Try This: Ice Cream in a Bag

Toward the end of the summer, some of our Girls Inc. elementary participants were treated to an extra tasty science activity. They made ice cream using 5 simple ingredients. Below is everything you need to know to recreate this activity at home.

You will need:

• 1 cup half and half (or you can use 1/2 whole milk and 1/2 cream)
• 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• Ice
• 1/4 cup salt
• Ziploc freezer bags – one small and one large
• Gloves or oven mitts

How to make it:

• Pour the half and half into a small sealable bag.
• Add vanilla extract and sugar to the bag.
• Seal firmly and release any excess air.
• In the larger sealable bag, add ice until the bag is about half full. Add the salt.
• Add small bag to the larger bag, top off with ice, and seal the larger bag.
• Put on your gloves and start shaking for about 6 minutes.
• Once the liquid has started to solidify, remove the smaller bag and rinse it carefully with cold water. This will ensure your ice cream doesn’t get salty.
• Open the small bag and enjoy your ice cream!