Ice Cream for Breakfast Day!
DEEP END LEARNING I First Saturday in February
Kick off Ice Cream for Breakfast Day with our easy-to-follow guide, featuring kid-friendly activities, a recipe, fun printables, and more for a memorable (and extra sweet) family day.
Make Ice Cream for Breakfast Day extra sweet by visiting your favorite local ice cream shop – a fun way to enjoy a treat and support your community businesses!
Fun Trivia
Did you know ice cream cones were invented by accident? At the 1904 World’s Fair, an ice cream seller ran out of dishes. The vendor next to him, who sold waffles, rolled one of his waffles into a cone shape to hold the ice cream. That’s how the first ice cream cone was made!
Additional Activities
Ice Cream Science: Teach the basics of freezing and melting by making homemade ice cream in a bag. Kids can learn about the role of salt in lowering the freezing point of ice. (see recipe below)
Math with Toppings: Use different ice cream toppings like sprinkles, nuts, and fruits for counting and basic arithmetic exercises. For example, ask how many more sprinkles are needed to make ten or what two toppings combined equal fifteen.
Flavor Experimentation: Have a taste-testing session where kids try different flavors and describe what they taste. They can learn about senses and how to articulate their experiences.
Ice Cream Art: Let kids draw or paint their favorite ice cream flavors or invent new ones. This sparks creativity and can be a fun way to practice colors and design.
Ice Cream Shop Role Play: Set up a pretend ice cream shop where kids can play different roles (server, cashier, customer). This is a great way for them to practice social skills, basic math, and learn about money.
Geography of Ice Cream: Explore ice cream around the world. Show them a map and discuss how different countries have their unique flavors and styles of ice cream.
Books
“Should I Share My Ice Cream?” by Mo Willems: This book is part of the beloved “Elephant and Piggie” series. It’s a sweet story about friendship, sharing, and, of course, ice cream!
“Curious George and the Ice Cream Surprise” by Margret & H.A. Rey: Everyone’s favorite mischievous monkey, Curious George, gets into a fun adventure involving an ice cream truck.
- “Ice Cream Summer” by Peter Sís: A little boy writes a letter to his grandpa about everything he’s been doing during the summer, which mainly involves ice cream! It’s a delightful story that integrates some learning elements too.
“Splat the Cat: I Scream for Ice Cream” by Rob Scotton: In this story, Splat the Cat and his class go on a field trip to an ice cream factory, which leads to some amusing situations.
- “Is It Warm Enough for Ice Cream?” by DK Publishing: This educational book teaches kids about the seasons and temperatures, using the theme of when it’s warm enough to enjoy ice cream.
Videos/Documentaries
Music Playlist for the Day
Recipe
Ice Cream in a Bag: A Fun and Easy Homemade Treat
Ingredients
- 1 cup of heavy cream or half-and-half
- 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- Ice cubes (enough to fill a gallon-sized Ziploc bag about half full)
- 1/2 cup of salt (rock salt is best, but table salt works too)
- 2 Ziploc bags (one small quart-sized for the ice cream mix and one large gallon-sized for the ice and salt)
Instructions
Mix the Ice Cream Base: In the smaller Ziploc bag, combine the heavy cream (or half-and-half), sugar, and vanilla extract. Seal the bag tightly, making sure to press out any excess air.
Prepare the Ice-Salt Mixture: Fill the larger Ziploc bag halfway with ice cubes and add the salt over the ice. The salt lowers the freezing point of the ice, which will help freeze the ice cream.
Combine the Bags: Place the small bag with the ice cream mixture inside the larger bag with the ice and salt. Make sure both bags are sealed tightly.
Shake It Up: Now the fun part! Shake the bags for about 5 to 10 minutes. You might want to use towels or gloves to protect your hands from the cold. Shake until the ice cream mixture hardens to your desired consistency.
Enjoy: Remove the smaller bag, wipe off any salt from the outside, open it up, and enjoy your homemade ice cream!
Tip: You can add in other ingredients like chocolate chips, crushed cookies, or fruit pieces to the mixture before shaking for added flavor.
Letterboard Quotes
Life is short, eat ice cream for breakfast!
Morning forecast: 100% chance of ice cream.
Break the rules, have ice cream for breakfast!
Printable Resource
Download and print these flash cards. Kids can color in the ice cream cones, practice saying “ice cream” in other languages and learn the most popular flavors for the regions. Pro tip: Grab a globe and have kids find the country!
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