Ice Art

LESSON 5

Children create ice art, revisit freezing concepts and recognize the significance of ice in nature and everyday life. 

  • Natural materials (twigs, berries, leaves)

  • Water

  • String

  • Tray or muffin tin

  • Two cups, one slightly bigger than the other.

  • Rocks

Materials

  • Gather natural materials for the ice art activity.

  • Set up containers or molds for freezing.

  • Familiarize yourself with the story "Mice Skating."

Preparations

  • Revisit the concept of water turning into ice through a brief recap of lesson one.

  • Encourage creative expression with ice art and storytelling.

  • Facilitate discussions on the positive aspects of winter and the significance of ice.

  • Support children in connecting their outdoor experiences with scientific principles.

Objectives for Teachers

  • Children engage in creative expression by using natural materials to craft ice sun catchers or an ice lantern.

  • Children deepen their understanding of water turning into ice through a revisiting of the concept.

  • Children explore the joy and benefits of winter through the story "Mice Skating" and related activities.

  • Children gain knowledge about the importance of ice in the natural world.

Objectives for Children

Collect and Connect

  • Practice saying the poem together with the actions you came up with.

Jack Frost!

Who comes creeping in the night,

When the moon is clear and bright?

Who paints tree leaves red and gold,

When the autumn days turn cold?

Up the hill and down he goes,

In and out the brown corn rows.

Making music crackling sweet,

With is little frosty feet.

Jack Frost!

Activity Flow

  • Do you remember what happened when we placed the water over heat on the stove, and outside or in the freezer?

  • What do you think caused the water to turn into steam or freeze?

  1. Begin by revisiting the concept of water turning into ice by taking a few minutes to reflect on lesson one in this unit. Some questions you might ask:

2. Settle into a comfy spot to enjoy the story "Mice Skating" by Annie Silvestro. Meet the main character, Lucy, a mouse who adores winter unlike most mice who prefer staying warm in their burrows. Ask your child if they also love winter and what makes it special to them. Lucy, eager to share her winter joy, faces friends who don't understand. Let's read together to discover if Lucy can help them appreciate the wonders of winter.

3. Following the story, engage in a discussion about how Lucy succeeded in helping her friends appreciate winter. Encourage your child's thoughts with questions like:

  • How did Lucy feel about winter?

  • Why did Lucy's friends not like winter at first?

  • What did Lucy do to try to help her friends enjoy winter?

  • What changed in Lucy's friends' perspective by the end of the story?

  • Can you relate to Lucy's love for winter? Why or why not?

4. In the story, Lucy's friends discovered their love for ice skating. Can you think of other ways we enjoy and benefit from ice? Take a moment to share your thoughts, and then let's explore some ideas together.

  • Cool treats: Ice is used to make delicious popsicles, ice cream, and slushies. What's your favorite icy treat?

  • Cold drinks: Ice keeps our drinks cold and refreshing. Think about the cold juice or lemonade you enjoy on a hot day.

  • Winter fun: Ice is the reason we can go ice skating and play fun games like ice hockey. Have you tried ice skating?

  • Snowman Building: When it's really cold, water turns into ice, and we can build snowmen! What do you like about building snowmen?

  • Preserving Food: Ice helps keep our food fresh. It's like a chilly helper in the refrigerator.

  • Cooling Down:Sometimes, when we're too warm, we use ice to cool down. Have you ever had an ice pack on an ouchie?

  • Ice Shapes: Ice can be shaped into cool things. We can make ice cubes in different shapes. What shapes do you like?

  • Exploring Nature: In winter, lakes and ponds freeze into ice. We can walk on them and see how everything looks different. Have you ever seen a frozen pond?

  • Helping Animals: In really cold places, animals use ice and snow to survive. It's like a natural freezer for them. Can you think of an animal that lives where it's very cold?

5. After discussing the many benefits we enjoy from ice, head outside to collect natural materials for the ice art activity. Discuss the unique characteristics of each item and how they might look when frozen in ice. If you live in a cold place, keep an eye out for ice in its various forms (e.g., icicles, snow, frozen streams, ponds, or puddles) while on your nature walk. 

Suncatchers:

  1. Arrange collected natural materials in a tray or muffin tin.

  2. Fill the tray or muffin tin with water.

  3. Place a string inside the water to create a loop for hanging.

  4. Freeze them by putting the tray or muffin tin in the freezer or by leaving them outside.

Ice Lanterns:

  1. Place the collected materials inside a cup-shaped container.

  2. After arranging them to your liking, put a smaller cup in the center of the larger cup.

  3. Add a few rocks to the smaller cup to help keep it weighed down.

  4. Pour water into the larger cup until it is full.

  5. Place the cups in a freezer or outside to freeze.

  6. Once frozen, remove the smaller cup.

  7. Place a tea light candle inside and enjoy your beautiful ice lantern.

6. Conclude the lesson by summarizing the joy and benefits of ice, both in creative expression and its natural role in the world. Consider bringing one ice creation inside for a sensory exploration. Allow the children to touch and observe the melting process.