In this BLOG post I will share how to make these frozen, fizzy alphabet letters, the benefits of activities like this and ways to extend your learning and play.
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What is a Frozen Fizzy activity?
Frozen fizzy activities are so much fun! They are a hands-on and get kids exploring and problem solving. You can create them in so many ways, but the base is freezing water or a mixture in an ice cube mold and using it to learn, play and create.
These letters are our favorite!! You can add glitter to make them sparkly or leave them as is. You can add food coloring to the vinegar and water mixture, or not. They are fun and engaging no matter how you do it!
Whichever way you choose to explore them is absolutely perfect. Activities like this are inclusive. There is NO wrong way to play!!
You can pull out all of the letters at once OR just take out a few and save the rest for another day! My favorite part of this activity is that you can do it with a toddler, a beginning learner or even older kiddos. My 9.5-year-old LOVES doing this. He may not need to work on letter names anymore, but this activity is calming and very regulating for him. I use it as an opportunity to connect with him and we both look forward to it.
If you don't have baking soda on hand, don't worry! Check out our BLOG post HERE that explains how you can use this alphabet mold to make ice letters and paint them!!
Not only are these FUN, but there are also so many learning opportunities.
What color is this letter?
What is the name of this letter?
What sound does the letter make?
Can you squirt the letter that your name starts with?
What happens when you put these two sounds together? What word does that make?
Make the word /pat/. Now change the /p/ sound to a /h/. What is the new word you made?
Let's sort: letters in your name/letters not in your name.
Can you point to the letter that makes the /d/ sound?
This letter makes the /g/ sound. Can you think of a word that begins with that sound?
Can you find the letter that your name begins with?
Let's point to all of the vowels!
Which letter is next to the /b/?
Learning through sensory driven, hands-on experiences like these are so beneficial for children of all ages!
Benefits of Frozen Activities:
Strengthen fine motor skills.
Increase opportunities for language & vocabulary.
Practice self-regulation skills.
Work on cause and effect.
Allow opportunities to problem solve.
Exposure to temperature and science topics.
Purposeful ways to practice socials skills (waiting, using manners, taking turns, sharing).
Bilateral Coordination (using both sides of the body).
Materials:
Alphabet Ice cube tray/mold
Sensory tray or bowl
Baking soda
Water
White vinegar
Pipette or medicine dropper
Food coloring (optional)
Glitter (optional)
Step 1: Grab an alphabet silicone mold.
Step 2: In a bowl, mix 2 cups baking soda and 1/2 cup of water. Mix.
Step 3: Fill the mold with the mixture. Freeze for a few hours until solid.
Step 4: Once frozen, place in a sensory tray or bowl. In a cup or bowl, mix together half water and half white vinegar. If you are using food coloring, squirt 3-5 drops in now.
Step 5: Use a pipette or medicine dropper and squirt the mixture onto the letters. Watch as they bubble and fizz!
Fine Motor Tools that you can add into your frozen fun:
Tweezers
Tongs
Squirt bottle
Medicine dropper
Wooden mallet
Pipette
Measuring cups/spoons
Activities like this are an incredible way to strengthen fine motor skills. As kids paint, squeeze and squirt, they are strengthening the tiny muscles in their fingers and hands. Those same muscles are responsible for self-help skills like feeding yourself and zippering your coat. They are also responsible for supporting you during the writing process!
The more we can strengthen those muscles early on through sensory-driven experiences like this, the more supported children will be when they enter school-age.
The possibilities for FUN are endless. You can learn & play & create all through simple materials!! They are great to have on hand for a rainy day, during playdates or on a day when you just need a little something!
While kids explore frozen activities together, they will have the opportunity to work on a TON of social skills. They will be sharing materials, sharing space, practice using their manners, waiting their turn and problem solving together!
They will also be learning from each other! Kids observe EVERYTHING! They will be watching how each person explores the bin. They will learn their own personal boundaries and maybe even be encouraged to try something they may not have before!
SO many language opportunities. SO much social skills practice. SO. MUCH. FUN.
Always monitor young children in or around water. Small objects can be choking hazards. You get to decide what is safe and manageable in your home.
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