Thursday, January 24, 2013

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Today has to be one of the coldest days we've had in a really long time. When I went to start the car before heading to the gym this morning the reading was four degrees (with a "real feel" temp of -21).  Needless to say, once I got home from the gym (and a quick trip to the food store) we decided we weren't going anywhere for the rest of the day. Right around lunch time it was decided that we should put a dish of water outside and see how long it would take to freeze. So, of course, one was put outside. 
12:00pm.  Water put on back deck.  How long will it take to freeze?  
At 12:45 Grace checked on it. Still not frozen yet. It was then decided that a second dish of water should go outside. But this one should be put on the front porch in the shade. "Let's see which freezes first!"
Dish #2 (front porch). Guesses were then made as to which would freeze first. Grace and I said it would be the front porch dish, Emma said the one on the back deck. 
2:00pm- "It's a little icy!"
2:54- "Mama! Look! Ice!"
Front Porch Ice- 2:55pm- almost totally frozen. Two hours outside. 
4:26pm- "We have ice!"  
Just shy of four hours outside to freeze a good amount of water!
4:48pm- "It has a bubble in it!"
Almost five hours for the dish on the back deck to freeze.  

And while this was surely not the quickest project it was a lot of fun to check each dish throughout the afternoon and to see the changes that occurred as each dish of water froze. Grace was super excited to see that she had correctly predicted which one would freeze first and Emma was super excited to see that "hers" had a bubble in it!  

10 comments:

  1. What a fun way to enjoy the cold :)

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    1. It was! Though I have to say my friend Meghann over at Four Wild Blueberries project was even more fun! She had her kids add color and glitter and salt to their water!

      http://www.fourwildblueberries.com/fourwildblueberries/2013/01/project-day-freezing-water.html

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  2. We were at -46C with the wind chill today. This week has brought these temperatures daily. We made ice marbles and the directions said may take 2-3 days to fully freeze.... it took us 5 hours, LOL.
    very fun experiment, I think we will try it out tomorrow.

    Stay warm!
    Jennifer @dark blue dragon

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    1. I have always wanted to try the ice marble project! Thanks for the reminder!

      I hope it has warmed up a bit by you by now! This cold snap has had me having the worst time warming up lately! Thank goodness for lovely blankets and warm water bottles!

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  3. Great minds think alike! How funny that it took *so* much longer for the dish in the back to freeze. Even in the sun it was still *really* cold! You learn something new every day, though, right? xo

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    1. That you do! I so love that we did the same project! Though I think we may do it again but next time add what you added to the water. I think the girls would get such a kick out of that! xo

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  4. I can't for the life of me imagine what that feels like..I am from South Texas way south like 5 miles from Progresso Mexico and today our high was 82!..I have been busy Spring planting all week...I hope y'all are staying warm and toasty..I am so shocked how fast that water froze!..brrrrr I'm cold just thinking about it...

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    1. Marissa, I bet it would feel even colder to you than it does to us! Here in MA we are not used to such negative temps! For as much as I love the cold Spring planting sounds good to me! :)

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  5. Great project. I'm definitely doing this with my kids! I hope you'll consider sharing it with us at Eco Kids: http://organicaspirations.blogspot.com/2013/01/handmade-step-stools-and-eco-kids.html

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    1. Thanks Becki! It was alot of fun! I'll surely swing by the Eco Kids link up and add this link! Thanks for the invite! :)

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