Mini Ice Sculptures!

What You Need:

• Various plastic containers such as an ice cube tray, yogurt cup, etc.
• Water
• Food coloring
• Freezer space
• Work area
• Spray bottle of water
• Salt (kosher or table salt) in a salt shaker
• Tray or plastic platter 
• A variety of hand towels for cleanup and to warm chilly fingers

What You Do:

1. Before you get your young learner involved, make the ice. Fill various plastic containers with water.  Choose several of the containers and add food coloring to the water. Once the food coloring has been added, stir the water gently.
2. Freeze the containers of water until solid.
3. Set up the tray as a work area. Have the spray bottle of water, salt shaker, and hand towels close at hand.
4. Now it is time to get your young learner involved as you remove the ice from the containers. As you do this, begin to explore. What happens when you hold an ice cube in your hand? Does it melt slower or faster than a cube on the tray?
5. Test how ice reacts with water. What happens when you spray an ice cube with the water? Does it melt slower or faster than a cube held in your hand?
6. Experiment with how ice reacts to ice. When you press two ice cubes against each other, what happens when you let go? What about when you spritz them with water?
7. Now sprinkle an ice cube with salt. Does it melt slower than a similar cube left alone on the tray? What happens to the ice cubes with food coloring when they melt together?

Encourage your kid to come up with their own questions to answer as they play, build and spray.