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Ice cube painting

Frozen paint cubes on craft sticks melt into swirly color as your child slides them across paper on a hot day.

Ice cube painting
LevelBeginner
AgesAges 3 to 5
Time15 minutes plus 4 hours freezing
Cost$1 to $5
SummerOutdoorsDollar store

What you'll need

Materials

Tick them off as you find them.

How to make it

Safety

Stained mouths happen fast, so tell kids these look like popsicles but aren't for licking.

  1. Step 1: Fill the tray
    1

    Fill the tray

    Fill each cube spot with water. Have your child squeeze a different color into each one.

  2. Step 2: Add the handles
    2

    Add the handles

    Cover the tray with plastic wrap. Poke a craft stick through into each cube.

  3. Step 3: Freeze it
    3

    Freeze it

    Freeze for at least 4 hours.

  4. Step 4: Pop them out
    4

    Pop them out

    Run warm water on the bottom of the tray. Pull out the cubes by their sticks.

  5. Step 5: Paint
    5

    Paint

    Let your child drag the cubes across the paper. Colors get brighter as they melt.

Edie's tip

Do this outside. Melting paint drips everywhere.

Written by the DIY Project team. How we check · Report a mistake

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