We had an ice cream themed day during our last week of 2nd grade and one of the things I wanted to do with Emily was make ice cream. However, have you ever made ice cream with your kids? If so, you’ll know it usually involves some type of kitchen appliance and (from a kids’ perspective) it takes FOREVERRRRRR!!!
I remember making ice cream when I was a kid and it was a lot of churning and waiting…and waiting is not something I am very good at. Turns out, neither is my kid.
Lucky for us impatient folks, this homemade ice cream process is SPEEDY QUICK!! Plus, it requires ingredients and tools you likely have on hand. It’s easily customizable, it’s delicious, and it’s another perfect activity for busy kiddos that need to keep moving!
The neat thing about this homemade ice cream is there’s no special “ice cream making equipment” needed. It is all done with a couple of Ziplock bags!
Another neat thing about it… it’s a legit SCIENCE LESSON!!!! And you can EAT IT!!!!!! Yaaaaaaaas! *sigh* Reason I love homeschooling # 5,001. Really though, if your kids are getting stir crazy this summer, do some edible science experiments with them!
MORE Edible Science – Check out our video on How to Make Butter in a Mason Jar
Want to know the Science behind Ice Cream in a bag?
I really want to get into the yummy part of this activity so I’m not going to get all scientific here. But I do want to share a few of the resources I used for making this an actual science lesson.
There is a quick lesson behind making Ziplock ice cream in this blog post from Science Museum Group – Instant Ice Cream.
Emily usually wants to try different variations of experiments and this was definitely one that got her brain thinking. So, we changed some variables to see what would happen to our ice cream. This STEM lesson from Science Buddies-Ice Cream In A Bag is what I followed to change things up.
Lastly, here is the Teacher’s Pay Teacher’s link for the FREE observation worksheet we used.
Ok now back to the important stuff….
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What you’ll need to make ice cream in a bag:
- ONE (1) large (gallon) size FREEZER Ziplock Bag
- ONE (1) medium (quart) size FREEZER Ziplock Bag
- Note: the FREEZER quality bags are thicker and are the best option for this activity
- 1/2 cup milk of your choice or half and half (scroll or page down to see: ways you can customize your ice cream)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 or 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract (or other flavored extract or essence of your choice)
- 3 or 4 cups of ice
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup of course Kosher salt (or regular table salt if that’s all you have)
- Oven mits or small kitchen towel (use for optional hand protection because the bag of ice does get super cold)
- Optional mix-ins and toppings – (scroll or page down to see: ways you can customize your ice cream)
How to make ice cream in a bag:
Now that you have your ingredients and tools together, you can follow Emily’s step-by-step video tutorial here on Instagram or here on Facebook! But here’s a breakdown in writing too:
- Pour the ice cubes into the LARGE Ziplock bag
- Pour the salt into the large Ziplock with the ice. Seal the bag completely. Shake the bag around a couple times to mix the salt and ice together. Set the bag aside.
- In the MEDIUM Ziplock bag, carefully pour the milk, sugar, vanilla, and a small amount of any mix-ins you are using. Seal the bag completely. This will be your ice cream bag.
- Next, place the sealed medium Ziplock inside the larger Ziplock with the ice, and re-seal the larger Ziplock completely (please, ask me why I keep repeating these words. LOL!)
- Now for the fun!! Put on the oven mits, or wrap the kitchen towel around the bag of ice, and start shaking the bag. Shake it up and down and around, and this way and that way. Then shake some more!
- After about 5 minutes, open the larger Ziplock and check the ice cream bag. If it feels like soft serve ice cream consistently, you are almost there. Shake for another couple of minutes. *I suggest the extra couple of minutes because as soon as you take the ice cream bag away from the ice, it will start to soften. In our experience it was better to have the consistency a little firmer when you stopped shaking the bags.
- The last step: TASTE YOUR ICE CREAM! Eat it right out of the bag as-is, or add in your favorite toppings. You can also scoop it out of the bag and into a bowl or cone.
- If you want to be extra cute about it, someone had gifted my daughter this ice cream bowl and spoon set and she loved using it for her homemade ice cream
Side Note: This ice cream is best enjoyed right away. I did try to save some of our ice cream in the freezer for later and it wasn’t really the same. It still tasted good and kids might not care so much, but for me the texture had become a little more icy and not as creamy. Good thing it’s so easy to make – you can easily shake up another bag after dinner!
Ways to customize your ice cream:
The best part of making your own ice cream is that you can make it however you want! And with this process being so simple, you can make multiple types and try them all.
Want chocolate ice cream? Use chocolate milk and leave out the vanilla. Or use a splash of vanilla for a vanilla/chocolate flavor combo.
Can’t do dairy? Any type of milk will work. Almond milk, oat milk, soy milk.
Don’t want to use refined sugar? Use a sweetener of your choice. Coconut sugar, Stevia, Monk Fruit. I haven’t tried it but maple syrup or honey would work too- just mix into the milk to dissolve before adding the milk to the bag.
Not a fan of vanilla? Use a different kind of extract or essence. Peppermint, almond, pistachio, or a little coffee or espresso, all make great ice cream flavors!
Add fruit! Chopped strawberries, berries, or mango pieces would be delish! Both as a mix-in or a topping!
Add some mix-ins! In Emily’s video tutorial you saw what her ice cream flavor choice was. Get creative with a few mix-ins of your own to add to the bag before you start shaking. Crushed candy pieces, crushed graham crackers, mini M&Ms, mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, chopped nuts, rainbow or chocolate sprinkles. A little chocolate syrup may (or may not) add in some gooey goodness.
Add some color! Mmmm…did you just visualize mint chip ice cream?? Add a drop or two of food coloring to make the ice cream fun. **If you are food DYE FREE, these are the dyes I use at home: Watkins Food Dye, 365 by Whole Foods Food Coloring I like them best because they don’t add any weird flavor to the food that some dyes do. We’re also huge fans of these dye free sprinkles!
And then try making rainbow ice cream – make individual bags of various colors and then scoop a bit of each into a bowl.
Top it off! Emily’s favorite is adding sprinkles on top. If you used a mix-in, add some of that to the top. Or make it a sundae, ANY DAY! Add some chocolate or caramel sauce, whipped cream, and a cherry!
Ice Cream in a bag for the WIN!
Whether you bookmark this blog post to use as an educational activity or just for fun, please do make sure to SAVE IT!! You never know when you might need to bust out the ol’ ice cream in a bag.
Use it to get kids away from screentime, or if you’re hosting a sleepover and don’t know what to do with a houseful of rowdy boys or screeching girls.
Kids love making ice cream in a bag with their friends so try this activity for a birthday or team sports party. Take it on a camping trip! I guarantee your child will make lots of new friends.
Use it as a game (family game night, woot woot!) and see who can get their ice cream to freeze the quickest! Or who can shake their bag the longest without stopping from frostbite. Then have an ice cream judging contest and see who made the BEST flavor of ice cream.
Shake some up for different holidays or just on boring stormy day.
Or you can be like me and simply do it because your kid needs to fidget and she might as well make us a treat while she’s at it!
Be sure to check out a few of our other science experiments that are perfect for your busy kid! And please follow us on Instagram and Facebook where we share more fun ideas to try at home!
Make a MINI PUMPKIN VOLCANO
