It’s been a long winter and we decided to release some of our cold weather frustration on an ice chipping activity! I’m a huge fan of quick and easy sensory play that works with items you already have on-hand, so this one tops the list!
What You Need:
- a muffin tin or ice cube tray
- measuring cup or container with pouring spout
- various small treasures that won’t damage if exposed to water or cold
- a craft hammer or other chipping tool
- tea towel
Instructions:
- Challenge the kids to find small treasures around the house to place in each muffin tin compartment
- Fill the measuring cup with water and allow the kids to pour water in each muffin compartment
- Carefully place the muffin tin in the freezer overnight
- Lay out a towel on the counter or floor and let the kids chip away at the icy cups with the craft hammer to reveal their treasures
Variations:
- In the summer, use the same concept using a giant container with a large surface area and add a variety of treasures to the water. Put the frozen container outside and let multiple kids chip away and dig for treasures.
- Pick a theme i.e. plastic dinosaurs and bones and pretend to be archaeologists
- Play a sink or float guessing game as you fill up each muffin compartment
- You pick the treasures to freeze so the chipping will reveal surprises
- If you use a non-stick muffin tin, the ice will pop out like ice cubes so you can set them up on a towel and allow multiple kids to chip on a towel at the same time
- Older kids can use a screwdriver and hammer or other tools for chipping the ice
