Activities & Days Out / 22 January, 2020 / Nanny Anita

Nanny Anita’s Ice Sun Catchers

These ice sun catchers would probably works better when the weather is colder as the sun catchers will last longer, but it is still makes a fun activity to do and a nice way to introduce young ones to science.

Make sure you follow my outside activities on Pinterest for more ideas.  Don’t forget to save the pin for later. 

For these ice sun catchers you will need:

• Flowers, leaves or fruit
• Water
• Food colouring
• A mold to freeze everything
• Cut up straw
• String

On a walk in the garden or park pick some flowers and leaves, basically anything that takes their fancy. We went out looking for flowers but came back with mainly parts of leaves and bits of grass. If you wanted to use fruit as well then it makes a great addition.

Back at home, sort out your objects into colours or themes, then place them into your moulds (we used tin foil disposable trays like the ones used for take aways).

For each sun catcher, add a different food dye colour to the water.

Place into the freezer to set. After they have been in there for an hour or so, take your straw and cut them into sections that are as deep as your sun catcher will be. Thread some string through the straw (you will need a decent amount to hand it up with) and place it into your partly frozen sun catcher.

When they are ready (I would give them about 24 hours to set properly) take them out and find some really cool places to hang them up. Ours did not last very long outside but the children had great fun finding places to hang them up.

This activity can help with:

• Fine motor skills – picking the flowers
• Identifying colours and sorting
• Science – properties of water.

Pin for later: