I Is For Ice

Ice Experiments And Sensory Play

Exploring Ice With The ABC’s Of Nature Series

I am so pleased to be joining with School Time Snippets ABC’s Of Nature Series. Every day a new and awesome blogger will share a letter of the alphabet and great ideas to go along with it! So many great ones have been done already. Please visit the ABC’s of Nature homepage over at School Time Snippets to read all about Kristina’s vision for the series and check out where all the letters can be found! Now for some great ice experiments!

 

Simple Experiments For Exploring Ice

Often we think about ice during the winter and icy drinks and ice cream during the summer, but have you ever explored a simple bowl of ice with nothing more than your hands, spoons and a little warm water. Exploring simple natural materials is a wonderful way for children to investigate their world. What is ice? What does it feel like? What can you do with it? What happens to it? There are so many interesting ways to open up communication with your young child! Preschool science is really so simple. Use the world around to peak interest, increase curiosity and  observation skills and problem solve. What can you do with ice?

Simple Ice Experiments Set Up And Play

When I said simple, that’s what I mean! What do you need for this hands on learning experience?

• Ice!
• Bowls
• Utensils: Tongs, Spoons, Ladles, anything you like
• Water
• Glasses

What can your child do with the ice?

Explore! Discover! Learn! AND Play! Talk about the ice together and also provide your child with some child led exploration. Let him make some of his own discoveries. Feel it, examine it, mix it, transfer it, and watch it. Grab a magnifying glass too! Easy ice experiments to add to your ice play.

• Simply transferring and mixing the ice assists in melting it. What happens to the warm water in the bowl when you transfer the ice into it?
• Test out two glasses of water, one hot and on cold. Put an ice cube in each. Which melts the fastest?
• Does Ice sink or float? One glass of oil and one glass of water. Ice floats in both. Have your child make predictions and test his thoughts.

 Hands On Exploring! What does it feel like? What happens in your hands?

 Which melts ice faster? Hot or Cold water!

 Checking it out up close!

Mini Oil And Ice Density Experiment

Fill a small glass with vegetable oil. Gently add an ice cube. Watch carefully and be a bit patient. As the ice cube begins to melt, drops pull away and fall down to the bottom of the glass. The ice cube remains in the middle of the glass while the melted water drops to the bottom proving water is denser than oil but an ice cube is less dense than water allowing it to remain suspended! Check out this experiment from Steve Spangler for more information. We tried it the way it was suggested but had trouble getting results. Our version with just vegetable oil was perfect and quick!

Easy, fun hands-on learning for everyday play!

Make sure to explore nature’s beauty in the winter and bring some icicles inside!

Frozen Stars Variety of Science Sensory Play

Explaining Solids, Liquids, And Gasses With Ice

Want to take Ice play to the next level? Check out all the ways we have explore ice so far. Lots of way to play..Click on a photograph to take you to the post.

 

Ice experiments are easy and full of learning opportunities! Hope you find an awesome way to explore ice with your child whether you have a theme or a simple bowl of cubes, playing with ice is a wonderful introduction to some simple scientific experiments using one of nature’s finest materials, ice!

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