Frozen flowers

Learning objectives

Freeze | Flower | Ice | Water | Temperature | Preservation | Experiment | Observation

Preparation

• Fill up a bucket or tub trug with water so pupils can refill easily
• Decide which beds or plants need watering. Water once a week thoroughly, if it hasn’t rained
• If possible, water early in the morning rather than at lunchtimes when the sun is hottest and water will evaporate quickly

Equipment

• Small watering cans
• Home made watering devices from milk bottles
• Bottle top waterers and recycled plastic bottles
• Water butts, outside tap or buckets filled with water
• Spade (optional)

1. Ask your group to walk around the garden with a bowl or sandwich bag and collect natural items such as flowers, petals, leaves, grasses or seeds
2. Place the items into an ice cube tray or other vessel without holes like a yogurt pot
3. Pour water over the items - you may like to use a jug for this
4. Add any extra decoration such as plastic-free glitter, coloured sand or food colouring
5. Put in the freezer until completely solid - around two to three hours is fine but longer if you can
6. Once set, pop your ice cubes or shapes out and observe the colours and shapes suspended in the ice. How long before they melt?

N.B. do not let children eat the ice cubes unless they contain edible flowers or plants and nothing else.

• If you don’t have a garden, take a stroll around a park or woodland to find your materials
• If you are unsure about which plants are safe to touch, have a look at our checklist of potentially harmful plants
• You may wish to use scissors or secateurs to remove flowers or leaves - just remember only to cut them from plants you own or are allowed to cut from, otherwise look for fallen materials
• Ice cubes could be laid out to create a mosaic or beautiful patterns that could be photographed from above
• If you have access to a large freezer, try creating large pieces of art by laying the flowers and leaves onto a tray or into a dish before pouring over the water and freezing. Placing cling film on the tray or dish before the materials and water will help you remove the ice later and prevent it from shattering
• Freeze edible flowers or herbs into ice cubes to pop into a cold drink on a hot day
• Make these once each season and photograph them as you go. Compare the photos at the end of the year to observe the changes in the colours and appearance of your materials