Ice Excavation: Cheap And Easy Ice Activity For Preschoolers
Updated on January 23, 2026
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Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Looking for an easy sensory ice activity for your preschooler this summer? Check out this cheap (or free!) ice excavation game!
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Table of Contents
As a stay-at-home mom with 3 kids under 4, I’m always looking for activities that are free and easy. This summer, I discovered ice excavation, and it is probably the easiest activity I’ve ever done. Plus, the kids loved it, and it kept them busy for a whole hour! Set up and clean up are as simple as it gets. You’ve got to try it!
What Is Ice Excavation?
Ice excavation is a sensory game for kids in which they dig or melt out an object from a block of ice. For easy clean-up, it’s best done outdoors in the summer, but can be done indoors within a tub or tote. Ice excavation is perfect for kids of all ages, but may appeal most to preschoolers.
Materials Needed:
- Freezer-Safe Container: I used an ice cream pail, but you can use any container that fits in your freezer. Make sure the bucket is placed on a flat surface. I didn’t the first time, and it cracked the bottom of the bucket.
- Water: Tap water or hose water works great!
- Freezer-Safe Toys: Grab a pack of small plastic toys from Amazon, the Dollar Store or scavenge around your house for small toys you already have! You can also use colorful pom-poms, then throw them in the dryer to reuse them again and again. No matter what toys you choose, make sure they can freeze. If you’re going to dig or smash them out, make sure they are toys you don’t mind getting broken!
- Something to Dig or Melt: For melting ice, you can use a cup, a water gun, a spray bottle, or a hose. To dig or break, you can use a screwdriver or a hammer. Obviously, you’ll need to observe your child more closely if they are using tools. Personally, I opted for melting with water.
How To Make An Ice Excavation Activity
Start with a freezer-safe container and fill it 3/4 full with water. An ice cream pail works well! Take a handful of small freezer-safe toys and place them into the water. Place your bucket on a flat surface in the freezer (to prevent the bottom from breaking) and freeze overnight.
When you’re ready to play, flip the bucket upside down to get the ice out. If the ice is stuck, pour or spray some water on the outside of the upside-down bucket, and it should easily release. We played with this outside in the summer, so the sun also helped us melt the toys out. If you plan to do this indoors, you’ll need to place the ice cube in a tub or container to hold all the liquid as it melts.
When the ice cube is out of the container, let your toddlers try to get the toys out by melting or digging. To do this, I filled up our water table, then gave the kids their water guns to fill and shoot at the cube. You can also use cups of water to pour over, or a spray or squirt bottle as well.
Ice Excavation
Equipment
- 1 Ice Cream Bucket
Materials
- 1 handful Toys Make sure the toys are freeze resistant
- 1 bucket Water
Instructions
- Fill an ice cream pail 3/4 full of water
- Pour in a handful of toys
- Freeze overnight
Notes
Why You’ll Love Ice Excavation
- It’s fun sensory outdoor play for your preschooler!
- It’s easy to set up and holds children’s attention!
- This can be a STEM activity for preschoolers to teach about water, solids, and liquids, as well as problem-solving!
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