ICE PAINTING DIY | Activities for Kids
Ice? Painting?
Yep, you read that right. There really are limitless possibilities when it comes to art projects! There seems to be an endless amount of ways to pair methods, colors, and ideas.
This ice painting activity is great for kids of all ages, is taste-safe, and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser!
ICE PAINTING DIY | Activities for Kids
Here are 5 benefits of this DIY ice play activity:
It Teaches Sensory Attributes
Ice play allows kids to explore sensory attributes through the cold, the smoothness of the ice, the texture of the paper, and the way that it melts with heat. Comparable to the watercolor effect but with different tools, and don’t forget the time and temperature factors as ice melts! This adds a whole new layer of complexity and opportunity to learn that kids will love!
It Develops Fine Motor Skills
Find a way to let them help you put everything together in the ice trays, as it will help them practice squeezing the bottle for food coloring, stirring with the stick, etc. Then holding the popsicle stick to paint is excellent fine motor practice.
It Aides Creative Development
Kids love when they get set free to be creative and messy to create beautiful things as they learn what works and what doesn’t. Ice painting is a great way to learn color mixing because the watercolors will easily mix. Also, these water-based colors will challenge a child’s ability to handle “watery paint” for different effects and color intensity.
It Practices Hand-Eye Coordination
Putting the ice cube to paper is a great way to practice all that necessary hand-eye coordination, an easy win for toddlers and preschoolers!
It’s A Form Of Process Based Art
Process art is a type of art that focuses on the process of making art, rather than the end result. With process art activities, your child is free to create whatever they want, without having to follow set instructions. There are a ton of benefits of process art, including independence, creative thinking, experimentation, and self-confidence.
I will say, my kids spent the whole time licking them like a popsicle! I mean, they do look refreshingly good, who can blame them? That’s why I made sure this ice activity was taste-safe.
However, always keep a close eye around little ones and ice.
Ice is a choking hazard so watch them closely while they play. When we did this at-home activity for kids, none of the ice came off the stick, however, that does not mean it can’t happen. So just make sure the little ones are supervised throughout the entire duration of this fun sensory activity.
For older toddlers and preschoolers, allow their creativity to run wild as they experiment with art using new and different tools. The food coloring keeps it taste-safe for toddlers. You can also use acrylic or tempera paint, but only for kids who are old enough to know not to eat it.
For any child under 2, this is simply a sensory activity. The pretty colors combined with the cold feeling as it touches their body, and maybe some paper to paint, is really exciting! For toddlers under 2, talk to them as they experience it for the first time to help them relate the feelings. Ask them “Is it cold?” “Can you paint the paper?” or “This color is red!”
Happy painting!
THE ICE PAINTING RECIPE
What you will need:
Ice cube tray
Water
Food coloring
Popsicle sticks
Watercolor paper
How To Make Ice Paint:
Fill an ice cube tray with water, but don’t overfill it.
Add a small drop of food coloring to each well. Drop in a different color in each for a rainbow effect!
Cut a popsicle stick in half and use the flat edge to mix the water & food coloring.
Leave the popsicle stick in it and freeze overnight.
Check out the recipe video here.
Tip: To paint with ice cubes, use watercolor paper for the best results. Watercolor paper is designed to absorb that amount of water. Regular paper will likely begin to fall apart from the wetness. You can get watercolor paper at your nearest arts and crafts store as well as major retail stores like Walmart or Target.
Hope you enjoy this kid-friendly indoor activity, it was one of the first ever DIY tutorials I ever made!
For this and many other sensory play recipes and ideas, check out the Mothercould in Your Pocket resource, where we encourage learning through play with fun, easy, and accessible play recipes using common household items so you can incorporate sensory play at home, on-the-go, and in the classroom
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