create (with kids)

Our winter has been so mild, I wasn't sure if we were ever going to be able to create (and enjoy) an ice wreath. I had seen the idea all over the internet, as well as in "The Rhythm of Family" by Amanda Blake Soule. And I just happened to have some seasonal pine-cones and greenery still decorating our house here and there...(ahem). Lucky for us, the colder weather moved in and decided to stay awhile! So we set to work before it changed its mind.

I first froze a small layer of water in the bottom of a bundt pan. Our next steps were donning a crown (highly recommended), then adding our decorations.

First we added our greenery and pine-cones. Then we included some seeds and frozen cherries for the birdies to eat when it melts. A ribbon was added for hanging, then a layer of water. We left room for one more layer as suggested by several people to help keep all the goodies from falling out at once. We froze it, then added more water. Then, when the last layer was frozen...

we hung it outside! This is where it started, but we couldn't see it from the house. So it was moved right outside our kitchen window where we could appreciate it. It's also a handy weather gauge to check on throughout the day and talk about. It hasn't begun to melt yet, so perhaps we'll have a winter after all!

Sidenote: For older kids I think it would be fun to keep an observation notebook where they could record the outside temperature throughout the day and the status of the wreath- same, slowly melting, quickly melting, etc. Wouldn't that be a fun classroom project?