Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
The Melting Ice Watch: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 2
- ForYear 2
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
The Melting Ice Watch is a free printable science worksheet for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7). Children watch one ice cube, draw what they see and write words about it. It needs only paper, a pencil, a plate and an ice cube. Page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas, a stretch idea and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children fill in a table with the headings Time, Draw it and My words. Each time they check the ice cube, they draw it and add words about what they see. Then they finish some sentences. They predict how many minutes the ice cube will take to melt into a puddle, choose two words for how the ice feels, and name one thing that changed the most. There are lines for writing.
- Time
- Draw it
- My words
- I think the ice cube will melt into a puddle in ___ minutes.
- Two words for how the ice feels: ___ and ___.
- One thing that changed the most: ___.
Setting up the watch
Ice and plate
An adult fetches the ice from the freezer. Put one ice cube on a plate for each child. Use the same kind of plate for everyone so the watching is fair.
A place and a clock
Choose a spot where the plates will not be knocked. Put a clock or timer where everyone can see it. The sheet asks you to check the time together every five minutes.
Pencil and page 1
Give each child a pencil and page 1. A tray or a towel under the plate helps with any drips. Keep page 2 for the grown up.
Why watch an ice cube melt?
Ice is a good first subject for careful observing. It is cheap, safe and easy to find, and it changes in front of the children's eyes. Children do not need any special equipment. They only need to look closely, notice small changes and find words for them. That is how real scientists begin many investigations.
The sheet asks for a prediction before the watching starts. A prediction is a sensible guess, and it is fine if it turns out to be different from what happens. Comparing the guess with the result teaches children that science is about checking ideas. The describing words also link science with English, because children must choose words that are precise.
Ice and water facts
- Ice is water that has frozen.
- Melting is when a solid turns into a liquid.
- Freezing and melting are opposites.
- A clock or timer helps us measure how long something takes.
- Scientists write down or draw what they see so they can look back at it later.
Skills and curriculum link
- Careful observing
- Describing words
- Patient watching
- Making a prediction
- Drawing what you see
- Reading a clock with a grown up
Ideas for the grown up helper
- Ask before tellingAsk "What can you see now?" before you say anything yourself. Children notice more when they are not told what to look for.
- Use all the sensesAsk what the ice feels like to a finger, and what it looks like in the light. Use sight and touch only. Nothing is tasted.
- Compare the picturesLook at the drawings side by side. Ask your child to point to one thing that is different from the last one.
- Praise the guessWhatever the prediction, say it was a good thing to try. Then compare it with what happened.
Key words
- MeltTo change from a solid into a liquid.
- ObserveTo look carefully and notice what is there.
- PredictTo make a sensible guess about what will happen.
- SolidSomething that keeps its own shape.
- LiquidSomething that flows and takes the shape of its container.
- DescribeTo say what something is like, using words.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Give each child one ice cube on a plate. Ask them to read the sentences first and write a prediction before they begin.
- Check the time every five minutes together. At each check, ask your child to draw the ice cube and add words.
- Ask for quiet watching. Then finish the sentences about how the ice feels and what changed the most.
- Check with page 2 and talk about the answers. Try again another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Offer the word bank from page 2: cold, wet, shiny, smooth, drip. Let your child point to a word and say it before writing. Draw the first picture together, then let them try the next one alone.
To stretch confident children
Ask your child to predict which of two places will melt an ice cube faster, then test it with a second cube. An adult sets up the test. Ask them to explain what they found and why they think it happened.
Make it a game
Play the silent watching challenge. Everyone watches their ice cube without speaking. When the time is up, each player says every change they noticed. The player who spotted the most changes wins.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child draws the same shape every time without really looking.
Try thisAsk them to look first and draw second. Point to one edge or one size on the ice and ask if it has changed since last time.
Watch forA child writes a vague word like "nice" or "good" for how the ice feels.
Try thisLet them gently touch the ice. Ask what their finger notices. Use the word bank to help them find a more exact word.
Watch forA child feels a wrong prediction means they have failed.
Try thisSay a prediction is only a guess. Compare it with what happened and talk about what they would guess next time.
Talk about it
- What can you see on the plate right now?
- What has changed since we last looked?
- What does the ice feel like when you touch it?
- Where did the water come from?
- What would you do to make this experiment fair for two ice cubes?
- What did you guess at the start, and how close was it?
Take it off the page
Puddle watch
After rain, find a puddle and look at it carefully. Draw it and write two words that describe it. Come back later and see whether it has changed.
Feely bag words
Put a few safe objects in a bag. Your child feels one without looking and says describing words. You guess the object from the words.
Draw a change
Choose something that changes slowly, such as a plant on a windowsill. Draw it today and again in a few days. Talk about what looks different.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first few checks, then let them lead. Ask questions rather than giving answers. Have a towel handy for drips, and praise careful looking as much as correct words.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, a table activity or a plenary in a science lesson on observing. It needs only ice, plates and printing. The word bank and stretch idea on page 2 help with mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider science plan. It pairs well with outdoor walks, books about water and everyday talk. You can print it again for brothers and sisters or to revisit a few weeks later.
Where this fits in science
Before this, children in Year 1 learn to name and describe everyday materials and to use their senses to notice what things are like. This sheet builds on that by adding careful watching over time and a simple prediction.
After this, children go on to look at how materials are used and how some can change. Later in Key Stage 2 they study solids, liquids and gases in more detail. Careful observing and clear describing words support all of that learning.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is The Melting Ice Watch for?
It is written for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7), in Key Stage 1. Younger children can join in with a grown up, and older children can use the stretch idea to think harder about why ice melts.
- Do I need one ice cube for each child?
Yes, the notes suggest giving each child one ice cube on a plate. Children then watch their own and can compare what they saw afterwards. An adult should fetch the ice from the freezer.
- Are there fixed answers?
Some answers are open. Page 2 gives the answers and notes, but predictions and describing words are personal, so accept any sensible choice. Ask your child to say why they chose their words.
- What if it feels too hard?
Offer the word bank from page 2: cold, wet, shiny, smooth, drip. Let your child point and say the words first. Draw the first picture together, then let them carry on alone.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or another class, and use black and white on plain A4 paper.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing and finding some ice. Page 2 has support and stretch ideas.
- How long does it take?
It depends on the ice cube and the room. The sheet asks you to check the time every five minutes together, so children watch for as long as the ice takes to change. Choose a calm moment to begin.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.