Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day: Let’s Experiment with Making Ice Cream!

"Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day" is a fun and educational way to engage children in hands-on science experiments, like making ice cream in a bag!

Science Behind It:

This activity demonstrates how salt lowers the freezing point of water, allowing the ice to become much colder than it would be otherwise. When you place the ice cream mixture inside the bags surrounded by ice and salt, it freezes the mixture as you shake and mix it. The constant motion prevents large ice crystals from forming, creating a smooth and creamy texture.

Kids can also learn about the principles of heat transfer and phase changes during this fun experiment. It's a tasty way to explore the science of making ice cream!

Let’s get started! You can follow along using the instructions below and by following our video.

Materials Needed:

1. Quart-sized resealable plastic bags (2 per participant)

2. Gallon-sized resealable plastic bags (1 per participant)

3. 1 cup of heavy cream (or half-and-half)

4. 1 cup of milk (whole milk works best)

5. 1/2 cup of granulated sugar

6. 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

7. Ice cubes (about 4 cups)

8. 1 cup of rock salt (or kosher salt)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Ice Cream Mixture:

   a. Grab a bowl and combine the heavy cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.

2. Fill the Small Bags:

   a. Pour about 1/2 cup of the ice cream mixture into each quart-sized plastic bag.

3. Seal the Small Bags:

   a. Carefully squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing each bag securely.

4. Prepare the Ice Bath:

   a. Fill the gallon-sized plastic bag halfway with ice cubes.

   b. Sprinkle the rock salt over the ice cubes in the bag.

5. Insert the Small Bags:

   a. Place the sealed quart-sized bags with the ice cream mixture into the larger bag with the ice and salt. Seal the larger bag securely.

6. Shake and Mix:

   a. Hold the larger bag with a towel or cloth to protect your hands from the cold.

   b. Shake and knead the bags for about 5-10 minutes, or until the ice cream mixture inside the quart-sized bags thickens and becomes ice cream.

7. Check the Consistency:

   a. Open the quart-sized bags and check the ice cream's consistency. If it's not quite firm enough, reseal the bags and continue shaking for a few more minutes.

8. Serve and Enjoy:

   a. Carefully remove the quart-sized bags from the larger bag with the ice and salt.

   b. Open the small bags, scoop out your homemade ice cream, and enjoy your delicious treat!