Preschool Science Experiment - I is for Ice

Whenever I have an unusually shaped plastic form to throw out, I fill it with water and freeze it. Sometimes we do something specific with the weird ice block, but most of the time I just hand it to the kids and say, "Go outside and play with this." Even now, they still love it.

Recently, we had a package of cookies and the plastic tray had three long columns. I froze it and decided to use it as a language/science experiment for Natalie - who is rapidly adding to the number of letters she knows.

First we made an I with the pieces and I told her ice begins with I.  She knows i because it is in her name, but she is somehow very attached to lowercase letters and doesn't know very many uppercase ones.

Then we began the science part.  (We built our I in the shade.)

The top block is our control, it has nothing on it.  The middle block is covered in salt.  The bottom block is covered with red sugar.  Natalie is pointing to the one she thinks will melt fastest.

10 minutes

15 minutes

20-25 minutes later - the salt block is gone!

The big kids - who have melted ice with salt countless times - were just excited to check the progress as she was.  I don't know what it is about ice melting, but it is a fascinating thing.