There is nothing more fun than seeing your child’s face light up in awe when you are doing a new science experiment. This one is no different AND you can have your child turn it into a game of fishing for ice. This experiment is easy enough to have your child do every step on their own and try it repeatedly, trying to use more and more ice each time.
Age:
4 and up
What you Need:
– Ice
– Bowl
– Cold water
– Food coloring OPTIONAL
– Yarn/ String
– Salt
How To:
1- Fill the bowl with cold water.
2- Place the ice cube in the water.
3- Cut the string to be wider than the width of the bowl and place the string over the ice.
4- Then sprinkle a few pinches of salt over the string.
5- Let sit for 1 minute. Then gently lift the string up and watch the ice cube come up with it.
How does this work?
Saltwater has a lower freezing point. When you add salt to the ice cube the ice cube starts to melt and then quickly freezes around the string.
You can mention to your child that this is why some states choose to use salt to sprinkle on ice roads in the winter.
Objective:
Science is always great for helping children practice step-by-step processes. Just like cooking and following a recipe. Your child will also be seeing firsthand how ice cubes respond to salt. They will be working on their fine motor skills when sprinkling the salt over the ice and while slowly raising the string to see if the ice has stuck.
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