Need a summer cool-off? Try this toy filled ice block, inspired by Pinterest. 

This summer, we’ve been combing Pinterest for fun, inexpensive activities to keep the kids busy while they’re out of school. My daughters tried a cool experiment this week when the temperature outside soared into the 90s. I froze lots of small toys in a plastic tub, then dumped the ice block on the grass in the back yard and let the girls work on getting the toys out. This toy filled ice block was a lot of fun, actually.

On some of the blogs I looked at, moms filled their blocks with ocean-themed toys like fish. I simply raided the play room for our toy filled ice block and tossed all sorts of toys into our ice block — small Disney characters and plastic Strawberry Shortcake dolls, pieces of play food, bouncy rubber balls, plastic insects, and a My Little Pony Happy Meal toy. When freezing everything, it may help to work in layers, freezing a small amount of toys and water at a time so everything doesn’t float to the top and freeze in one spot. You can add extra fun by putting a few drops of food coloring into the water, too.

Tips for your own toy filled ice block fun

You’ll want to give your children various tools to excavate their toys. One mom gave her son a small hammer among other things. I played it super safe by only giving my daughters a plastic spatula and small plastic shovel. They also used small sticks found in the yard. You also can use a salt shaker or cups of water to help melt the ice.

My two-year-old enjoyed this activity for a few minutes, but it thoroughly engaged my 6-year-old. We left the ice block in the yard all afternoon and she worked on it in spurts, excavating what she could and coming back later to work more after the ice had melted a little. Both girls loved seeing what types of toys were stuck in the ice and marveled about how they were going to get them out, wondering which items would come free first. The best part was that this project didn’t require a trip to the store for special materials. We love free summer entertainment!

Have any good summer boredom busters like this toy filled ice block? Share your ideas with us!