Are you looking for a fun activity for the kids to do while they are home on Thanksgiving Break? With the kids home for a few days, they will be looking for things to do and I found the perfect solution.
Ice painting.
This activity is hands-on, super simple and easy to prepare.
With the weather getting colder, I was searching the internet for wintertime activities when I came across Ice Painting from a blog called “Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds.”
Now, in all honesty, this activity can be done year-round, but it made me think of icicles and snow. So, perfect for the winter time.
The other thing I look for when I’m searching for activities to do with the kids is something that doesn’t require a lot of prep time or a lot of step-by-step instructions. I want something simple and something that will keep the kids’ attentions. So, this was perfect.
My daughter loves to paint and will paint anything you give her, so I knew this would be right up her alley. It’s a great painting activity for little ones learning to paint or a fun sensory play with the ice.
So, what do you need to do this activity?
A large piece of ice, watercolors and a tray to catch the melting ice puddles.
The biggest step to this activity is freezing the ice overnight in a plastic container. You can choose the size and shape of the container, which also can be fun.
For the holidays you can freeze cookie tins that are shaped like gingerbread men or a snowman.
Either way, remember to put the container in the freezer the night before, so it has time to completely freeze. If you have extra room in your freezer, you can always put a few ice blocks in there to have anytime you need a fun activity.
The next day, you will remove the ice from the container, place it on the tray, hand the kiddos the paints and watch them make masterpieces.
The ice will melt, of course, and the colors will mix, but the kids will still have a blast. Make sure to wear an art smock or apron on the kids for a mess-free (less messy?) time!
The best part about this activity is the easy clean-up. After they are finished painting, just dump the tray in the sink. Clean-up is that simple.
And that makes this a favorite activity for my kids and me!
Happy painting, mamas!
ANN BURNS is a Morgantown native, raising two young children with her husband, Drake. She writes weekly columns for The Dominion Post. Contact her at Columns@DominionPost.com.
