Ready for the coolest activity? Meet Ice Painting.
I’m all about a good summer activity AND a good pun which is why ice painting is the best. It’s different, it’s fun, it’s an unexpectedly cool experience for kids.
And it takes about 3 minutes to set up.
Now that’s a win.
RELATED: Looking for more outdoor activities for the summer? I’ve got a whole list!
Ice painting is the simplest – but also fantastic
Remember – activities for kids no not need to be complicated.
Complicated does not = better (at least not with a kids activity). We can do so much for our kids and get them learning / playing with nothing more than ice and paint.
For me, I use this kind of activity anytime with jam the ice maker. Which happens often enough.
Here’s a list of other uses for ice cubes, in case you also jam your ice maker… al lot…
Ice is a fun gimmick in the summer – so why not try painting ON IT. Insert shocked emoji face. I know. I can just picture it too.
Here’s what you’ll need for this outdoor activity:
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It’s a complicated list so buckle up.
- Ice
- Paint (this is my favorite kind – washable tempera paint)
I put this all into a clear storage bin from Target – it’s my pride and joy for anything sensory related or for messy play that needs to be “contained.”
Why is ice painting so awesome?
It’s unexpected.
It’s different.
It’s probably not something your kids have done before.
The combination of mixing colors, painting ice, watching things freeze (yes the paint freezes a little, and melt makes this a “science-y art” activity.
There’s a lot going on here.
I open this activity up to free play and just let the kids go wild. They can paint and explore however they like… and they love it. They’re 3, 5, and 7 now but the first time we did this, the big kids were just 2 and 3.5. And even at that age, this was a big success.
(We did that activity INSIDE in the winter and you can see painting ice cubes with toddlers here).
Once this melts… turn it into a pouring station
Don’t forget to extend this activity into a colored water pouring station once the ice cubes melt.
No sense in getting rid of the colored water just yet!
Add in some cups, scoops, pitchers, bowl, and spoons – turn this ice painting activity into a life skills pouring station.
A two for one activity – now that is cool.
This summer activity is one for the ages…
Don’t miss out on this super fun activity. It’s a good wow factor for the kids and a fun way to pass some summer time (or inside in the winter).
Give it a go… it’s the cool thing to do.
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