Explore winter science with water beads and ice activity this season with your child. A fun and easy winter science activity!
Here’s how to set up this water beads science activity.
When you live in a climate where the weather is not necessarily super cold it’s always fun to create a few icy moments with kids so that they can have a little fun.
It’s a simple hands-on way to teach children about science by experimenting with temperatures and properties of matter.
Here’s a peek at our backyard explorations this past week when the temperatures were below 32 at night.
Creating Ice for Backyard Play
Plan ahead and purposefully leave containers filled with a little bit of water out in your backyard so that you can have opportunities for ice explorations with the kids.
The water table works out to be the best spot to get the largest pieces of ice. We invite you to take a moment to peek at our adventures with ice.
Ideas for Ice Containers
- Rubbermaid Containers
- Food Storage Containers
- Sandbox Toys
- Birdbath
- Buckets
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Ten Bags of Crystal Soil Water Beads (10 Colors)
Activity Ideas for Ice
- Plastic Toys Play with Arctic Animals
- Traffic Fun with Toy Cars
- Rock Salt
- Water Beads
- Add color to make it a colorful experiment
Water Beads with Ice Science Experiment
Experiment with Water Beads on our Ice Pieces on the Water Table. Taking note to focus on fine motor skills and observation skills. Visually it’s an activity all will be drawn to.
Start asking questions with your child once they’ve experimented a bit.
- Can you make the water beads stay in place?
- Can you stack the Ice one top of each other?
- Can they join together to form new colors?
For more ideas of what to do with ice this winter Follow our Winter Pinterest Board or our Science Board.
We’re always looking for new ways to explore winter with our children.
Looking for more Winter Science Activities?
Check out our Winter Science Activities with Ice and Snow!
What can you do with ice in the backyard?
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Disclosure: Think safety first when using ice and/or water beads with young children.
So fun, Kim!! And beautiful too! I was planning on freezing some waterbeads for the hooligans. You've just inspired me to dig them out and go for it!
Wow – this looks like an amazing sensory experience; with touch and colors. We have yet to try water beads – you have inspired me to seek them out!
How interesting – by accident I have a water beads coming up too, but very different 🙂 This really looks like fun, and photos are gorgeous.
We have some in our freezer for after school play time today. Can't wait to see what you do with yours. I've loving all your ice experiments you're sharing on Happy Hooligans Jackie!
They are a fun experience Amanda, just be forwarned they can get a bit messy.
Can't wait to see what you're sharing with water beads on Afterschool for Smarty Pants Natalie!
So funny!!!!! You know, I found a stash of Water beads I forgot about in the cupboard. Where did you get the glowing ones from?