Looking for a fun, easy, and winter-themed activity to entertain your little one? Let me introduce you to the Ice Skating Penguins! It’s a sensory activity that combines ice, glitter, and pretend play—plus, it’s a great way to beat boredom over winter break.
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Supplies
• I used my Inspire My Play Tray, but a baking pan or any deeper container works perfectly if you want a slope.
• Water
• Blue food coloring (just a tiny bit!)
• Glitter
• Large ice cube tray or muffin pan
• Small penguin figurines (or whatever you want to use!)
How to make the ice skating rink
To create the skating rink, I filled my play tray with water, added a little blue food coloring for that icy feel, and sprinkled in lots of glitter—because everything’s better with glitter, right? I placed the tray in my deep freezer at an angle so the water froze into a slope.
Once that layer was solid, I added a thin layer of plain water, leveled the tray, and froze it again. Voilà—a sparkling ice rink with a fun slope for penguin adventures!
How to make ice skating penguins
For the skating penguins, I started with a large ice cube tray. I added a small amount of water to each section, froze it, then placed my penguin figurines on top. After that, I added just enough water to cover their feet, making sure they were securely “stuck” into the ice before freezing them again.
Muffin pans work just as well if you don’t have an ice cube tray handy.
Play Time!
Once everything was ready, I tossed the penguin ice cubes onto the rink. My son had a blast sliding them down the slope and skating them across the frozen bottom layer. It’s a simple activity but packed with sensory fun and opportunities for pretend play.
Side note, if it’s really cold where you are, you can skip the freezer altogether! Set the tray outside overnight and let nature do the work—your kids will love checking on it in the morning. (Meanwhile, it was nearly 80° here in Florida, so we had to stick with the deep freezer route!)
I love this activity because—it’s quick to set up, affordable, and sure to be a hit with any child who loves playing with ice. So grab your penguins, and let the skating begin!