Not only is this project visually stunning, but it’s a neat way to teach kids why they see salt on the sidewalks and roads in the wake of a snowstorm… bcause the salt helps the ice to melt faster! Bring the concept to life with this fun activity.

First, fill an empty milk container with water and freeze overnight. In the morning, cut away the box (make a slit with sharp scissors, and the rest will peel away) to reveal a huge ice cube.

Travis was quite impressed – the biggest ice cube ever! Place in a baking tray to catch the mess you’re about to make.

Next, sprinkle a healthy dose of salt over the top of the ice cube.

Set out food coloring and invite your child to drip it all over the ice. You’ll soon see runnels of color and salt melting away at the ice block.

The effect is quite stunning! Travis had fun mixing colors, and watching it all run down the sides.

It was his idea to pull out a flashlight; lighting up the rivulets made them appear even cooler!

Of course then we needed to add extra salt and more color a few times. We then left the ice block out all morning, and checked on its progress. I had to pour off the melted water a few times, and then we could watch new pools of colored water form.

The craggy surface was fascinating for Travis!

And it turns out we had perfect timing since we got another snowstorm today – and another chance to see salt out on the sidewalks and pavement.