Ice Age Bin – A Melting Ice Activity for Kids
This Ice Age Sensory Bin is one of my favourites ways to keep kids entertained in the backyard in warm weather. It’s a fun form of water play that doubles as a terrific simple science activity.
Click here to get our Printable List of 100 Summer Boredom Busters!
We have done this salt and ice and water activity so many times over the years, and each time we change things up a little so it’s new and exciting each time! Our ice age bin will cost you nothing to put together, and, it will keep your little ones busy for a good, long time!
It’s funny how we ended up doing this today: back in the fall, I filled a plastic container with water, tossed in a few small toys and random objects (buttons, shoe laces etc), and popped it in the freezer, thinking we’d have fun with it on a warm fall day. Well, the temps must have dropped, either that or I just kept forgetting about it because we never did get around to using it.
Every month or so, I’d run across that container of ice while rummaging through the freezer, and the other day I realized we’d better do something with it before I close my daycare’s doors for summer!
Setting Up Our Ice Age Bin:
This morning I placed the ice block in a clear bin, and set out some salt shakers, some coloured drive-way salt (stir in a few drops of food colouring), a bowl of coloured water, and some plastic syringes.
The Hooligans were just itching to get at this as I was setting it up. They’re good to give me a bit of space, and not come tooooooo close when I’m setting out an activity because they know that I like them to experience that “wow factor” when I call them over see it. I love hearing them whisper, and gasp and giggle as they try to inconspicuously sneak closer to get a glimpse of what it might be.
Then I call them over, and it’s all “Oooohs and Ahhhhs” and “Wows” as they investigate everything. 🙂
It didn’t take them long to figure out what the object of the activity was, and they wasted no time getting to work.
As they worked to melt the ice and free the toys and trinkets within, they talked to themselves and each other, planning and problem-solving with determination.
They sprinkled salt with the little spoons and squirted water with the syringes. They were so determined to free the toys. And because they hadn’t seen these toys in months, they were especially eager to get them out.
Big cheers went up when Dora’s friend “Boots” was finally freed from the ice.
They really co-operated and collaborated. Occasionally, they would take a break and get silly with the syringes (like squirt ME who was standing about 10 feet away), but then they’d get right back to work.
I expected at least one of them to get bored or frustrated and move on to something else, but I was wrong.
They were on a mission and totally committed to their task.
Not one child moved away from that bin until every single toy was freed from the ice. Not one!
Time from start to finish? An hour and 20 minutes!
Yep. That’s right. An hour and twenty minutes. Are you still with me, or are you already running madly around your home gathering up small toys and random objects?
Listen, you could make your ice block bigger than I did, and make this activity last even longer! Use cold water instead of warm water to melt the ice, and you could probably get a couple of hours out of it!
*Editing to add that we’ve since done a similar activity on a larger scale that kept them busy for TWO hours! Click here to see our Dino Dig!
And Woohoo for the kiddos! Mission accomplished!
Get the 3-5 Playful Preschool e-Book!
25+ Preschool activities by 25 bloggers, 10 printables, PLUS 50 links to activities not featured in the book.
Click to download your copy now!
Follow the Hooligans on Facebook!
Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.
