Glow Stick Ice Painting

We are finding lots of fun ways to stay cool this summer and beat the heat. However this might be one of the kids favorite ice activities so far. It combines 2 of my kids favorite things…ice and glow sticks. As we were setting up this activity, it looked like something my kids would totally get into. I was right, the kids absolutely loved this simple Glow Stick Ice Painting.

Materials needed to make a Glow Stick Ice Painting:

Glow Sticks – we used both the skinny bracelets and the thicker glow sticks. Both worked great
Thick Ice Block – thick enough to make sure that it won’t crack when you drill holes in it.
Electric Drill – please take precautions when using power tools
Drill Bits – find one that is just larger than the glow stick. We also used a drill bit extender.
Water Color paints
Paint Brushes
Course Salt
Tray to catch any of the drips

We drilled about 4 holes into our ice block deep enough to hide a Glow stick in. One of the things that we found out the hard way was to keep the drill moving. If you let the drill sit in the ice it will freeze there. Oops. The ice eventually melts so you will get it back, it might just take a while;)

Place a glow stick into each of the drilled holes and set the glowing ice block on a tray. Set out the water colors, brushes and salt beside the ice and invite the kids to start creating.

We had so much fun with this activity that I forgot to take photos. I guess that us a sign that it was a hit;)

Next time I will make more ice blocks. They were so fun to paint on and my back yard looked great!

Here is another great way to create a Glowing Ice Painting! The set up is super simple and your kids will love it! You might be surprised by how we managed to make the ice glow!

We also enjoyed this simple Ice Painting Activity. It was so simple and the kids LOVED it!

If you are still looking for more glowing art, check out this fun Glowing Ice painting from Growing a Jeweled Rose. Another great way to use glow sticks and Ice to create art!

Soap Free Bubble Prints

I am loving our weekly Paint and Play challenge with Growing A Jeweled Rose. If this is your first time joining us, the focus for our series is all about the process, having fun and getting kids excited to create art with fun and unique mediums! Our challenge this week was to create and play with Bubbles. Crystal create super fun glowing bubbles, while my kids created Soap Free Bubble Prints. Read on to find out what our secret ingredient is!

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Bubbles are always a hit! My kids love blowing long squiggly Bubble Snakes (which are amazing!), making bubbles with their hands and creating Bubble Prints. I can’t count the number of times someone has commented that their little one inhaled or accidentally drank the bubble solution. We have all unfortunately tasted bubbles at one time or another, and can attest to the fact that it is no fun. In hopes to avoid any further mishaps, especially with the little ones, we are playing with bubbles in a whole new way.

My kids came up with a simple solution, that is perfect for even the youngest of bubble blower. Are you curious yet? Let me give you a hint…It is something that you find in the refrigerator section of the grocery store.

Have you guessed what we are using to make our Soap Free Bubble Prints with yet?

Soap Free Bubble Recipe:

Shallow Containers ~ we used shallow mason jars
Food Coloring
Straws
White Paper
Trays ~ to contain the drips
Milk ~ yep you read right…plain old milk!

Kids love blowing frothy, noisy bubbles in their milk.

I find it to be too much at our dinner table, but at the art table I am all for it!

I love that this simple recipe only uses milk and food coloring. No icky soap taste, just good old fashioned fun! Totally a win, especially if you have toddlers.

All you need to do is add a little food coloring to the milk and blow bubbles until your hearts content. I love the cotton candy color that the milk gives the bubbles.

Milk bubbles are heavier than soap bubbles, so be prepared for drips and splashes of colorful milk. A simple tray works perfect for containing all the milky spills.

Once there is a huge pile of bubbles, quickly lay your paper on top of the bubbles. We found it worked best to use a light hand and gently press the paper into the bubbles. The milk bubbles will pop right on your paper leaving behind unique designs.

Our prints were not as crisp as the prints made with soap, but the process is just as fun! Plus it is safe for little ones. No more drinking yucky soap! If your child accidentally takes a sip of the colorful milk, no harm done. Love that!

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Make sure to stop by Growing A Jeweled Rose to check out their Glowing Bubbles! Doesn’t that just look like a blast. GAJR has lots of cool Glow-In-The-Dark posts that are on my kids must do list.

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Don’t miss out on any of our Paint and Play series:

Balloon Painting 5 Ways and Super Creative Balloon Painting

Homemade Spin Art Machine and A Spin on Spin Art

Tire Swing Pendulum Painting and Glowing Pendulum Painting

Painting with Candy and Painting with Candy

Glowing Ice Painting and Summer SCENTsory Ice Paints

Marble Maze Painting and Ice Marble Painting Activity

Touch Painting and Touch Painting

Make sure you stop back in next week for more Paint and Play!

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If you love process art like us, then check out my Painting Without Brushes Pinterest board. It is packed full of fun ideas

Watermelon and Lime Smoothie Recipe

Are you looking for a simple drink that is easy to make and tastes refreshing? Check out our super simple Watermelon and Lime Smoothie Recipe. My family loves both Watermelon and smoothies, so we combined the two into one amazing healthy treat! This simple summer recipe is so refreshing and your whole family will love it!

Watermelon and Lime Smoothie Recipe:

4 cups Watermelon ~ Cubed and Frozen
1 ripe Banana ~ Peeled and Frozen
2 tablespoons of one of the following ~ Agave Nectar, Honey or Maple Syrup.
Zest from 2 Limes
4 tablespoons of fresh squeezed Lime Juice
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup of water ~ use as little water as possible to keep the smoothie thick and yummy!

Directions:

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and cut up watermelon. Freeze the watermelon for about 1 hour. You can place unused frozen watermelon into a zip-loc to use later.

Place the frozen watermelon into the blender, add the rest of the ingredients slowly and blend until smooth.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

My kids love sitting in the backyard with their feathered friends enjoying a yummy summer treat. We love our sweet little Urban chickens.

What is your favorite way to enjoy Watermelon?

Outdoor Tic Tac Toe

We have been spending our summer outside playing in our backyard and exploring new parks. We combined our love for outdoors and playing board games into one simple and fun activity. Check out our latest wood chip game…Outdoor Tic Tac Toe.

You are never to young or old to play Tic Tac Toe. My kids enjoy playing X’s and O’s since they were little and it is still one of their go to games. By creating a tactile outdoor version of this classic game, the kids have renewed interest in playing this classic game.

Outdoor Tic Tac Toe:

Sidewalk Chalk in a variety of colors
Small Sticks ~ to create the Tic Tac Toe grid
10-12 wood chips ~ similar sizes for the game pieces

This game is perfect for playing in our backyard, at the park or while camping. One of my favorite things is that in order play, the kids need to go on a simple outdoor adventure to gather all the playing pieces…a nature walk.

Once the kids gather all the materials, color the game pieces with chalk.

I love how the color of the chalk plays with the texture of the wood.

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We have been having fun creating with wood chips.

Check out our Simple Outdoor Checkers Game, a outdoor twist on a classic game.

The kids love create this simple Wood Chip Chalk Art, a Guest post on Kids’ Play Space.

I can’t wait to see what the kids come up with next!

Simple Outdoor Checkers Game

We have been having so much fun playing outside this summer and enjoying lots of family time. The kids had a blast creating simple Wood Chip Chalk Art (Housing A Forest guest post on Kids’ Play Space). They wanted to play a board game outside and quickly created their own Simple Outdoor Checkers Game. Check out our sidewalk chalk version of the classic game Checkers!

Simple Outdoor Checkers Game:

Hard Flat Surface ~ a sidewalk works great!
Sidewalk Chalk ~ you will need at least 3 different colors
24 Wood Chips ~ in similar sizes

Start by creating a checkerboard with chalk on the sidewalk. The grid should be 8 squares by 8 squares, the same as a typical checker board.

Gather and color your wood chips with chalk. These will be your game pieces.

The kids loved this simple outdoor version of the classic Checkers Game. It is so easy to set up and it is perfect for playing just about anywhere.

Stacked 2 colored wood chips on top of each other to create a “King”.

The best part is you can create a large-scale version of the classic game anywhere, and make sure to get creative with the game pieces. I can’t wait to hear where you set up your next checkers game.

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Make sure to visit Kids Play Space to see our guest post on how to create Wood Chip Chalk Art. It is so simple and your kids will love it!

Wood Chip Chalk Art

What is your favorite way to play with chalk?

Author Archives: Tammy

Glow Stick Ice Painting

Soap Free Bubble Prints

Soap Free Bubble Recipe:

Watermelon and Lime Smoothie Recipe

Watermelon and Lime Smoothie Recipe:

Outdoor Tic Tac Toe

Outdoor Tic Tac Toe:

Simple Outdoor Checkers Game

Simple Outdoor Checkers Game:

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