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Friends Art Lab / Blog / Frozen Flower Cubes Sensory Play

Frozen Flower Cubes Sensory Play

Author: Kristian Klebofski    Published: 05/19/2023     Updated: 03/14/2025

We are ✨obsessed✨ with flower water tables, and we love using the left over flowers for frozen flower cubes! Trust me; you’ll be obsessed, too.

Four large frozen ice spheres with frozen flower parts inside (leaves, petals, and stems) sit in a clear bucket.
Table of Contents:
  1. Frozen flower cubes are the most beautiful ice cubes you’ve ever seen
  2. Frozen flower cubes are the “get one free” in this sensory BOGO
  3. Materials
  4. How to MAKE frozen flower cubes
  5. How to USE frozen flower cubes
  6. How long do frozen flower ice cubes last?
  7. What if I don’t have balloons?
  8. You can’t go wrong with frozen flower cubes sensory play
  9. Frequently Asked Questions

Frozen flower cubes are the most beautiful ice cubes you’ve ever seen

I have made these a bazillion times, and they always take my breath away.

Whenever I make these, my camera roll has way more photos and videos than I could ever use, but I just can’t stop.

They’re stunning. I have absolutely zero ability to take a normal amount of photos. These. Are. Gorgeous.

🌸 Related: After the water melts, turn this into a gorgeous spring flower sensory table (or do this before you make the cubes!).

A hand holds a large frozen ice block with flowers frozen inside, including an orange flower, a pink flower, and yellow flower petals.

Frozen flower cubes are the “get one free” in this sensory BOGO

First, we make a flower sensory table, play with it for hours and hours, and then save the petals.

With the petals that would have usually been tossed, we make frozen flower cubes and add even more hours of fun.

It’s like Buy One Flower Sensory Table, Get Frozen Flower Cubes for free.

And we use free flowers for the sensory table to begin with. This is the ultimate reusing and repurposing activity.

🌸 Looking for more ice activities for kids? There’s more frozen fun where that came from!

  • Insect Ice Excavation
  • Frozen Oobleck (with Bugs!)
  • Painting on Ice Cubes
  • Ice Sensory Bin Activity
A black and wire colander filled with flower petals and leaves sits on the ground next to 5 empty, colorful balloons.

Materials

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  • Flower petals
  • Water
  • Balloons – you could also make smaller cubes by using ice cube trays!
  • Freezer

How to MAKE frozen flower cubes

Learn from my mistakes and do these the easiest way possible!

✅ Begin by stretching open the opening of a balloon and shoving in as many flower petals as possible.

❌ Don’t add the water before you add the flowers. I learned this the hard way. 😂

❌ Don’t push too aggressively, or you risk poking a hole in your balloon. I also learned this the hard way.

Once your balloon has plenty of petals inside, fill it with water. I filled my balloons with the hose because my kitchen doesn’t have a faucet that I can wrap my balloon around, but yours might!

After your balloons are full, freeze them overnight.

A purple balloon is stretched over the opening of a hose and filled with water. A colander with flower parts sits in the background.

How to USE frozen flower cubes

To continue with the sensory table theme, here are our two favorite ways to use these:

  • Floating flower cubes in a water table – fill a plastic bin with water and let these float around. Because they’re giant, they take quite a while to melt.
  • Excavate the flowers with tools – provide your child with tools like popsicle sticks or kid tweezers and invite them to try and get the flowers out. Tip: we also love providing kids with salt and warm water for excavations. 
  • Flower smash – kids LOVE smashing ice, and they’ll be through the roof to break these gorgeous cubes. Give your little learners kid hammers and invite them to crush the ice to remove the flowers. 
A frozen purple balloon is peeled from the ice inside revealing frozen flowers in the ice. Three other ice blocks sit in the background.

How long do frozen flower ice cubes last?

Longer than you might think!

I let these giant cubes float in the water, and about 30 minutes later, the part that was under water started to melt, and then they looked mushroom-shaped.

It’s adorable.

When we make these with the kids, they last for hours of play and exploration between opening the balloons, playing with the cubes, and playing with the petals.

They will definitely last long enough for a meaningful play session.

A cube melted into the shape of a mushroom - round on the top and thinner and straight underneath.

What if I don’t have balloons?

You can make these in ice cube trays, too.

While they won’t be the same size, they’re still beautiful. 

There’s really no way to go wrong with flowers and ice. It’s stunning!

Four large frozen ice spheres with frozen flower parts inside (leaves, petals, and stems) sit in a clear bucket with a few inches of water in it.

You can’t go wrong with frozen flower cubes sensory play

There’s simply nothing not to love.

Frozen flower cubes connect loads of science, literacy, and sensory goodness.

The next time you have flowers past their prime, save them and make these before you toss them. 

A yellow balloon is full of water and flower petals and the petals are visible through the balloon. A colander of flower petals sits in the background.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are all flowers in bouquets safe to use?

Check online to see if your specific flowers are child-safe.

How long do these take to freeze?

We usually freeze our balloons overnight and they’re perfect and ready to go the next day.

What age is this activity recommended for?

Any age that can safely use the materials.

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EXPLORE A CATEGORYOutdoor, Science, Spring

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Kristian

Hi, I’m Kristian!

I have spent over 15 years in the preschool classroom, I have a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education, and I was a college professor of education for eight years. My passion is sharing creative learning activities for children and I'm so happy you're here.

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