When kids are home in the summertime you need to keep them busy and engaged in fun activities. Children often lose interest in their toys and the same old games they play day in and day out. When boredom sets in no one has fun. If you find that you’re running out of ideas to keep them entertained, check out these ice toys.
They’re a novel way to keep kids busy for a long time when it’s really hot outside and you can make them at home with a few simple items that you likely already have on hand. Your kids will play with them for hours and will love having a new activity to do!
First up is ice toys which are made by using a plastic tub or bin, small toys that can get wet, and colored liquids. Place the toys in the bin, pour some liquid over them, and freeze it until completely frozen. Take it out and pour another color over the first layer.
Make sure the liquid you pour on top of the first frozen layer is very cold because if it’s too warm it will crack the layer underneath it. Freeze that layer completely and repeat the process, adding as many different layers of colored liquid as you’d like.
It takes awhile for all the layers to completely freeze so be sure to start this well in advance of when you want to use it. When it’s time to play, give the kids some tools to work with and help them figure out how to get the toys out of the ice. It should hold their attention for a long time and if it doesn’t simply pop the ice back in the freezer and come back to it at another time.
Next is ice paints that you can make with paint, an ice cube tray, water, and toothpicks. Fill an ice cube container a third of the way with paint, then top them off with water. Stir the paint and water, freeze for about two hours, then stick a toothpick in each paint cube and allow it to completely freeze. Take them out and have the kids paint with the ice cubes on paper as they melt.
The third project is ice boats. You will need small plastic containers, supplies to make sails with (such as paper, fabric, toothpicks, umbrella toothpicks, or small bamboo forks), and finally aluminum foil to make a river. Freeze water in the plastic containers and halfway through freezing them stick a toothpick, or whatever you choose to use for the mast, in the middle of them.
After they completely freeze take them out and glue or tape on some fabric or paper sails. Take some tin foil and form a ‘river’ out of it where the ice boats can float down. Then grab a hose so there is a constant flow of water and have the kids sail their boats down the river. They can race their boats and will play with these fun toys until they melt!
Please Share These Ice Projects With Family and Friends 🙂
