Coloring Ice Cubes Arts & Crafts Activity

Have you ever tried to paint with ice? Sounds pretty wacky right!? Here is an original arts and crafts activity that will undoubtedly stimulate your child's creativity.

This is what you will need to put together this fun activity

• Ice tray 
• Water 
• Food colouring or powder paint 
• Paper 
• Tray 
• Apron (to protect your child's clothes) or old clothes 
• Popsicle sticks or toothpicks (optional, but might make it easier for your kiddo to hold the "brrrrrr" cold ice cubes) 

Here's how it's done

To design a painting with the colouring ice cubes, you can proceed with either method A or method B.

A. Pour water into ice tray and add a couple of drops of food colouring in each cavity. Just when the cubes start freezing over enough, insert the Popsicle sticks or toothpicks in. Place a sheet of paper on the tray and hand over one or two coloured ice cubes to your child. Invite your little one to drag the cubes on the sheet of paper. As the cubes melt, they will create some funky, colourful lines and streaks.

B. Prepare clear ice cubes, without using any food colouring. Again, just when the cubes start freezing over enough, insert the Popsicle sticks or toothpicks in. Place a sheet of paper on the tray and sprinkle it with some powder paint. Use assorted colours in order to create some original colour combinations. Invite your kiddo to drag the cubes of ice on the sheet of paper to create different shapes and patterns.

While your child is drawing away his very own masterpiece, comment on his painting techniques or on what he is creating. For example, you can point out how circles are sketched when he or she performs a particular movement, or how his or her doodles makes you think of snowflakes falling from the sky.

Other than being a bucket of fun, this pastime is also tremendously beneficial for children. Indeed, it puts into practice the parental approach and assists in your child's development in many ways.

For starters, you provide immense comforting as you admire your child's artwork and express positive comments about it. In praising his efforts, you help him develop self-worth and encourage him to further explore his creativity.

This artsy activity allows your child to find new imaginative ways to express his creative side. Want more inventive ideas to explore with your child? Try using a feather, pine cones, Q-tips, a piece of crumpled foil, or any other unusual objects you can think of!

Last but certainly not least, an activity such as this one is a terrific learning tool. While it's clearly fun to paint with ice, your child additionally discovers scientific facts, such as the change of state (from solid to liquid and vice versa) and colour combinations.