Ice Lollies
By Eri Akbar
You can either turn ice lollies into a delicious treat or use them as a painting tool.
First, you need to get an ice lolly tray which you can buy cheaply at a supermarket or a
homeware store. Or you can improvise by putting sticks into an ice cube tray and to make
those sticks stand, simply pierce them through masking tape secured over the tray.
For making a treat, add slightly mashed fruits to a lolly tray and then add water mixed with food
colouring to make it attractive. Try mango, peaches, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, oranges,
kiwis and other summer seasonal fruits which are fleshy and sweet. I personally love the lychee
flavour.
Remember to involve the children in the process of making the treat, and explain to them about
waiting for a few hours for the lollies to 'get ready' in the freezer. Then have a conversation
about how the water has hardened to become ice.
For painting, add different colours of paint to water. Make sure you put in more paint to create a
thick texture that will produce a vibrant effect. Take this activity outdoors. Let children paint
either on easel or pavement, and watch how the icy paints melt away and the colours blend to
create a new colour.
If a child prefers to explore just the ice, offer a basin filled with water as well, so that the ice lolly
can double up as a boat and the child can watch whether it sinks or floats.