When the snow is fresh on the ground it is the best feeling in the world. Kids whizzing down powdery slopes, squealing in delight, not noticing the cold. Chucking snowballs and building snowmen, until we are breathless and rosy-cheeked with cold and laughter. Then home for hot chocolate and an argument about who got the most marshmallows. But when it gets colder, and snow turns to dirty ice, it is no longer fun. So as the weather looks set to get colder again, here is something you might want to do with the kids this weekend – Icicles!
You will need:
A shallow baking tray
Playdoh or biscuit cutters of various shapes
Cold water
String
Food colouring (optional)
- Spread your playdoh cutters out in the baking tray – larger ones without too many narrow edges work best.
- Place short pieces of string under one edge of each cutter, making sure they don’t touch each other
- If you are using food colouring, mix a small amount into some cold water until you get the colour you want – I did red, the Bug got blue, and then we used the leftovers to make purple!
- Pour the water into the tray until it is about 1cm deep
- Put your tray outside in the garden (it was -5C when we did this!) overnight and allow it to freeze (or in the freezer if your Mum is a wuss and doesn’t want to go out in the cold!)
In the morning, all being good and cold, you should have trays of frozen water. You need to carefully prise the cutters out of the ice (a toffee hammer or equivalent helps to break the surrounding ice from the edges of the cutters). Each icicle shape should have a peice of string frozen into it, so you can tie them to the washing-line, bird table, tree, or a coathanger mobile, wherever the catch the light.
Now thaw out your fingers with another hot chocolate and admire! What do you do in cold weather with your family?
About Helen WillsHarrassed mother to GG and the Bug.Writer of other people's blogs. Drinker of frozen wine.
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My girl will asolutely love these! She was playing with the ice on the nursery water table last week picking out the shapes. Wait until she finds out she can make her own shapes, she’s going to love you lol
Siobhan R recently posted..Extreme baking
It was actually one of the few crafts I enjoyed because it was impressive and didn’t take long! Let me know if you do one
i love these! Love the idea
Keynko recently posted..Something I love
I really do absolutely love this idea. So pretty and clever.
Thanks for linking to Family frolics. Hope to see you again.
Kerry
x
Multiple Mummy recently posted..Family Frolics #5 – Snow Time!
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oooh fab! My kids would love those. xx Thanks so much for linking to Science sparks
Emma @sciencesparks recently posted..Filtering
They look like lots of fun, I think mine would be very sad when they melted!
Done some of these tonight – before cold weather ends – looking forward to seeing them tomorrow – hope they work!
Rollercoaster Mum recently posted..Saturday is Caption Day!
Oooh tweet us a pic in the morning!!
Those are beautiful, what a lovely idea! I’ve been meaning to try some crafts with frozen water in various shapes, but I hadn’t thought of using playdoh cutters, fab.
Jennifer recently posted..The PinAddicts Pinterest Challenge – Cardboard play biscuits
PS thank you for sharing on Kids Get Crafty
That is such a clever idea! My OH suggested doing it with wine and then standing underneath with your mouth open, which I’m sure is not really the idea!!
Nikki Thomas recently posted..Fiction Fridays
Oh my God! I have a whole new plan for Kids Get Crafty at Red Ted Art now! Do you think Maggie could handle, adults get crafty with alcohol??
Inspired! Love it, we will definitely have a go x
great idea! your Mum is awesome letting you loose with food colouring!
x
HELEN recently posted..Cooking With Your Toddler – American Style Banana Pancakes
ooooh, what a fab idea! Love them!! xx
That is such a good idea! I love them! I’m going to check what we have in the way of cookie cutters.
Chatty Baby recently posted..Toddler Dance – I’ve Got The Beat!
I actually LOVE THIS! What a cute idea. I want to try it now, but the kids are in bed and my husband would think I was weird.
Ah well, another day.
Steph recently posted..Going Back To Work
Oh do it! Adult icicles – brilliant!!
We have made some and I LOVE LOVE LOVE them
one of my favourite cold weather crafts! Here are ours from last year. http://www.redtedart.com/2010/12/29/kids-get-crafty-ice-ornaments/ Waiting for blue skies (who am I kidding?!) for this years…
M x
What a brill idea!I need to try it out xx
Brilliant, going to do this with Little Legs when she gets home from nursery!
Oooh let me know how it goes! Little Legs – love that!