Shake the Ice Cream

1. 1

   On a warm day, use ice and salt to turn a liquid mixture into a small batch of ice cream without a machine.

2. 2

   Pour milk, cream, and sugar into a sealed bag, using about twice as much milk as cream. Fill only about one-third of the bag and seal it.

3. 3

   Divide ice between two larger bags. Add salt to one, shake it, and compare how the two bags feel.

4. 4

   Place the sealed ingredient bag inside the salted ice bag. Let your child knead and shake it while watching for the mixture to thicken.

5. 5

   If “solidify” is unfamiliar, explain, “The liquid mixture becomes firm ice cream.”

6. 6

   Keep shaking and feel how the mixture changes. Your child may notice when it becomes thicker and firmer.

7. 7

   Explain simply, “The salted ice made the mixture cold enough to freeze into ice cream.”

What to notice

• Feels the bag and describes how the liquid mixture becomes colder, thicker, or firmer Scientific Inquiry
• Keeps shaking and waiting while the mixture turns into ice cream Cognitive Self-Regulation (Executive Functioning)

Tips

• Your child does not need a detailed explanation of freezing-point depression. “Salt makes the ice colder, so the mixture freezes more easily” is enough for this activity.

Developmental benefits

• Cognitive: Making ice cream lets your child feel changes in temperature and texture while practicing science words such as “ice” and “freeze” in discussion.