It’s summertime! Let’s make building blocks that can cool your down!
This is a simple STEM activity for kids that both my toddlers and preschoolers loved. It’s super easy, what’s simpler than making ice, and these ice building blocks kept my kids busy until the were nearly melted! Plus it’s a great way to introduce kids to simple science.
Ice Building Blocks – Simple STEM for Kids
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Materials for ice building blocks:
- Liquid Watercolors
- Water
- Ice Cube Trays
I used different sized containers and ice trays to create different shapes and sizes of ice. I have odd-shaped ice trays, like the long skinny ones, that I got for cheap at IKEA and I also used other containers (measuring cups and tupperware) from around the house to give a variety of sizes and shapes.
The kids picked out what colors they wanted and then we put them in the freezer. For the color, I used liquid watercolors but you could use food coloring. Beware that food coloring can stain hands if that’s something care concerned with.
Related: Sink or Float Experiment on the light table!
When they were all frozen solid I gave the kids the ice trays and let them pop the ice out. It’s a great fine motor exercise! We also talked about simple science, solids vs liquids, and what causes the water to change form.
It was such an engineering challenge for my preschoolers. They liked trying to balance the ice blocks and build tall towers or houses with them but it’s tricky because they are slippery! I was impressed with the towers they build. I wish I had gotten pictures of some of the big towers. Another child was busy creating roads and bridges with the ice and had a whole ice town built.
We started playing with these ice building blocks inside but then we decided to take them outside! Transitioning from inside to outside gave us the opportunity to observe the ice in different environments, we talked about why the ice was melting faster outside and how it feels inside vs outside in the sun.
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Inside or outside, either way, it was great fun for the kids! The ice is a great dexterity work out for the kids, trying to hold onto and stack those slippery blocks was no easy task but it was fun!
You can add all sorts of other learning elements to it, like sorting by size, making patters, color sorting, and many other activities for kids! Plus as they melted it becomes a whole new sensory experiment for them!
Want more? Check out our fine motor activities or try some sensory activities!
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What an awesome idea! I love that the buildings will melt as you use them – what a hands on way to learn about ice. Love this.
Thanks Katie! It was lots of fun and so simple! 🙂