Ultimate Ice Cream Resource

 July is National Ice Cream Month. I decided to take advantage and celebrate National Ice Cream Month by compiling a list of educational and fun activities that your family can enjoy. 

Ice Cream Crafts

I absolutely love  recycled crafts because I believe it teaches children to use creativity to make a new use of something. Plus, recycled crafts save you money from purchasing art supplies. The following crafts require items you most likely already have at home. 

 

(Courtesy of Pitter Patter) 

(preschool and up) Do you have any egg cartons? Use them to make these cute Egg carton cones.

(toddler and up) Create an Ice Cream Cone using left over paper scraps. Perfect fine motor skill development! 

(toddler and up) My 1 and 2 year old did this activity and had a blast. We even added some real sprinkles onto our Waffle Cone Ice Cream Painting (Beelieve Academy)

(toddler and up) Paper plate crafts are a tried and true craft pastime. Use a paper plate to make this Simple Ice Cream Kid Craft from Glued to My Crafts. 

(Elementary) Do you have an avid reader? Invite them to create some delicious Popsicle Themed Bookmarks from Lisa Storms. 

(toddler and up) Paper plate crafts are a tried and true craft pastime. Use a paper plate to make this Simple Ice Cream Kid Craft from Glued to My Crafts. 

(Elementary) Do you have an avid reader? Invite them to create some delicious Popsicle Themed Bookmarks from Lisa Storms. 

(preschool and up) Let your child’s imagination roam free to create their very own Ice cream craft inspired by Pitter Patter Art .

(preschool and up)Enjoy Wall Art? Create your hanging Foam Ice Cream Cone Craft to adorn your home.

(preschool and up)Make a 3-D Ice Cream Model using cotton balls, sequins and construction paper inspired by Learn To Grow. 

(toddler and up) Your child’s handprint is used as an ice cream scoop in this Ice Cream Hands Craft by A Teaching Mommy. 

(elementary and up) Paper Mache Ice Cream Cone from There’s a Dragon in my Art Room. 

Math Activities

Summer math can be fun and exciting. The learning doesn’t have to end just because school has!!! Continue refining your child’s math skills with the following fun activities.

Pouch cap scoops: Have any pouch caps lying around the house? I started saving the pouch caps when I realized they can be used in all kinds of activities including this one. Draw cone shapes onto a piece of paper. Use dice to pick a number at random. Count pouch caps to make up the number.

Ice Cream Sticky Wall Counting

Pom Pom Color Tray Matching

Make sorting colors more fun with a cute ice cream themed tray. Use pom poms, erasers, or pouch caps to sort into color groups. 

Pom Pom Ice Cream Scoop Matching: Place strips of construction paper around each plastic cone. Place the cones in a pom pom filled container for a hide and seek game. Encourage your child to identify each color on the cone. After your child has identified each color, invite your child to find pom poms to fill each cone. 

Have fun matching these sweet ice cream treats with this Ice Cream Play Set & Color Matching Activity from Two Daloo.

Stay at Home Educator is one of my favorite education resources. Learning is so delicious with these Ice Cream Cone Number and Counting Activities. 

If your child loves stickers, then this activity is for you guys. Use stickers as ice cream scoops. Count and stick to make sky high piles of ice cream cones. Ice Cream Scoop Counting with Dot Stickers from Chalk Academy. 

Check out these other hands-on math activities your child with LOVE! There activities are suitable for preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, and elementary! 

Ice Cream Cone Patterns Printable from Life Over Cs

Clothespin Ice Cream Game from Happytotshelf

Practice adding to to with these cute Make 10 Ice Cream Math

Encourage your kiddo learn division over the summer with this Division Fact Popsicle Puzzles.

Popsicle Count to 10 clip cards are a fun, educational Summer Math

Ice Cream Number Bonds from 123homeschool4me

Practice this Ice Cream Themed Place Value Kindergarten Activity from 123homeschool4me.

There is also a Place Value Activity printables for grades 1-3 students!

Ice Cream Math Playdate from The Educators’ Spin On It

No hands on activity is better than playdough. Buy some playdough or make your own to practice Addition with Ice Cream Math.

Practice counting with this Ice Cream Felt Math Game from Mess for Less.

Make learning delicious with a Pom-Pom Counting Activity from Childcareland. 

Ice Cream Language Activities

Ice Cream themed language activities make learning so sweet. You will find a list of activities for preschool-elementary.

Practice writing upper and lower case letters with this Ice Cream Alphabet Tracing Activity.
Need more writing practice? These Ice Cream Theme alphabet mats are sure to please!
Prek- 1st graders can mix things up with these Sentence Scrambles to make your own Ice Cream story.

The school year is winding down. The perfect end of the year idea is creating an Ice Cream Themed Summer Bucket List. 

Working on Digraphs? This Ice Cream Digraph Printable  is perfect for you! 

Letter “I” Scream for Ice Cream handprint art is an awesome activity for toddler and preschool age children. 

Scoop up some word endings in the Word Ending Ice Cream Shop 

Make phonics fun in this Popsicle Phonics Alphabet Puzzle activity 

Need more tracing practice? Trace the Letters on the Alphabet Popsicles in this Alphabet Tracing Popsicle Activity

Ice Cream Playdough Recipes  

Continue the fun with some delicious Ice Cream Playdough Recipes.
Taste Safe "Ice Cream Play Dough"

Growing a Jeweled Rose has an awesome Ice Cream Freezy Dough recipe your child will love!

Interested in making some Cloud Dough Ice Cream? Its the perfect sensory filler for your pretend ice cream cones. 

Add some Mint Chocolate Chip Playdough to your sensory tray play. 

Ice Cream Recipes and Treats

We made banana boats to kick off our ice cream week.

Learn a little science in this tasty and fun Ice cream in a bag activity.

Banana Sherbet Pops: Gather 3 ripe bananas, 16 ounces crushed unsweetened pineapple, 3 ounces orange-juice concentrate, 1/2 cup powdered milk. Put all ingredients in a blender. Blend on Puree until smooth.

Ice cream lover? Make this “No Churn Cookie Monster Ice Cream from Our Family of Seven
These yummy Gummy Bear Popsicles are so easy to make and only require 2 ingredients!
Your children will love these Marshmallow Ice Cream Cones from Love the Day!
Serve up some Ice cream Cone Grilled Cheese Lunch from Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons.
Make Homemade Orange Creamsicle Ice Cream from Super Healthy Kids.

Waffle Ice Cream: Cut a waffle into a cone shape. Use a can of whipped cream to make a large dollop on top for ice cream. Dip the waffle into the whipped cream and enjoy!
Ice Cream Cake Cones: Stand cake cones up in a cupcake tin. Use Funfetti cake batter (can substitute another type of cake batter). Pour the batter into each of the cake cones. Bake as directed. Cool and ice each cone.

Ice Cream Themed Books

Youtube Stories Read Aloud

 Splat the Cat I Scream For Ice Cream 

Just One More by Jennifer Hansen Rolli

Should I Share My Ice Cream by Mo Willems 

Gorilla Loves Vanilla by Chae Strathie 

The Ice Cream King by Steve Metzger

Groovy Joe: Ice Cream and Dinosaurs 

Other Ice Cream Themed Stories

Curious George Goes to an Ice Cream Shop by H. A. Rey and Margaret Rey

From Cow to Ice Cream (Changes) by Bertram Knight

Ice Cream: The Full Scoop by Gail Gibbons

The Little Ice Cream Truck by Margery Cuyler

Curious George and the Ice Cream Surprise by H.A. Rey

Scoop the Ice Cream Truck by Patricia Keeler

What Can You Do with a Paleta? by Carmen Tafolla

Wemberly’s Ice-Cream Star by Kevin Henkes

Let’s Find Out About Ice Cream by Mary E. Reid

Ice Cream Summer by Peter Sis

Dramatic Play 

No Ice Cream unit can be complete without some awesome Dramatic Play ideas!!!! Find some inspiration below. 

Bath time Ice Cream Parlor from Growing a Jeweled Rose
Ice Cream Truck Playhouse from Celebrate Always
Ice Cream Pretend Play from PreK Pages

Dramatic Play Center: Ice Cream Shop. Set up your dramatic play area into an ice cream parlor. Serve up ice cream treats. You can make your own menus that will feature your favorite frozen treats. Use spoons, aprons, bowls, play food and cotton balls or pom poms as ice cream scoops. 

Block Area Center: Create a dairy farm. Learn about where milk comes from by taking a tour of a dairy farm. You do not have to leave home. Click here for a tour to a dairy farm. 

Ice Cream Sensory

BJ had a great time playing with the giant popsicle sensory bag.

 I used cut up straws, baby wash, and repurposed an old folder. 

Ice Cream Sensory Bin by Fantastic Fun and Learning

Loose Parts Ice Cream Playdough Tray (Beelieve Academy)

Sprinkles Sensory Bag

Sensory bags are a great activity if you are looking for a mess free option. I sealed the bag with duct tape and placed colorful washi tape on top. If you have rough tots, you may consider doubling the bag.

The usual activity you see associated with a sprinkle sensory bag is letter or number writing exercise. I discovered a (I'm quite I'm not the only one lol) couple more activities you can do with the sprinkle sensory bag.

1) Handprints- my 18 MO enjoyed making handprints in the sprinkles. He experimented with moving the sprinkles around in the bag.

2. Letter Formation and Letter Sounds Identification- My 2.5 YO was having difficulty forming the letters so I began modeling how to do the letter forms. I wrote random letters onto the bag for him to identify. We also demonstrated the sound for each letter. At the same time, DJ was matching upper and lower case letters to the letters written onto the bag. 

Ice Cream Sensory rice with "pom pom sprinkles"

I got cute plate from the Dollar Tree. I used the plate as a tray for the children to place the "sprinkles" during play. Rice is an excellent sensory bin filler as it is inexpensive and long lasting. I have sensory rice from a year ago in good playing condition. 

Ice Cream STEM

         (Courtesy of Fantastic Fun Learning)

Ice Cream Sundae Fluffy Slime Recipe by Fantastic Fun Learning

Exploding ice cream cones: use vinegar, baking soda, and food coloring to make an ice cream cone volcano. (Beelieve Academy)

Ice Cream Cone Tower Building (Beelieve Academy): Stack cones a mile high. How many can you stack without it toppling over? 

Fine/Gross Motor Games

Ice Cream Toss by Mrs. Plemons Kindergarten 

Ice Cream Relay  by Mrs. Plemons Kindergarten 

Ice Cream Fine Motor Play by Best Toys 4 Toddlers

The Great Ice Cream Cone Race from Capri + 3

Printables 

Did someone say, "free?" These are some free resources from some our favorite online contributors.

Ice Cream Do-A-Dot Printables from Gift of Curiosity

Ice Cream Dream Coloring Sheet by Crayola

Letter Sounds Printables from Royal Baloo

File Folder Game from Kids Activities Blog

Printable Matching Game from From ABCs to ACTs

Printbale Ice Cream Coloring Pages from Kids Activities Blog

Sticker Reward Chart from Alana Lee Designs

Simple Ice Cream Coloring Pages

Cute I Spy  ice cream games for kids

Make practicing math fun with these fun Ice Cream Math Worksheets

Simple Ice Cream craft using washi tape for toddlers, preschoolers and kindergartners.

Fun-to-Make, Printable Ice Cream Math Craft

Count to 20 as you Build your Ice Cream Math Sundae

Scoop up Ice Cream Counting Printable

Ice Cream Math Game Book Based Activity for Kindergartners

Practice completing patterns with this FUN Ice Cream pattern activity for preschoolers

Hands-on Ice Cream Shapes Playdough Mats

Want even more resources? Check out our Ice Cream Sensory Bins with printable lesson plan.

Deluxe Ice Cream Sensory Bin

Mini Ice Cream Sensory Bin

Week Long Digital Lesson Plan FREE with sensory bin purchase

Our Deluxe Ice Cream Sensory Kit and Mini Ice Cream Sensory Kit will go on sale this week. The NO PREP printable lesson plan has over 40 pages of language activities, math activities, stem activities, story links and sensory recipes that will keep your kiddo learning for an entire week. Carve out 45- minutes to an hour a day to teach. Subscribe to www.bee-lieveacademy.com to get the notification.

Printable Lesson Plan Activities

• Emergent Reader Story (black/white and copy version)
• Prewriting Worksheet
• Ice Cream Scoops Counting 1-20
• Ice Cream Song/Fingerplay
• Inventive Writing Template
• Ice Cream Shapes
• Ice Cream Cutting Practice
• Roll and Color Ice Cream Worksheet
• Ice Cream Name Activity
• Five Senses Ice Cream Writing Worksheet
• Ice Cream Playdough Counting Mats
• Ice Cream Ordering Sheet for dramatic play

Here's a preview of some of the activities included with the lesson plan.

July is National Ice Cream Month. We decided to make our own ice cream during our Ice Cream unit.

This was one of the best stem projects we've done to date. It is surprisingly fun, easy and simple to make your own ice cream at home. Ice Cream activities are typically done in the summer but this activity can be done during a food unit or anytime you want to have a little fun. This recipe has 4 only steps and takes less than 10 minutes to make!! Scroll to the bottom of the post for the video.

Ingredients

1 cup half and half 2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract 3 cups of ice

1/3 cup of kosher salt 2 zip top bags (1 gallon, 1 quart)

Directions

1. Measure 3 cups of ice and 1/3 cup of kosher salt and place into a large ziptop bag. Set aside.

2. Combine half and half, sugar, vanilla extract into the smaller bag. Push out the excess air and close the bag. Place this bag into the large bag on top of the ice and salt. Close the bag. Make sure it is sealed tight before the next step.

3. Shake, Shake, Shake!!!! It will take 7 minutes or more for the mixture to harden into ice cream. Helpers can make this step extra fun!!!

4. Once the mixture hardens you are able to remove the ice cream and serve. Optional: Add sprinkles or other toppings. Enjoy!!

Here is the entire video of how to make the Ice Cream in a Bag

Check out these other ice cream resources