Ice Painting – 26 months

Ice Painting is a fantastic summer activity for so many reasons. It is a great form of sensory play with all of the learning experiences that go with it – talking about how temperature, texture, colours etc. It is also another way for a little one to express their creativity. Plus, the really obvious fact that it is cold, which makes it a perfect activity on a hot day!

Ice Painting

WP_20140716_16_45_06_ProIce Painting Ingredients

Water
Food Colouring
Ice cube tray
An old bedsheet/paper
A curious baby/toddler (preferably dressed in old clothes in case the food colouring stains!)

Method

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Fill your ice cube tray with water, and add food colouring. I like to get a good mixture of different colours and we only really have gel food colouring in the house, which works surprisingly well! My advice is to actually put more food colouring in than I have here as when the ice melts, some of the colours don’t show up that strongly, particularly on paper.

Freeze

Oila you are ready for Ice Painting 🙂

I chose to do this in the Tuff Spot this time, although last year we just did it on the lid of his sand/water table and that worked just as well. I find using a sheet works best as the colours soak into the sheet better than on paper – and you can wash and re-use the sheet – but paper works too. We used a combination and Monkey enjoyed doing it on both 🙂

It’s lovely now that Monkey is getting older and his speech is coming along, as he is really joining in more, and repeating when I say it’s wet or it’s cold. But even when they are not talking they take so much in so it is great to talk to them about how it feels, especially when they feel it for the first time and screw up their face!

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Then basically let them loose to have fun and see what they create!

WP_20140717_10_22_05_Pro WP_20140717_10_21_31_Pro WP_20140717_10_27_31_Pro WP_20140717_10_27_43_ProMonkey was intrigued by his increasingly red stained fingers (the reds and pinkers are stronger colours and showed up more – definitely doing to make some of the blues stronger next time!).

WP_20140717_10_31_36_Pro (2)He also decided he liked drawing on the paper when it was over his feet (??)

WP_20140717_10_32_19_ProAnd we finished by lining the colours up in a row and, of course, counting them 🙂

WP_20140717_10_38_29_ProAnd here we have Monkeys masterpiece at the end – you can only really see the reds and pinks so definitely don’t be afraid to use a lot of food colouring in the blues and yellows – hopefully that will make them come out stronger too!

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Mini Creations

Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall



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49 thoughts on “Ice Painting – 26 months

  1. That looks like so much fun – if you tried it on a blank playsilk and then gave it a little steam with some vinegar you could set the colours and have a hand dyed playsilk I think – I’ll have to give it a whirl some time!

  2. I love this idea. I might try it in the summer holidays and use silk like Carie suggested and set the colours. Looks like he had a lot of fun with it! 🙂
    Popped over from Mini Creations!

    • It’s definitely a great way for the kids to have some fun and Carie’s idea is fab to actually make something with it too! xx

  3. Monkey did well! The only problem I can see with this is that the cubes look very much like mini ice lollies and I’m pretty sure EJ would try and eat them and then throw a massive wobbler if I tried to suggest he swipe them on a piece of paper instead! 🙂

    • haha yeah he did try and put them in his mouth once but I just laughed it off and he seemed quite happy… though I hope he doesn’t try and wipe ice lollies over things now to make pretty pictures!! 😉 xx

  4. Ooh, first the snow idea and now ice painting-cool (?!) ideas. I like this, although I’ve never heard of gel food colouring. Think I need to investigate as we just have the liquid style. My son would love this. Actually my 8 year old might like it too to be honest 🙂

    • I’m sure the liquid colouring would work too, may just need to put in quite a lot! It is great fun so I am sure they would enjoy it 🙂 xx

    • It really is fab isn’t it? So difficult to judge the colours though, I think I need to be a bit more heavy handed with some of the colours next time! xx

  5. Aw he looks so adorable in his sunglasses and that looks like lots of fun! I cant wait to give this a go with Buddy. Thanks so much for sharing.

    Visiting you from the Let kids be kids Linky

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