Problem Solving Series Starts January 11. Sign up now!
Get free weekly activities like this, straight to your inbox.
Cropped landscape lg 400 sarah sheneman 621acab4 2c07 453a b24d eff1450ba27e
Cropped square sm 80 sarah sheneman 7981e79f 4ab5 4e4a bbbf 0480023aa2ea Cropped square sm 80 sarah sheneman a6ed79a1 1d82 455e aa32 8efd4b491043 Cropped square sm 80 sarah sheneman bcd8d419 9d2d 4cbe 8f6c c3c4168cfbdc Cropped square sm 80 sarah sheneman be276d51 d664 4307 8532 37fcf2c3204a Cropped square sm 80 sarah sheneman 621acab4 2c07 453a b24d eff1450ba27e

Free from the Freeze!

Age: 3 to 8+ Time: Under 1 hour
Materials: Stones, sharpies, salt, meat baster, sharpie(s), containers (8oz-32oz) or ice molds. Optional: sticks, mallets or other tools.
Skills: Focus & Self Control, Problem Solving, Fine Motor, Science

Featured in our #OutdoorsAll4 challenge, ‘Free from the Freeze,’ includes a little creature creation and then a daring mission to rescue these creatures from their frozen pods.

The Guide

Set Up:

  • Draw your favorite animal(s) on small stones using a waterproof marker.
  • Fill the container(s) one-third of the way with water and freeze (outdoors if less than 32 degrees, or in the freezer).
  • Once solid, place your stone friend in the container, fill it up the rest of the way, then freeze. If you want, you can add some nature treasures, watercolor/food coloring or lavender to add a sensory boost.

Invitation: Free our Friends!

Head outside and wonder out loud, "How can we free our frozen friends?"Involve kids in the whole process—from freezing the stone friends through freeing them. Or, you can sneak out ahead of time and hide them wherever you will be playing that day. Either way, wonder together how we can free our friends, then introduce new materials one at a time for explorers to use in their quest.

  • Salt
  • Warm water (turkey basters can be great for this, or paint brushes could be fun, too)
  • Warm hands
  • Sticks or rocks
  • Mallets or other utensils
  • Gravity!

Why is this activity great for kids?

Creating and then playing with creatures is a natural way to help kids authentically build empathy. Characters immediately begin to emerge for kids, helping them exercise their imagination and story-building muscles. The trial and error required to free friends from frozen blocks also naturally builds problem solving skills.

Try A Complimentary Tinkergarten Class

Circletime share crop
LIVE CLASSES
Weekly virtual session with a Tinkergarten Leader with song, movement and the week’s play lesson.
Maps
HOME CURRICULUM
Reinforce the lesson with the three activities in your at-home guide. Keep kids learning all week.
Purposeful play crop
PURPOSEFUL PLAY
Weeks full of purposeful outdoor play! Kids track progress and get regular recognition from your Tinkergarten Leader.
Take a Free Class

DIY Kits

Great deals on DIY kits designed for learning through play. Check out the Circle Time Essentials Kit to make the most of this season!

See Kits