Last Thursday I mentioned the heat wave we’ve been having. (temps. in the upper 90’s and even 100 or 101 on more than a few days…)
I’ve been trying to get my little preschoolers outside for a bit before the real heat of the day hits, which means pretty much we go out right after breakfast or we’re not going out at all. (And yes, I’ve been out there in my jammies, people – thank goodness for the country life!)
Even with going out early, it’s still been pretty hot and sticky, so I decided a little ice would help cool things off. Using a small plastic container I froze about an inch of water with blueberries scattered in it. Once it was frozen I added another inch of water and some green and red grapes. I repeated the layers until I had a nice block of ice.
The kids were really interested in it when I pulled it out after our picnic breakfast. (Hey, if it’s too hot for a picnic at lunch time, why not a picnic breakfast?)
We talked about how the berries were frozen in the ice block and brainstormed ways that would make the ice melt faster. After playing with it a bit, we let it sit. After 15 minutes or so we came back and examined the puddle of water that was starting to form beneath the ice. They both were able to wiggle a blueberry out…which thrilled my son to no end.
Alas, it was one of those over 100 days and it was already getting too hot to stay out much longer, so we took our ice inside and tried some of our brainstorming techniques to thaw out the ice.
I filled a large bowl with cool water and asked them if they thought the ice would float or sink. Then we gave it a try…
My daughter noticed that the water kept getting colder and colder as the ice slowly melted. Perfect time to talk about the effect ice has on our drinks… Then little brother noticed the ice was melting faster and the berries were escaping and he started getting super excited…
My favorite moment?
When Peanut decided she’d speed up the process by putting the ice between 2 plates and using a little magic….
Thankfully it looks like this week we might go back to our normal temps for this time of year. (Mid and upper 80’s are sounding really good right now!)
What are the temps like where you’re at?
What’s your trick for staying cool?
Mommy With Selective Memory says
What a great idea! I would have never thought to do this!
OneMommy says
They love ice – they’re always asking for a piece. Usually it melts all over the kitchen. They had a blast with such a large piece with yummy treats inside it.
momto8blog says
sounds like a fun way to cool off and get them thinking!!
It was so hot this weekend here too! thankfully much cooler today…have a great week!!
OneMommy says
I loved hearing all their ideas on how to make the ice melt faster.
It is MUCH cooler here today, thankfully!
Have a great week, too!
Kristen says
What fun! It has been brutal here. We have been avoiding the 100 degree temps too. We lost power for a few days and it was just awful. Thankfully, we are cooling off too. We even got a few rain drops this AM which I know my gardens are just giddy about! Enjoy the week of cooler temps!
OneMommy says
I think it’s been a super hot summer everywhere so far. We could definitely use some rain… My parents live a little over an hour south of us, and every time we think we might get a storm, it seems to head their way and we are just left hot and dry. I forgot to water the herb garden one day, and let’s just say the fairy house there is now surrounded by the dried remains of parsley and chives.
This Busy Life says
What a creative activity! I love that Peanut still believes in magic. So cute!
OneMommy says
Yes, I am hoping we get to take them back to Disney before that belief in magic is gone. (She think the Disney fairies are real and live there…) 🙂
another jennifer says
What a fun activity to do in the heat! Luckily, it’s not quite that hot in Maine. It was in the 80s when you had the 100s. (We still complained about the heat.) I actually just put a sweatshirt on because I was a little cool in the shade! Hope the weather is more bearable for you now. 🙂
OneMommy says
Oh, the 80’s sound wonderful… 🙂 Actually, it has cooled off considerably today. Hoping it stays that way!
Dawn says
That’s a cool idea! I bet they loved it 🙂
The temps finally cooled off a little here, well to the normal summer temps of mid 80’s. Saturday was our last brutal day (tho yesterday was not, not as hot) and we had a storm so strong it rained sideways – it really did!!
We have lots of ice pops, plenty of water and of course water guns and balloons are fun to keep cool.
OneMommy says
The past few days here have been soooo much better, with normal temps in the upper 80’s or so. Still no rain, though. 🙁 Thanks for mentioning water balloons – I forgot I bought some a couple weeks ago; time to get them out!
DonnnaDM says
Again, another fun idea for your children. Not only was it a fun project for a hot summer day, but it occupied a good chunk of time and taught them about the effects of ice too.