Anyone for yummy ice cream to cool down in this glorious weather? If you’re looking for an ice cream activity alternative to the messy taste-safe foam ice cream tray I posted previously then this is just perfect!
This tray was a bit more fiddly to create than our normal set ups but it was so so worth it. To create the ice cream, I used Rice Krispies, pasta, and different coloured rice and chickpeas. To colour the chickpeas, place dried chickpeas in a sandwich bag, add a tablespoon of water, a few splashes of paint in your desired colour (I used kids ready mixed paint), and shake the bag until the chickpeas are covered in paint. You can add more paint to get your desired colour. Then pour the chickpeas onto a tray and leave to dry. The same process applies to the rice, but instead of using paint, use a few drops of food colouring. We tend to do this in bulk and keep the coloured rice and chickpeas in Tupperware so they are ready to use for future play trays.
Elijah was super excited and enjoyed scooping the ice cream and picking out the rice and chickpeas to make mini ice creams. We were counting to three with the chickpeas and talking through the colours as we played.
This tray is so good for:
• Imaginative play: This is great way to incite imagination. By not using real ice cream, your little one can use their imagination to create pretend ice creams.
• Gross and fine motor skills: Scooping, picking, and collecting all of the ingredients.
• Hand-eye coordination: Picking the rice and chickpeas and placing them into the mini cones and, it course, filling them all the way to the top!
• Counting: This is a great activity to introduce numbers to your little one. Begin to count the chickpeas as they place them into the cone, for example. For older children, why don’t you create an ice cream shop where you can buy ice creams and your child can make sure you receive the correct change!
if you do create this activity, please do tag me @brummymummydiaries. I would love to see your creations!