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Frozen Balloon Balls

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Math & Science

Ages: 2 years +

Cold as ice! This is a great hands-on activity that will stir your child’s natural curiosity and have them asking lots of questions about temperature, elements and matter.    

Materials

  • Small balloons (regular or water balloons)
  • Food colouring (Optional) 
  • Scissors 

Directions

Set-up your experiment 

  1. Using the faucet, fill each balloon with water and secure.
  2. OPTIONAL – Add a few drops of food colouring before you fill the balloon. Mix the colour by shaking the balloon after filling with water.
  3. Place the balloon(s) in the freezer overnight.

 Reveal the ice ball

  1. Cut the balloon open to reveal the smooth ice ball. 
  2. Place the ice ball in a bucket/container and have a conversation with your child about what they are observing.
  3. Let the ice ball sit for 5 minutes and discuss the changes with your child.
  4. Ask your child to time how long it takes for the ice to melt back to liquid form.
  5. Observe the melting process in 10 minute intervals until the ice has completed melted.
  6. Use the time during the melting process to encourage curiosity and conversation with your child. 

What happens when water freezes?

Water in the ice balloon freezes from the outside in. Pure crystals of clear water are created as the water freezes. Bubbles are formed in the ice because impurities such as air or minerals are left behind in the liquid. The white colour in the ice is due to the air bubbles and crystals scattering light and reflecting colours back to your eye.

At Learning Jungle, we believe all children are capable, confident and full of potential. Co-learning empowers your child to take initiative. Encouraging child participation and engaging in open-ended, thought-provoking conversation throughout play is important for healthy child development.

Conversations with your child

  • What happened as we filled the balloon with water?
  • Why did the balloon expand?
  • How big do you think the balloon will grow as we fill with water?
  • What does the balloon feel like? (before filling with water, with water, frozen)
  • Is the ice ball heavy? How does it feel?
  • What happened to the water?

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