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Kids Zone: Ice Block Treasure Hunt!

Wednesday, 17 July 2024 08:00

By Sara Whatley

Keep the kids cool in the heat and unleash their inner explorer with an ice block treasure hunt! Sara Whatley shows you how

The sun is out, the kids are hot, and the long summer holidays are stretching before us. Now the question is, how do we keep the little ones simultaneously cool and entertained? With an ice block treasure hunt of course!

Children (and adults!) will delight in chipping away at the ice to reveal hidden treasures. Make it as simple or complex as you wish, depending on the age of the children. Very little ones only need a few bigger objects to find, while older ones might like to work at uncovering smaller fiddly things.

It’s fun to theme the ice blocks – pirate ship wreck/dinosaurs/farm/space – or countless other ideas. All you have to do is make sure whatever objects you are putting into the ice block are OK to freeze, and won’t break if they get a bit bashed in the uncovering process!

YOU WILL NEED:

• A freezer
• A container (anything from an old
ice cream tub to a washing up bowl, depending on the size of your freezer)
• Objects to put in the ice block: any small or medium sized plastic toys, buttons and beads, experiment with plants and leaves, toy vehicles, toy or real coins, marbles, string, and anything else you can think of... • Optional extras: experiment with adding food dye to certain layers, or edible glitter (just in case they lick the ice block)

 

HOW TO:


1. Put a few inches of water in the bottom of your container and a few objects, then pop it in the freezer until frozen enough to add another layer. Repeat the process until you have the desired size ice block.

2. Once it is frozen solid all the way through it’s ready

3. Put an old towel down outside for the children and for the ice block or blocks to sit on. This way the ice won’t slip, and as it melts the towel will soak up all the cold water and keep the children lovely and cool.

4. Give them some old cutlery to chip away at the ice block and watch them delight in discovering the surprises frozen within.

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