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28 Ice Play Ideas for kids!

Whether you are hot in the summer, want to talk about arctic animals, or are leaning into a cold winter, ice play is so fun! Here are tons of ice play ideas for kids!

We live in coastal South Carolina and the summers are HOT. But, I love spending the mornings outside with the kids.

We spend a LOT of time at our splash table, but even that can get hot some times. My solution? Add ice!

Ice play is silly, fun, and a great way to cool down in hot weather.

dinosaur ice dig activity with plastic spoons

Ice Play for kids

What do children learn when playing with ice?

Playing with ice is great for building fine motor skills! Kids learn to hold things, pick them up, and manipulate small objects.

Playing with ice is also great for the senses –

  • FEEL cold temperatures
  • SEE the ice as it melts
  • HEAR the ice bubble and crack as it melts!
  • TASTE the ice!
  • SMELL if the ice has a smell!

What can you play with ice?

You can play with ice as a part of a sensory activity, water play, or for imaginative exercises with arctic animals! You can do ice science and use ice to study simple science lessons like the water cyle.

Is it safe to play with ice?

You should always supervise small kids with ice, but ice itself is not dangerous to play with. The main risk is choking or if a kid threw an ice cube hard at another kid. Just my kids?

Ice and water can also be slippery and cause slip and falls. Be mindful!

Are ice cubes good for toddlers?

Toddlers love playing with melting ice cubes, but should always be supervised to be sure they don’t put it in their mouths and choke.

Can babies play with ice cubes?

Babies can definitely play with and explore cold ice – but be sure to supervise them because ice cubes can be a choking hazard!

What are the benefits of sensory play?

Sensory experiences are great learning activities!

  • Helps develop fine motor skills
  • Teaches kids to be inquisitive
  • Can be paired with specific topics for targeted themed learning
  • Encourages scientific thinking
27 ice play activities for kids

Ice Play Ideas for kids!

Here are some of my favorite ice play activities for kids!

Some of these activities use ice specifically frozen (in an ice cube tray) for play, and some use ice just dumped out of your freezer’s ice maker!

Ice Play Ideas for kids!

Here are tons ideas for fun and cheap ice play with your kids!

How are you playing with ice this summer?!

Thanks for reading!

celebrating with kids about us image

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