By making predictions and observations, children can learn how ice and water are related. In this activity, your child will melt ice cubes into water and will be able to explain why this happens.
Learning Area(s): Language and Communication; Science
MATERIALS
- Ice cubes (10 to 12)
- Clear glass bowl
- Warm water
LET'S PLAY
Begin this activity by talking to your child about ice—describe to her how it feels, and remind her where she may have seen ice. Talk with your child about what ice is made of and how it needs to be kept in a very cold place to stay frozen.
Now fill the bowl with a tray of ice cubes. Using a clear glass bowl can help your child see through the sides as well as the top. Encourage your child to reach in and talk about how the ice feels.
Ask your child to think of what will happen to the ice when warm water is poured over the ice cubes. You can write down your child’s predictions.
Slowly add warm water to the bowl. Ask, “What is happening to the ice? What do you see?” If your child isn’t sure, explain that the warm water is causing the ice to melt. Let your child reach in and feel that the ice cubes are getting smaller and are not all frozen anymore. Keep watching or adding warmer water until all the ice cubes melt. Talk about whether your child’s predictions were accurate. Together, observe what is happening to the ice as time passes.
Key words to reinforce are freeze and melt.
TIPS
- You can extend the conversation about freezing and melting by asking your child, “What are other things that cause ice to melt, besides water?” Give your child time to respond. “What about the sun, a hot sidewalk, a stove, or an oven? All of these cause melting because they are hot. What happens when ice cream is left out of the freezer? What happens if butter is heated in a pan on the stove?”
- Talk about factors that can affect how fast something melts. For example, inside vs. outside, in the sun vs. in the shade, or on the counter vs. on the stove.
- You can repeat this activity using room-temperature water and hot water. If you try this, use two bowls of ice and add the water to each bowl. Invite your child to make predictions and talk about what you notice. Which bowl of ice is melting faster? Why? How does the water feel in each bowl? What would happen if you used cold water instead of room-temperature water?
- Ask your child how she thinks the water in the bowl could be turned back into ice. Let her help pour the water back into the ice cube tray and put it in the freezer. Check it together periodically to see how long it takes to freeze.