Ice Painting

This was completely a time-filler last-minute art activity. Last week we were busy doing art and STEM projects at a local class that we almost didn't have one at home. But one afternoon it was hot, and O didn't take a nap, and I needed something for him to do.

MATERIALS:
- ice (cubes, chunks, whatever - the bigger they are the longer they will stay before melting)
- pan watercolor paints
- paint brushes
- small cup of water for washing brush
- tray, baking sheet, plate, etc. to hold ice

INSTRUCTIONS:
- Put ice on tray
- Paint!

I have seen similar ideas on Pinterest, but I just poured a bunch of our ice on a baking sheet, pulled out the pan water colors and took everything outside. DONE! In our case, O had more fun playing with the ice than painting, but he did put a bit of color on it too.

ALTERNATIVES:
For a creative sparker project or something that ends up on paper, you could use the same idea of ice and paint but follow these instructions:
- Line a tray/baking sheet with watercolor paper
- Put a few pieces of ice on top of the paper
- Add color on top of the ice
- You can leave it to melt for a completely nature/science created piece or you can play with the ice on the paper letting it melt as you go.
- Sprinkle on some large grain salt (rock salt, kosher salt, etc.) while the paper is still wet for a completely different effect. This works best on top of more intense or darker colors.

I also did something similar with O when he was younger, but we used food coloring and ice on his highchair tray. (Totally food safe!) I put a couple of ice cubes, about a teaspoon of water and a drop of food coloring on the tray and let him move it around with his fingers. When he was finished playing, I pressed a piece of watercolor paper on top to preserve his "art."