Salt and Ice Extravaganza

I got this fun idea from Mom to 2 Posh Lil  Divas through her Sunday Showcase Linky.  I love finding fun activities to do in the summer when we have the hot temperatures.  We have to beat the heat somehow and there are so many fun crafts and activities to do with the little ones.  :) 

I did not do all the educational things that Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas did since my daughter is a bit young to be learning measurement things.  Click her link above to see how she did it.  Here is what I did:

1. filled water balloons with water and put in freezer.

2. The next day I got the balloons out and filled one up with water then had all my supplies on a tray. I put food coloring with water in little muffin tins and found a medicine dropper to use to squirt the ice with.

3.  When we got outside I showed Selah the frozen balloons and the non frozen one.  We talked about the similarities and differences.  (hard, squishy, warm, heavy, light) 

4. Then we took the balloons off the frozen balloons and we put salt on the ice.  During this time we used our ears to hear the ice crackle and start to melt with a chemical reaction taking place. 

Then it was time to put the food coloring on.  

Watch the colors go down in the holes the salt made.  

We were able to watch the ice over time to see it change.   When she is older I think it would be very educational to have her help fill the balloons and weigh and measure them before and after being frozen and talking more about chemical reactions.  It would be fun to keep a journal to record the changes that occur with the water, ice, melting ice.  What a great day of science fun for a preschooler or a school aged child.