How to Make Super Easy Ice Cream With Kids

Kids love to make ice cream.

Make the kids a delicious treat and teach them some science at the same time! They'll learn that adding salt to ice makes the ice melt slowly, which lowers the melted water's temperature enough to turn ordinary cream into ice cream. The recipe makes approximately two scoops of soft-serve ice cream.

Things You'll Need

• 1 resealable plastic freezer bag, 1-gallon size
• 1 resealable plastic bag, 1-pint size
• Ice cubes
• Sea salt or kosher salt
• 2 tbsp. white sugar
• 1 cup half-and-half cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or peppermint
• Mittens or gloves

Instructions

1. Put 2 tablespoons of cream, 1 cup of half-and-half cream and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla in a pint-size plastic bag. Seal the top of the bag.

2. Fill the gallon-size freezer bag with ice until it is about about 1/4 full. Add 3 tablespoons of salt.

3. Place the pint-size bag (make sure it is sealed!) inside the gallon-size freezer bag. Add more ice, enough so that the smaller bag is surrounded by ice. Sprinkle 3 more tablespoons of salt on the ice. Seal the freezer bag.

4. After he puts on mittens, have your child gently shake the freezer bag back and forth, or even slide it around the floor. Monitor his progress to make sure the bags' seals stay closed. In just five minutes, your kid will have ice cream!

Tips & Warnings

• At the end, carefully open up the bags and swirl in a handful of chocolate chips or peanut candies.

References

• General Chemistry Online: Why Can Adding Salt to Ice Water Make the Ice Melt Slower?