• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Fireflies and Mud Pies

Simple crafts and play for kids!

  • Home
  • About
  • Our Book
  • Kids Crafts
    • How to Make Glitter Jars
    • Everything You Need to Know About Squirt Painting
    • Animal Crafts
    • Nature Crafts
    • Paper Crafts
    • Printable Crafts
    • Recycled Crafts
    • Suncatcher Crafts
  • Kids Activities
    • Learning Activities
    • Nature Activities
    • Play Activities
    • Sensory Activities
  • Seasonal
    • Winter
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Fall
  • Holidays
    • Christmas
      • Christmas Ornaments
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Mother’s Day
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
You are here: Home / Kids Activities / Nature Activities / Winter Ice Jewels

Winter Ice Jewels

By Melissa Lennig on January 4, 2013 . This content contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Pin
  • Email

Have you ever froze Ice Jewels with your kids? They are simple to make and perfect for winter imaginary play!

Ice Jewels: Winter Imaginative Play for Kids | Fireflies and Mud Pies

This post contains affiliate links. Opinions are my own.

We started by filling regular sized balloons with water and liquid watercolors. We placed the balloons outside to freeze overnight. The next morning, the boys and I went outside to check them. Much to our delight, the balloons had split and slid off of the ice. The boys got down to the business of playing right away!

RELATED: Winter Critter Snowman

IMG_8350-copy

Winter Ice Jewels

Materials:

  • Balloons
  • Liquid Watercolors
  • Water

Directions:

To make your own Ice Jewels, drip several drops of food dye or liquid watercolors into balloons, then fill with water. Tie and rinse the balloons, then place them outside (or in a freezer) overnight. Please note that as your children play, a small amount of liquid watercolors may get on their mittens.

Ice Jewels will keep as long as temperatures stay cold! My children enjoyed theirs for a long time!

IMG_8385-copy

My kids enjoyed pressing the ice jewels into their snow fort. They looked like bright holiday lights in the sun! They also liked towing them through the yard on their sleds. My oldest pretended that he was a dragon, hoarding jewels in his lair. My little one tried to steal them, and ohhh how the dragon would R O A R !

RELATED: Winter Nature Hike

DIY Ice Jewels | Fireflies and Mud Pies

How do your children like to play in the snow?

Filed Under: Nature Activities, Winter Tagged With: birds, ice

About Melissa Lennig

Melissa is a mom of two boys, a former Elementary School Counselor, and the author of Sticks and Stones: A Kid's Guide to Building and Exploring in the Great Outdoors. She shares easy crafts, activities, recipes, and parenting tips on her blog, Fireflies and Mud Pies. Follow her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Previous Post: « Winter Play Tips for Safety and Fun
Next Post: DIY Winter Bird Feeders »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. virginia says

    January 11, 2013 at 4:56 am

    I am thinking about using some natural materials to make the dye, rather than food coloring? Might not be as bright though….but less stain, if that matters. What about freezing leaves and other colorful things into the balloons… will experiment

    • firefliesandmudpies says

      January 18, 2013 at 7:11 am

      Sounds like a great idea! Let me know how it goes!

  2. Roopa says

    January 16, 2013 at 11:25 am

    We make these t play in the HOT summers here in FL. I use washable paints/water colors to make the colored water, that way our dress/hands are not stained 🙂

    • Mandy says

      January 17, 2013 at 3:10 pm

      Thanks for your comment on the washable paints. I have been wanting to ask Melissa if that would work, but just haven’t gotten a chance to get on and ask. The idea looks really fun, but I didn’t want to stain up their coats, clothes, etc.

    • firefliesandmudpies says

      January 18, 2013 at 7:09 am

      Great idea! I will try that next (the boys have been asking to make them again!). Thanks for the tip!

  3. Hannah @ Making Boys Men says

    January 17, 2013 at 4:52 pm

    Love this, just wish it was cold and snowy enough to do the same! I’m featuring you tomorrow on the Outdoor Play Party, thanks for sharing

    • firefliesandmudpies says

      January 18, 2013 at 7:07 am

      Thank you for the feature, Hannah! Loved your post today!

  4. jenn says

    January 26, 2013 at 12:09 am

    I made these for my preschool class the other day. I think I had the exact same blue dye experience! They loves them and their hands got a bit stained but it did not get onto their lothes at all.

« Older Comments
Newer Comments »

Trackbacks

  1. Winter Play Tips - Fireflies and Mud Pies says:
    January 17, 2015 at 10:23 pm

    […] Freeze Ice Jewels: Use water balloons and liquid watercolor to create ice jewels for your child! […]

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Looking for Something?

Trending This Month

The Best Oatmeal Cookies

How a Glitter Jar Can Help Kids Control Their Feelings

Fluttering Paper Butterfly Craft

Order Our New Book!

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosures

Copyright © 2019 · Fireflies and Mud Pies