This ice race activity was a hit! It’s one of those easy activities for toddlers, preschoolers and even school age kids that ends up being way more fun than you’d expect.
Whether you’re looking for a winter-themed STEM activity or just a simple way to keep your toddler entertained indoors, this DIY ice racing slide is perfect for promoting curiosity and learning through play!
We started with our frozen penguins from a previous ice skating activity and added some ice paints from another activity. If you haven’t frozen toys in water before, it’s as simple as it sounds. Grab a muffin pan or an ice cube tray, toss in some small toys, fill with water, and freeze. You’ve got icy racers.
For the racetrack, we used a long piece of cardboard from an old box. To make the slides, we folded a long piece of tin foil in half for sturdiness and then folded up the sides to create edges so the ice wouldn’t fly off. We made two slides, propped them up on a chair, and let the races begin!
JJ loved it. He liked putting the toys on the slide and watching them go down. And of course, we had to race the same toy over and over because it was the favorite.
As kids race their frozen toys down the slide, they’re actually learning about physics concepts like gravity, motion, and friction. They’ll notice how the incline of the slide or the texture of the ice affects the speed, turning this into an exciting preschool science experiment.
Plus, handling the cold, slippery ice engages their sense of touch, making it a fantastic sensory play activity. Little ones also practice fine motor skills as they grab and move their frozen toys, and they sharpen observation and prediction skills by guessing which toy will win the race.
When the races are over, don’t toss the ice just yet! Let them melt the ice to rescue the toys. They could spray warm water on it or give them tools to chip away at it.
This ice race kept us busy for a good bit of time and got us outside which is great. However, this is a great activity for indoors for places it does get cold! It’s simple, it’s fun, and it’s a great way to use those random toys you’ve probably stepped on a million times.