Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Digging for Frozen Treasure

When I knew that the temperatures were going to sky rocket last week, I tried to be positive and plan some fun activities with water.  Then the heat index hit 100, we bought a second A/C window unit, blocked off the living room and the boys and I "lived" in the living room and their bedroom during the day when it was at least cooler then it was outside.  Even the kiddie pool is too hot to use - by the time it is full enough to use, the water was already hot!  We did swim on Monday but that was it.  Tuesday-Friday were spent indoors. 

So, now that it cooled off a little, I finally got to use one of my activities that I had planned for that hot week! I first saw the idea over at Counting Coconuts but it is also on many other sites linked up to Pinterest.

All you really need are some small toys and . .. .water :-)  Freeze everything then let the kids bang away and try to get the stuff out.  I used small Army "guys" and some little ocean animals.



 I couldn't see giving my kids screw drivers and hammers to bang on the ice so I let them use left over wood from the porch.  They banged and banged and BANGED but that ice would not break.


I finally suggested that they pick it up and slam it down on the ground.  That worked.  I ended up having to help both Nate and the munchkin with their ice but we did get all of the toys out and the boys all loved it.

One lesson learned - freeze the ice in layers.  All of the toys ended up on the top of the ice since they all floated.  OR get items of different density so some will sink.  I think that it would be fine to freeze ice cube size blocks with a small sea creature in each one and then throwing them in the kiddie pool on a hot day :-)