Ice Painting

I’m always drawn to activities that work all year round, especially process art that keeps preparation minimal, because honestly, who has time for complicated setups? I also love activities that don’t rely on step-by-step instructions and leave room for exploration.
Ice painting fits all of that perfectly. In winter, it naturally connects to themes of cold and ice. In summer, it becomes a refreshing outdoor activity on a hot day. It’s also a wonderful option for the beginning of the school year, when young children are just getting familiar with using paint and brushes.
This is one of the simplest painting activities you can offer, yet it never loses its appeal. Children are always fascinated by the melting ice and the way the colors move and change.

What you’ll need
●Large pieces of ice, frozen in a tray or paper cups
●Watercolors
●A tray to catch the melting water and puddles

Setting it up
Pour water into your containers and freeze overnight. You can prepare one piece of ice per child, or enough for the number of children who can comfortably work at the art table at the same time. Just before starting the activity, remove the ice from the containers and place it on a tray. Set the watercolors and a paintbrush next to the ice.
Invite the children to paint directly onto the ice using the watercolors.

Observe
As the ice begins to melt, notice what happens to the paint. The colors start to spread, blend, and shift, and the texture changes constantly. This is a great moment for children to slow down and really observe the process.

Tips
When the children are finished, you can place a piece of paper on top of the ice to create a print.
Cleanup is easy, simply pour everything into the sink, give it a quick rinse, and let the ice melt away.

Simple, sensory, and endlessly engaging, ice painting is a process art activity that earns its place in any classroom or creative space.