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Today’s playful preschool theme is all about rainbows! I decided to try a rainbow ice experiment for preschoolers with the kids.
How to Set Up Ice Experiment for Preschoolers
We compared two different experimental styles in a rainbow of color.
Materials we used:
- Ice
- Coarse salt
- Food coloring
- Purple gel food coloring
- Watercolors
Directions for our ice experiment for preschoolers:
First, you will need to freeze two big blocks of ice. I used a simple plastic lunch box that was in a rectangle shape filled with water and left it overnight. Next you will need some food coloring. I used normal liquid color as well as a purple gel coloring. No matter how much I try, I can never get my mixes to turn purple!
The rest I was able to mix from the base colors following the food coloring box instructions. You will also need some coarse salt for this ice experiment for preschoolers. 
Then, take out seven small bowls add half a tablespoon of salt to each. Also, add a few drops of coloring to the mix. Don’t be scared to use your fingers. Once you have all the colors, sprinkle a rainbow on your block of ice.
Yup, love this purple! It comes from this neon set of gel coloring.
We watched for a few minutes as the salt ate away at the ice to produce craters everywhere. The color from the salt then went into these craters and looked beautiful.
Directions for our second ice experiment for preschoolers:
Our next part of the ice experiment for preschoolers was to see if we could get a better result with some water paints. This idea was inspired by Lalymom from the ebook Fizz, Pop, Bang! Playful Science & Math Activities. Check it out!
So here we salted our ice block with plain salt. It was kind of hard to see the ice making the craters because of the lack of color. Then, we started painting our rainbow with the water paints.
They took nicely and after a few minutes more of melting we were able to see our craters better.
Take a look at that color that this ice experiment for preschoolers created!
Painting the ice after the salt had been added was definitely a more visual experience versus the color salt.
The run off from this one was even a rainbow itself! There were many “oohs” and “ahhs” from the kids.
Of course, there was poking too as we needed to feel how the ice had melted. Yup, very rough stuff. Oh, and the colors splattered on the shirt below (though they did wash out).
We hope that you will enjoy these ice experiments for preschoolers as much as we did. See our other rainbow activities from last week!
Sort and Count Rainbow Puzzle Busy Bag
Love it? Pin it!
More awesome Rainbow themed ideas!
- Rainbow Letter Formation Sticky Wall by Still Playing School
- Language Activities for Preschoolers: Rainbow Climb by Growing Book by Book
- Rainbow SensoryBin by Tiny Tots Adventures
- Inventing Their Own Songs to Encourage Creativity by Capri + 3
- Rainbow Domino Game by Rainy Day Mum
- Rainbow Patterns with Blocks by Mom Inspired Life
- Scented Rainbow Science and Sensory Play by Fun-A-Day
- Preschool Engineering with Rainbows by Natural Beach Living
- Design a Rainbow Technology Connection by The Educators’ Spin On It
- DisappearingRainbow Colors by Learning to Walk
- Creating Salty Rainbows with Preschoolers by Life Over C’s
- Rainbow Ice and Salt Experiment for Preschool by Powerful Mothering.
Tiffany says
You should NOT be touching a salt/ice combination. Please google “salt and ice challenge” before you decide to do this activity with your children
Nicolette Roux says
Those guys are putting salt ON their bodies then subjecting it to the ice!!! OUCH!
Here the kids are sprinkling salt on the ice and watching. Painting with a paint brush with color. And the occasional poking with a finger AFTER the ice and salt had already reacted.
Thank you for sharing this caution.
Nadia says
What a gorgeous block of ice filled with so much color!! 🙂 This is lovely! I want to try it with my kids.
Alecia says
I love the fact that you decided to paint the rainbow on the ice. I never would have thought of painting ice. Love it.
Kim says
This looks amazing!!
Jodie @ Growing Book by Book says
This activity is gorgeous to look at and I bet just as fun to do. Can’t wait to try it. We did salt and trucks on ice the other day to show what the trucks put snow on the streets so I know the kids will love this activity too.
Theresa says
I love this! We have tried the fishing for ice experiment where they saw the impact salt has on something frozen. This activity would extend their learning. We will have to try it.
Cerys says
Those colours are so vibrant and such a fantastic art/science activity for kids.
Danielle says
Both of these turned out so beautiful! My son would really enjoy this, so I want to give it a try soon!