Knowing that we were expecting a string of scorchers (for Vancouver, at least) here in the city, I prepped this sunny day activity a couple of days ago so it would be ready to go when the mood struck.  All it took was a bunch of ice cube trays, a little food colouring, and some freezer space.

I know that some may wonder why on Earth I have so many shaped ice cube trays, and the only explanation I really have is –  I’m a Kindergarten teacher. (They’re great for counting, sorting, AND making homemade soaps for Mother’s Day!) No, they’re not what we use on a regular basis.  In fact, we have 8 regular ice cube trays in our freezer at this very moment. And while regular ice cubes would work just as well, I decided to pull out the fun ones to add some interest to our ice play.

With the ice cubes frozen and ready to go, I quickly gathered up a few kitchen goodies to accompany the ice. Some cups, a couple of spoons, and a spatula to mix, scoop, and stir with, and a jug, a squirt bottle, and spritzer {each filled with coloured water} to melt the ice and make “soup” with.

Gracen was pretty anxious to get her hands into this bin and didn’t hesitate to put her water reserves to good use.

Mmmmmm…. Soup!

With the soup ready to go, the tasting began.  We did have to explain that she couldn’t put the small cubes right into her mouth, but she was more than happy to just lick the bigger cubes.  Not as thrilled, was Papa, Grae’s official soup taste tester – yuuuummy!

Full of soup, it was time to climb in. Brrrrr! For being as cold as it was, she lasted a surprisingly long time in there.

With frozen feet, it was time to climb out, defrost those tootsies, and water the lawn a little…

And not long after, this is all we had left of our ice sensory bin…

Though this sensory bin doesn’t lend itself to repetitive use like most do, it’s easy to set up and so refreshing on a hot summer’s day that we’ll definitely be enjoying it again very soon. Bring on the heat!

♥