Playing with ice is such a great sensory experience for tamariki.

Woodville Playcentre share how they created this experiment, which is popular at their Playcentre, at home.

  1. We froze some toys inside a container of water.
  2. The kids picked out their own toys to freeze and we popped them into a container of water and froze overnight. You can also freeze flowers, colours, leaves and stones.
  3. We then tipped the frozen block outside and gave the kids some little hammers to smash the ice and free their toys. (We would recommend using safety glasses when using hammers).

This activity allows for a range of learning experiences as it is unstructured and imaginative. Children build up their fine motor skills and coordination while exploring and moulding the ice while learning what happens when it starts to melt and changes consistency.