Frozen Rainbow Fun: How to Make This STEM Activity

In this BLOG post I will teach you how to make these fun fizzy cubes!

What is a Frozen Fizzy activity?

Frozen fizzy activities are so much fun! They are a hands-on and get kids exploring and problem solving. You can create them in so many ways, but the base is freezing water or a mixture in an ice cube mold and using it to learn, play and create.

These fizzy cubes are a favorite around here. You can add glitter to make them to make them sparkly or leave them as is. You can add food coloring to fhe baking soda mixture, or not. They are fun and engaging no matter how you do it!

Whichever way you choose to explore them is absolutely perfect. Activities like this are inclusive. There is NO wrong way to play!!

You can pull out all of the cubes all at once OR just take out a few and save the rest for another day! My favorite part of this activity is that you can do it with a toddler, a beginning learner or even older kiddos. My 9.5-year-old LOVES doing this. This activity is calming and very regulating for him. I use it as an opportunity to connect with him and we both look forward to it.

Not only are these FUN, but there are also so many learning opportunities.

• What happens when the colors start to mix together?

• Did it take a long or short time to melt the cubes?

• Which one fizzed the most?

• How do they feel?

• Can you hear the sound of them fizzing? What does it sound like?

• What happens when you squeeze the vinegar up close? What happens when you squeeze it up higher?

Benefits of Frozen Activities:

• Strengthen fine motor skills.

• Increase opportunities for language & vocabulary.

• Practice self-regulation skills.

• Work on cause and effect.

• Allow opportunities to problem solve.

• Exposure to temperature and science topics.

• Purposeful ways to practice socials skills (waiting, using manners, taking turns, sharing).

• Bilateral Coordination (using both sides of the body).

Materials:

• Tree mold or ice cube tray

• Sensory tray or bowl

• Baking soda

• Water

• White vinegar

• Pipette or medicine dropper

• Food coloring (optional)

• Glitter (optional)

Step 1: Grab an ice cube mold. I prefer silicone but you can use anyone you have!

Step 2: In a bowl, pour in 2 cups baking soda and 1/2 cup of water. If adding food coloring, add a few drops and mix well!

Depending on how many you are making, you may need to double/triple the measurements.

Step 3: If you are using glitter, sprinkle it into the bottom of the mold now. Then, fill the mold with the mixture. Freeze for a few hours until solid.

Step 4: Once frozen, place in a sensory tray or bowl. In a cup or bowl, mix together half water and half white vinegar.

Step 5: Use a pipette or medicine dropper and squirt the mixture onto the cubes. Watch as they bubble and fizz!

Fine Motor Tools that you can add into your frozen fun:

• Tweezers

• Tongs

• Squirt bottle

• Medicine dropper

• Wooden mallet

• Pipette

• Measuring cups/spoons

Activities like this are an incredible way to strengthen fine motor skills. As kids paint, squeeze and squirt, they are strengthening the tiny muscles in their fingers and hands. Those same muscles are responsible for self-help skills like feeding yourself and zippering your coat. They are also responsible for supporting you during the writing process!

The more we can strengthen those muscles early on through sensory-driven experiences like this, the more supported children will be when they enter school-age.

The possibilities for FUN are endless. You can learn & play & create all through simple materials!! They are great to have on hand for a rainy day, during playdates or on a day when you just need a little something!

Have multiple kids? Using these in class or during a playdate? GREAT!!!

While kids explore frozen activities together, they will have the opportunity to work on a TON of social skills. They will be sharing materials, sharing space, practice using their manners, waiting their turn and problem solving together!

They will also be learning from each other! Kids observe EVERYTHING! They will be watching how each person explores the bin. They will learn their own personal boundaries and maybe even be encouraged to try something they may not have before!

SO many language opportunities. SO much social skills practice. SO. MUCH. FUN.

Always monitor young children in or around water. Small objects can be choking hazards. You get to decide what is safe and manageable in your home.