We did a color and ice experiment. Or really, we played with tools, ice, and color.

Here’s the bin before the kids started playing with the ice. Food coloring, water, pipe cleaners, and all our tools.

Here’s what we used:

• A plastic bin to hold the ice
• 2 plastic containers for water
• Paint brushes
• Food coloring
• Knives and spoons
• Pipe cleaners
• Hammers (the ones we use with playdough)
• Towels

All I had to do was put everything outside, and away they played. For 2 hours.

First, the kids grabbed the food coloring and made their water different colors. Then they dripped it on the ice. Then they rubbed the ice cubes together. They were shocked to find that the food coloring made the ice not stick together. They had previously made ice sculptures by using water to make the ice cubes stick to each other. But with the food coloring, the ice wasn’t sticking. Abby and Nicholas had a great conversation about it. I got to sit and listen to them. It went something like this:

N: Why won’t they stick together with food coloring? Mom?!

A: Maybe it’s too colored.

N: Maybe. Let’s see. Stuck two ice cubes together without food coloring. Then tried to stick two of the colored ice cubes together – and they didn’t stick.

A: See. I told you so.

N: Yeah. But I bet the colored water works.

A: No. Your colored water is too brown (Nicholas had made it all brown).

N: Tries with his colored water, and it worked. Ha Abby, I told you so.

A: Okay. But now my hands are all colored.

N: We can wash them later. Let’s smash ice cubes!

A: Okay. I get the pink ones.

N: They aren’t pink. They are just less red than some others.

Coloring the water and the ice was one of the first things they did.

I love listening to conversations like this. They have these amazing conversations where they are playing and discovering things, all without being led somewhere. They are simply exploring the world around them, and these lessons will stick with them better than any other lessons. When they do something that’s similar to this, they can simply flash back to the things they learned while playing. There’s a reason why kids learn best while playing, and why all we have to do – as parents – is present them with opportunities.

It’s really quite amazing to listen to the conversations that go on for hours about this. I imagine we will be discussing the ice activity as a favorite for days to come. My kids tend to get stuck on these things and request repeats. Next time, I think I’ll make ice cubes in different shapes and colors beforehand. Then I don’t have to give them food coloring and watch them color themselves, their clothes, and the patio.

So our AAR (after action report) went something like this (I ask the questions, and the kids give their responses):

What did we use?

• Ice cubes
• Hammers
• Colors
• Water
• Paintbrushes
• Hands
• Feet
• Knives
• Sticks
• Rocks (they found some in the back yard)
• Leaves (they picked them off the plants and used them as decoration)
  

  Yes, we were in pajamas. No one wanted to get dressed. It’s one of the great things about homeschooling -science and learning in pajamas.

• Water

What did we do?

• Played with ice
• Made ice sculptures
• Colored water
• Painted ice
• Smashed ice
• Melted ice
• Painted my feet (Abby)
• Had fun
• Mixed colors
• Stuck ice together
• Colored ice
• Used a knife
• Drilled holes

What did we learn?

• Ice sticks with water.
• Ice doesn’t stick with too much food coloring.
• Red, yellow, and blue make brown.
• Mixing colors makes other colors.
• Colored ice melts into colored water.
• Breaking ice is hard.
• Smashing ice is fun.
• Smashing smaller pieces of ice is easier than the big pieces.
• Food coloring colors people too.
• Water can melt ice in patterns.
• Leaves can stick to ice.

What words describe our experience?

• Fun
• Smash
• Color
• Ice
• Cold
• Wet
• Exciting
• Loud
• Crush
• Drop
• Multicolored
• Friction
• Melt