Winter Fun Before It's All Done

Well here we are approaching the end of the Winter Season, which gives me a reason to give you some Tidbits on how to have some Winter Fun Before It's All Done!

Kid's Craft Tidbit - Ice Sculptures are so beautiful to look at and very difficult to make, but with a little creativity, you can make some of this whimsical beauty for yourself, before it melts into your spring flowers.

Step One - Look through your home and find some rectangular shaped pots and pans, then look through your children's sand castle makers from the summer and you will have the basic items needed for creating your Ice Sculpture.

Step Two - Fill your containers with cold water and Get Creative! Add some Food Coloring to add that Wow! factor to your ice blocks. You can make colored ice cubes in your freezer and then add them to your containers for an ice confetti look. Also, look around your home for other items that can be trapped in the ice, such as plastic toys and figurines. Make sure that the items are not your child's favorite and that they are made from a material that won't damage in the ice and water. When you are done being creative, place the containers outside and let them freeze. The temperature must be below 32 degrees.

Step Three - After the containers have frozen you are ready to make your sculpture. Grab a laundry basket and line it with a large plastic bag. Fill your sink or tub with hot water (Remember to keep the kids away from the Hot Water of course) and submerge your containers until they loosen from their mold. Place the ice blocks into the laundry basket and bring them outside. Now you can use them to create your very own Whimsical Ice Sculpture. You can stack them or arrange them in any way you can imagine. Have Fun!

Extra Tidbit - Use this same idea to make a Sun Ice Catcher. Fill a shallow container such as a pie pan with cold water and add some colorful items. I think that natural items work best like some citrus slices, berries, small branches or you can go with the confetti idea. Add a loop of a durable rope and submerge a portion of it in the water while it freezes. Later, when frozen you can hang your Ice Catchers in your yard on a plant hook.

Go and make the best of these last weeks of cold and have some Winter Fun Before It's All Done!