End-of-Year Classroom Ice Cream STEM Activity
Autopause
Materials
1 Quart-size Bag
2 Cups of Ice
1-2 Coffee Creamers
2 Tablespoons of Salt
1 Paper Towel
1 Stirring Stick
Instructions
STEP 1
Get your supplies ready. You’ll need a quart-size bag, ice, salt, and 1–2 sealed coffee creamers.
STEP 2
Fill the bag halfway with ice. Use about 2 cups of ice so there’s room to shake everything well.
STEP 3
Add two tablespoons of salt. This helps make the ice cold enough to freeze the creamer inside.
STEP 4
Place in your sealed creamers. Keep them sealed! You’ll open them after they freeze into ice cream.
STEP 5
Seal the bag tightly. Make sure it’s closed completely to avoid leaks while shaking.
STEP 6
Shake the bag for about 10 minutes. Use paper towels to protect your hands from the cold, or take turns shaking with a partner.
STEP 7
Once the creamers feel frozen, remove them from the bag. Peel open, add a stir stick, and enjoy your “ice cream-ish” treat! 🎉
How It Works
The Science Behind the Magic
This engaging activity captures students’ attention during those final days of school when focus can be challenging. As they create their frozen treats, students are actually witnessing important science concepts in action:
When salt mixes with ice, it disrupts the freezing process by getting between water molecules. This is freezing point depression – the same principle that helps melt icy roads in winter. The salt-ice mixture can reach temperatures well below freezing (as cold as 0°F/-18°C). This super-cold mixture needs energy to melt, so it pulls heat from everything around it – including our coffee creamer. As heat transfers from the creamer to the salty ice, the liquid creamer freezes into a solid state.
Students observe a clear physical change (liquid to solid) and energy transfer in a tangible, memorable way. The activity creates both a scientific learning moment and a sweet celebration, making those last days before summer break both fun and educational.
Perfect for when regular routines are winding down but you still want to keep learning active!
This engaging activity captures students’ attention during those final days of school when focus can be challenging. As they create their frozen treats, students are actually witnessing important science concepts in action:
When salt mixes with ice, it disrupts the freezing process by getting between water molecules. This is freezing point depression – the same principle that helps melt icy roads in winter. The salt-ice mixture can reach temperatures well below freezing (as cold as 0°F/-18°C). This super-cold mixture needs energy to melt, so it pulls heat from everything around it – including our coffee creamer. As heat transfers from the creamer to the salty ice, the liquid creamer freezes into a solid state.
Students observe a clear physical change (liquid to solid) and energy transfer in a tangible, memorable way. The activity creates both a scientific learning moment and a sweet celebration, making those last days before summer break both fun and educational.
Perfect for when regular routines are winding down but you still want to keep learning active!
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