Homemade ice cream isn’t rocket science – let’s make some!
Homemade ice cream is one thing that is quintessentially summer in your mouth. Too bad it takes forever, and kids usually don’t have that kind of patience. But we are Rocket City parents – we don’t give up. We science the mess out of it and make it happen. So let’s make some chocolate ice cream with some three-year-olds in 10 minutes or less!
How to Make Delicious Homemade Ice Cream with Preschoolers in 10 Minutes or Less
Ingredients & Equipment
1 gallon freezer bag
1 quart freezer bag
Ice
Rock Salt
Sugar
Half & Half
Vanilla extract
Chocolate Syrup
Oven Mitts
Most of these are pantry staples at my house so we only spend money on rock salt and half & half. I will tell you that if you get the pint carton of half & half it is the perfect amount for two bags. We invited our neighbors over to participate in this fun science and outdoor kitchen experiment. Another tip is that one bag makes enough for two kids – or just cut ‘em off and throw it in the freezer.
Homemade Ice Cream Directions
Add the following in your quart bag (the smaller one is what you tell the tots):
2 Tablespoons of sugar
1 cup half & half
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ tablespoons of chocolate syrup
- Parent Pro-Tip: this is where your Top Chef, Food Network, or Tasty “mise en place” comes in handy. I had everything out and ready to go in one place so that we didn’t have to run back and forth to the kitchen. Also, have a parent hold the bag or use one of those baggy holders.
Seal the quart bag and have the kids squish everything together and notice how liquidy and not solid it feels. Make sure that seal is tight.
Add the following to your gallon bag (the big one, kiddos):
Ice half full (or half empty depending on what mood you’re in)
½ cup Rock Salt
Now add the quart bag (the small one) to the gallon bag filled with ice (the big one) and seal the gallon bag up. Shake it up! We had the kids toss it back and forth and jump with it a few times. It gets extremely cold very quickly, so you may need oven mitts. After about three minutes, the newness had worn off, and the kids played tag while an adult shook it like a polaroid picture. In around 5 -7 minutes, you will have ice cream.
Thankfully my child was kind enough to let me taste one spoonful. It’s just like a Frosty from Wendy’s. If that is your jam – like it is for my family – then this was a home run! We just had everything outside so that we could plop down and have an after-dinner snack. Clean-up wasn’t terrible with a few measuring utensils. Best of luck to you and let us know how it turns out!
You Might Also Like…
The RCM Summer Bucket List
July 4th Events in the Rocket City & Beyond
Whimsical Woods Get Flip Flopped
Advertisement
Beth Ridgeway lives in Madison with her husband, daughter, and toy poodle. She works as the Social Media Specialist at the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau. When she’s not volunteering or working, you can find her binge watching Netflix, reading, or rehearsing improv.