We usually suggest arts & crafts activities to develop not only a child’s art skills, but other abilities as well. This time we’ve prepared a task that involves both experimental and observational elements – ice cube painting. The painting with the ice itself is only a part of the task; when combined with other, non-obvious materials, the simple painting will become an adventure into the world of chemistry. And these are the challenges that we like the most! 😊
MATERIALS
- thick white paper
- paintbrush
- pipette
- oil
- rectified alcohol
- salt
- paper towel
- ice cube tray
- watercolour paints / pigments
- toothpicks
- paper self-adhesive tape
Step 1
TIPS: 1. Wooden toothpicks are best for this task – they are more stable in ice.
2. To prepare the colourful ice cubes, you can use watercolour paints as the colours will then be delicate; or you can use pigments (e.g. food colouring) for more vibrant colours.
3. The observational part will involve using additional materials to obtain an interesting painting effect. These materials include wax crayons (which you can use to draw whatever pattern you like before you apply the paint on paper; the same result can be achieved if you use oil), salt, rectified alcohol, glue, etc. Use these substances after you’ve applied the paint and it is still wet, and observe the chemical reaction.
