Back
Colourful Winter Marbles
Today’s activity will make the cold outdoors an exciting place for a new learning opportunity. With the simple materials used, you can create colourful frozen marbles that will get your child physically active, stimulate their senses and create fun memories during wintertime. Bundle up and let’s have some winter-fun!
-
- Balloons
-
- Water
-
- Food Dye
-
- Scissors
-
- Large bin/container
-
- Freezing temperatures
-
1. Add a few drops of food colour to the empty balloons.
-
2. Place the mouth of the balloon over the kitchen faucet and slowly fill the balloon with water.
-
3. Once filled, tie a knot.
-
4. Place water-filled balloons in container/bin to easily transfer the balloons.
-
5. If it is cold enough, place the balloons outside in the snow to freeze. If the temperatures are warmer, place in the freezer.
-
6. Once frozen, use scissors to cut the balloons to remove.
-
7. Your colourful winter marbles are ready!
Tip: Involve your child in the process of making the winter marbles. This is a simple science lesson as they will get to witness the effect that cold temperatures have on water and what happens to the frozen marbles once they begin to melt.
Young kids are fascinated by anything that rolls and continuously moves. Invite your child by saying “Let’s see what happened to the frozen marbles. “Wow, look at all the colours!”. Encourage them to feel the marbles and allow them to lead this activity with what interests them. Ask them open-ended questions such as “Which one is your favourite marble? Why?”. Playing with balls can help improve your child’s gross motor and hand-eye coordination skills. It helps them build balance and practice transferring objects from one place to another. Enrich their vocabulary by narrating what they are doing. For example, finding appropriate opportunities to use the words “roll, throw, toss, stack, heavy, light, slow, fast, etc.”. Young kids will enjoy discovering what the frozen marbles are able to do and the colourful effects they have on the snow.
Tip: You can extend this activity by using the winter marbles to practice counting and to practice identifying colours.
EarlyON