Ice was the daily topic for our Mother Goose Time. The weather was supposed to be wonderful, but alas it was cold and wet. The proposed activities were fun and I knew the kids would love them, but the messy factor was extremely high. So…..we grabbed our swimsuits and headed for the bath tub with our paint, glitter, water, food color, and ice!
But first we colored our icicle themed coloring sheets from Mother Goose Time’s member online resources and updated our calendar and discussed the weather. We contemplated what was needed to make ice and placed some water with food coloring in ice cube trays into the freezer to make ice paint. We also reviewed our daily concept (the number seven), by counting out groups of seven blocks.
The Opening Poem called “Icicles” gave us the opportunity to practice counting backwards from five to none. The kids enjoyed this poem and we have repeated it several times over the past few days.
Icicle Drip Painting (Skills: Visual Arts and Fine Motor)
We briefly discussed what happens when an icicle starts to melt. The kids dipped their hands into small bowls of water and let the water drip off their fingers like a melting icicle. Ladybug decorated the provided paper square and triangle to look like a house. Using a plastic eyedropper and some watered down white tempera paint, Ladybug was able to create some icicles. We then used silver glitter (Ladybug’s first independent experience with glitter) to the wet paint to really make the icicles glisten!
Ice Sounds (Self Direction and Scientific Reasoning)
We discussed the different sounds ice can make in different containers and mixed with water. We placed ice cubes into different plastic bins and bags and shook the containers and then drummed on the ice cubes with spoons. The kids engaged in some free play with the ice cubes, water, and assorted containers, etc.
Fizzy Ice (Physical Science and Communication)
We discussed when we use ice. We explored free play with ice cubes and crushed ice. We discussed what was different and similar about the cubed versus crushed ice. Then we built fizzy ice by sprinkling baking soda in between a layer of crushed and cubed ice. I gave each child a condiment squeeze bottle filled with vinegar mixed with food coloring. The kids then sprayed the vinegar onto the baking soda and ice and I had them describe what they saw and heard.
Ice Paint
Little Goose is a toddler level supplement to help adapt the activities from the main Mother Goose Time preschool curriculum to be more inclusive for younger participants. One of the daily parts of this program is a “tray play” activity that keeps little hands busy. The Little Goose tray play activity for our ice themed day was ice painting. My preschooler often loves doing the tray play activities along with her toddler brother and it’s wonderful to have them enjoy playing together and learning together.
Ice Fishing Experiment (Scientific Reasoning and Self Direction)
My preschooler loved this simple activity. We placed some ice cubes into a container. I had her try to catch some “fish” (ice cubes) with a piece of yarn. She was of course unsuccessful. I then had her lay the string on a piece of ice and sprinkle some salt over the yarn and ice. The slight melting of the ice cube resulted in the string being attached to the ice cube and she was able to pull out her “fish.” We then repeated the experiment close up with the ice cube and string. This activity was a hit!
Ice Dance
My preschooler was able to choreograph her first dance with this activity. She cut out triangles and circles and then assigned a certain dance move to each shape. She then placed the shapes in the order she wished. We played a song from her Sights and Sounds of Winter CD and she performed the maneuvers. Her squares were a dance move called “go wild” and her triangles were “twirling.” The second time around I got to dance too!
Our closing reflection was “Where do you see ice in the winter?” Ladybug is looking forward to seeing and eating icicles this winter. She also knows that snow is a form of frozen water. This was a great fun filled day for us! Thanks Mother Goose Time!
Are you home schooling a preschooler?
I’m looking to connect with other parents who are homeschooling preschool and I’d love to hear from you!
As a blog ambassador for Mother Goose Time, I am happy to share preschool curriculum ideas, activities, and crafts with my readers. Mother Goose Time provides our family the opportunity to use their curriculum free of charge in exchange for honest and authentic stories based on our personal experience. 
