Rising temperatures are the perfect excuse to get outside and have some fun!

But, let’s put a little sensory twist on it and use something common, that requires almost no preparations or preplanning for the adults, but is something that kids enjoy. Ready for it? Ice. Yup. It’s that simple. Grab some ice and go outside and play.

Note: this works inside too! A baking sheet helps contain some of the water.

But, what do you do with it?

Anything! If your children haven’t played with ice before, simply let them play with it and see what they do. Ask them questions about how it feels, count how long they can hold the ice before their hands get too cold… anything!

Here are a few more ideas to get you started:

1. “Paint” with it on the ground. Spell your child’s name. Draw shapes… The possibilities are endless (depending on the heat, of course, and how quickly the “paint” evaporates!).
2. Stack the ice cubes.
3. Line the ice cubes up. Form letters or shapes.
4. Count the ice cubes.
5. Play catch.
6. Grab some stuff from the kitchen (or their play sets) and practice transferring the ice from one container to another, balancing it on a fork or spoon, etc. Bonus: use a timer and make a race or a game out of it.
7. Experiment with where the ice melts the quickest. Put ice cubes in different parts of the yard. Make a prediction as to which ice cubes will melt the quickest (and why!). Then, check your predictions. This is great for getting some energy out too if you make your little one run and race around to check on the ice cubes. 🙂

There you have it! A few SIMPLE ideas for cooling off this summer and having some sensory fun!

For more ice activities, check out Frozen Fun Part 2. 

Looking for more simple science activities? Try The Simple Science Summer Series!

If you’re interested in more fun activities like this, check out my Summer Survival Series!