Ice Excavation Rescue

What you'll need

• A shallow plastic container or small baking dish
• Water
• Small plastic animals, flowers, or tiny toys
• Coarse salt in a small bowl
• A spray bottle filled with lukewarm water
• A child-safe mallet or wooden hammer
• Plastic tweezers or tongs
• A small paintbrush
• A tray or towel to catch drips

How to make it

1. 1

   Place the small toys and a few flower petals into the plastic container.

2. 2

   Pour water over the toys until they are just covered, then freeze overnight.

3. 3

   The next day, run the outside of the container under warm water for a few seconds and pop the ice block out onto the tray.

4. 4

   Hand your child the spray bottle and invite them to spray the ice. Watch together as the warm water melts the surface and reveals the treasures.

5. 5

   Sprinkle salt over a stubborn area and wait a moment — the salt will melt tiny grooves into the ice.

6. 6

   Use the tweezers to grip partially freed toys, or gently tap with the wooden mallet to crack thin sections.

7. 7

   Keep a paintbrush handy to sweep away ice chips and 'clean' the rescued toys.

8. 8

   Celebrate each rescue and line the freed animals up on the towel to dry.