Sparkling Melting Ice Suncatcher Activity

One of our favorite activities is to make suncatchers. My kids absolutely love making things they can hang from windows, doorways, and mirrors. Something about things shining and sparkling makes my girls happy. We’ve always wanted to try making an ice suncatcher, but we didn’t have the right materials on hand until this year. We used leftover Christmas decorations to make our ice suncatcher and it turned out so pretty! We loved watching it slowly melt during the day, but if you live in an area where it is freezing, your ice suncatcher won’t melt!

MATERIALS NEEDED FOR THE ICE SUNCATCHER

• Water
• Plastic cup
• Something to weigh down the cup (we used cornmeal)
• Leftover Christmas decorations (we used pine needles and cranberries)
• Large ribbon
• Pie plate

Making the ice suncatcher was so easy, even my preschooler could do it! We filled a pie plate half way full of water.

I put a cup filled with corn meal near one side of the pie plate, but left about a 1-inch edge so the ice would be thick enough to tie a ribbon through after it froze.

The kids threw some pine needles and cranberries into our pan of water. You can use anything you like though, like glitter, food coloring, candy, or anything else that strikes your fancy. If you live in a warmer climate like we do, I recommend using natural materials so you don’t have to worry about plastic and other non-biodegradable items getting scattered across your yard.

We froze our ice for 24 hours.

I removed the ice from the pie plate so that it wouldn’t break. I removed the cup first, then ran hot water over the bottom of the pie plate until the ice was loosened. I caught the ice in my hands so it wouldn’t fall and break in the sink.

The girls tied a leftover Christmas ribbon to the opening and we hung it outside.

The suncatcher added a pretty bit of color to our winter patio. We watched it all day long as it slowly melted away. Eventually, the ice around the ribbon melted and the whole thing fell down.

Planning for a Winter Theme? We’ve done all the work for you!

We now have interactive thematic lesson plans for toddlers (18-35 months) AND preschoolers (3-5 years)! Get ready for fun and learning with unit lesson plans for your WINTER THEME. Explore a variety of themed hands-on activities! Easy to follow lesson plans include activity modifications and adaptations to meet the needs of all learners. For more information, click on the graphics below: