Break the Ice – Super Simple Sensory Play

Break the Ice – Super Simple Sensory Play

It’s been a long winter and we decided to release some of our cold weather frustration on an ice chipping activity!  I’m a huge fan of quick and easy sensory play that works with items you already have on-hand, so this one tops the list!

What You Need:

  • a muffin tin or ice cube tray
  • measuring cup or container with pouring spout
  • various small treasures that won’t damage if exposed to water or cold
  • a craft hammer or other chipping tool
  • tea towel

ice chipping, montessori, sensory play, kids activitiesInstructions:

  1. Challenge the kids to find small treasures around the house to place in each muffin tin compartment
  2. Fill the measuring cup with water and allow the kids to pour water in each muffin compartment
  3. Carefully place the muffin tin in the freezer overnight
  4. Lay out a towel on the counter or floor and let the kids chip away at the icy cups with the craft hammer to reveal their treasures

Variations:

  • In the summer, use the same concept using a giant container with a large surface area and add a variety of treasures to the water. Put the frozen container outside and let multiple kids chip away and dig for treasures.
  • Pick a theme i.e. plastic dinosaurs and bones and pretend to be archaeologists
  • Play a sink or float guessing game as you fill up each muffin compartment
  • You pick the treasures to freeze so the chipping will reveal surprises
  • If you use a non-stick muffin tin, the ice will pop out like ice cubes so you can set them up on a towel and allow multiple kids to chip on a towel at the same time
  • Older kids can use a screwdriver and hammer or other tools for chipping the ice
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