a little warmer here so we can try it out too!
Simple activities are often the best! This reminds me that we need to do this before the weather turns cooler. Thankfully(?) we probably have another month or so of 90 degree temps. Haha. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Wow! I think our summer is now over!
Oh, how fun!! I love it!! We may have to try this. Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!!