Summer rolls around and many kids head outdoors. They run, jump, climb and play for hours on end. They’re definitely going to get hot and sweaty. Other kids play outside but run in and out of the house for cold drinks and a reprieve from the heat. There goes your air conditioning. Let the kids go outside and play as long as they want, and keep them nice and cool in the meanwhile, when you make them ice cube necklaces.
Use a regular ice tray to make the necklaces – just an ordinary, plastic tray with a number of cube shapes for the water. You’ll need one tray for every two necklaces.
One way to make the necklaces is to use a piece of cord. The stretchy-type cords are not recommended for this project. Plastic lanyard is the best material to use. Cut two to three feet of the cord, depending on how long you want the necklace to be.
Lay the cord across one half of the ice tray. Push a section of the cord down into the cube section, and do this to each section. The cords will only stay in place if you use tape. So, tape a section of the cord at the very end of the tray, push a bit of the cord down into the first cube section, then tape the cord to the tray before pushing the next section of cord into the next cube.
If you’ll be doing a second necklace, arrange it as you did the first one, and tape it to the opposite half of the ice tray. Carefully fill each cube section with water and place these in the freezer until the ice is solid.
Pop the necklace out of the tray and the child can wear it, carry it, rub it over arms and legs, and further use the ice while outside on a hot day. The cord can be used, again and again, to make more ice cube necklaces in the future.
Make a much more rewarding necklace – for kids at a birthday party or just your own kids – by creating more interesting necklaces. Thread on beads, buttons and baubles or cut drinking straws into small pieces and thread them onto the cord. Push the cord sections into the water, as stated above, then freeze the ice tray.
Make a different type of ice necklace by using a bandana. Lay the bandana on a table so that one point is facing you. Align ice cubes, horizontally, across the center of the bandana. Place the first and last ice cubes a few inches, each, away from the points of the bandana. Take the corner that faces you and lay it over the ice. Now roll it, from the side facing you, to the opposite corner. Wrap the bandana around the child’s neck and tie it in a loose knot.
When kids are playing outside it’s important that they don’t get too hot. Make a bandana or other ice necklace for yourself, too, so you won’t burn up while sitting on a deck or gardening. You’ll all be nice and cool!
See an ice cube necklace here.
