Time: About 20 minutes
Big Idea:
Explore the exciting art of making ice cream! By combining simple ingredients, children discover how states of matter change and how freezing works—turning a liquid into a delicious frozen treat.
What You’ll Learn:
Ice cream isn’t just yummy—it’s science!
· Ice cream is made with milk, sugar, and flavoring.
· Milk comes from cows on dairy farms.
· People called food engineers help create ways to make and keep ice cream creamy and cold.
· Adding salt to ice helps make things colder, which helps turn milk into ice cream!
Make Your Own Ice Cream!
What You’ll Need:
· 1 gallon-size zip-top bag
· 1 pint-size zip-top bag
· ½ cup milk (or half & half)
· ¼ teaspoon vanilla
· 1 tablespoon sugar
· Ice cubes (enough to fill half the big bag)
· 6 tablespoons rock salt (or table salt)
· Towel or oven mitts (to keep your hands warm)
· Spoon to eat with
Activity Instructions:
1. In the small bag, add the milk, vanilla, and sugar. Seal it tight.
2. In the large bag, fill halfway with ice and add the salt.
3. Put the small bag inside the big bag. Seal the big bag.
4. Wrap in a towel and shake for about 5 minutes.
5. Open the small bag—yay, it’s ice cream! Eat and enjoy!
Discussion Topics:
· Salt makes the ice melt faster, which makes the bag extra cold.
· The cold helps the milk turn into ice cream.
· Without salt, it wouldn’t get cold enough to freeze!
