Instant Ice Winter Science Experiment

During the winter months, kids are obsessed with ice and all things snow. But sometimes, it’s just too cold to go outside and play or learn. But you don’t have to put on a coat to enjoy the great outdoors this winter!

Try this fun instant ice winter science experiment and wow your kids, neighbors, classroom, and anyone else who will pay attention with this easy science experiment that looks just like magic!

Follow these guidelines to make your own version of instant ice. It’s science that is just like magic!

What you need to make the instant ice winter science experiment: 

• Water bottles (we usually stock about 6 for this activity)
• Ice
• Small plastic container

The secret to this experiment is in how ice freezes. In this experiment, you lower the temperature of the water to just below freezing, but not cold enough to actually freeze.

When the water molecules start to move when the water is shaken or poured, they instantly freeze, making it look like you can pour ice directly from a water bottle!

There are a few tricks to this experiment. It took us about an hour in the freezer to get our bottles to the right temperature. You can tell it’s the right temperature when you hit the bottle on the counter and ice particles form inside the bottle.

Wait much longer though, and your water will become ice, making the experiment impossible. 

Cool the water bottles in the freezer for about an hour. Check every 30 minutes by hitting one bottle on the counter to see if ice forms (it will look like this when it’s ready).

Place a couple of ice cubes on your upside down container. This will help form the ice tower. 

Carefully pour the water slowly onto the ice. It should start to form an ice tower right away. If it doesn’t, your water is too warm. 

Keep pouring gently until the ice tower stops forming. You can use other bottles from the freezer to make the ice sculpture even bigger.

Once the water warms up though, it will start to destroy the tower, so watch out when you’re pouring.