Cool off with this frozen animal rescue! Ocean animals are trapped in big balls of ice, and kids test different ways to melt them free.
It’s a fun science experiment and a great outdoor activity on a hot day.
How to Do a Frozen Animal Rescue
Ocean Animal Studies Bundle
Get the printableBalloons
Small plastic ocean animals
Shallow tray or bin
Salt, baking soda, vinegar and warm water
Spoons, droppers and small cups
Fill the balloons
Push small ocean animals into balloons and fill them with water.
Freeze
Freeze overnight in a bowl.
Set up the tools
Put salt, baking soda, vinegar and warm water in small cups.
Unwrap the ice
Cut the balloon off and set the ice ball in the tray.
Rescue
Sprinkle, squirt and pour to melt the ice and free the animals.
A note on water beads
The original version of this activity used water beads. They’re no longer recommended for young kids because they can be dangerous if swallowed, so we skip them now. Plain water, shells and a little blue coloring look just as pretty.
Experiment Ideas
- Which works fastest? Salt, warm water, or baking soda plus vinegar?
- Why does salt work? It lowers the freezing point of water, so ice melts faster.
- Make a prediction before you start and check it after.
- Time it to see how long each rescue takes.
More ocean activities
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Dive into ocean animals with our ocean movement cards.
The ocean animal studies include
- Printable studies for ten ocean animals
- Instant PDF download, nothing is shipped
Perfect for
- Ocean units
- Preschool through 2nd grade
- Science centers
Frozen Animal Rescue FAQ
Freeze small toys in water balloons, then let kids melt the ice with salt, warm water and other tools.
Warm water and salt usually work best.
Salt lowers the temperature water freezes at, so the ice melts.
About 3 and up, with supervision.
More Ocean Activities
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From families like yours
Did you try it? Tell us how it went!
We love seeing these activities out in the wild: the lumpy letters, the snack breaks, the proud “I made a B!” moments. Leave a star rating, tell other parents what worked (and what totally didn’t), and add a photo of your setup if you’d like.
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