Montessori Activity: Freezing Water

Age: From 3 years old

Objectives:

1. To teach the concept of water can be frozen.
2. To practice fine motor skill of pouring.

Materials:

1. 1 Ice-cube tray
2. 1 pouring jug with water
3. 1 tray

Directions:

1. Demonstrate how to pour the water into the ice-cube tray.

2. Invite your child to try.

3. Ask your child what he thinks would happen to the water, if you leave the ice-cube tray with water in the freezer overnight.

4. Put the ice-cube tray in the freezer and bring it out the next day to observe with your child. Show your child that the water has turned into ice.

5. Encourage him to describe the texture of ice versus the texture of water.

Additional Information:

J loves water play right now, and ask for Montessori activities with water. This post is an attempt to do so. He has done many pouring activities since he was 2 years old. I am now adding a variation of pouring into an ice-cube tray. He tried this activity today 1 June 2011 (3Y2M29D). Then I asked him what would happen, if we put it into the freezer overnight. A few hours later, he asked to see if the water has turned to ice. We took out the ice-cube tray and let him touch the water which has turned to ice. I told him to feel the difference. Water is now in solid state. It is hard. Then I asked him what would happen, if we leave it on the coffee table in room temperature. He kinda knew that the ice would turn to water. This morning, he got up from bed, and asked to go down to see his ice-cube tray, which the ice has turned to water. He wanted to put it back to the freezer again. He spilled it along the way, and I had to clean it up. Fortunately, it was just water!