Parent tip
Set out plastic containers and small toys before inviting your toddler in so the first minute feels smooth.
Garden Ice Crunch Dig
Freeze small toys in a block of ice and let your toddler crunch, smash and dig them out in the garden — satisfying the urge to bite with appropriate crunchy input.
Activity details
Instructions
- The night before, freeze small waterproof toys in a large container of water.
- Pop the ice block out and place it on a tray or towel in the garden.
- Give your toddler safe tools: a wooden spoon, a spray bottle of warm water, a brush.
- Let them hit, scrape and pour warm water to free the toys.
- Offer crunchy snacks alongside — carrot sticks, apple slices, breadsticks.
- Name what they are doing: 'You're crunching! You're smashing!'
- Celebrate each freed toy together.
- Let them explore the melting ice with their hands and mouth if they want to lick it.
What success looks like
Messy hands and a child who doesn’t want to stop. The artwork doesn’t need to look like anything — the process is the point.
A sensory-rich outdoor activity that channels oral and physical energy into constructive play. Your toddler gets to hit, crunch and pick at the ice block using safe tools and their hands, providing the intense proprioceptive and oral sensory feedback that many biters are seeking. The cold temperature adds a calming sensory element, and the treasure-hunt aspect keeps motivation high throughout.
Why it helps
The NHS Best Start in Life programme recommends sensory play as a valuable way for toddlers to explore the world and support their development. Biting often stems from a need for intense oral proprioceptive input — the deep pressure sensation that crunching and chewing provide. Ice play offers this input through a safe, appropriate channel while also engaging the hands and whole body. The cold temperature activates the trigeminal nerve, which has a natural calming effect on arousal levels, helping children who bite when overstimulated to regulate without needing to use their teeth on people.
Variations
- Use coloured water layers for a rainbow ice block that reveals colours as it melts.
- Freeze herbs or flower petals inside for a sensory garden ice block with interesting smells.
- Make smaller ice cubes with one toy each for quicker wins with younger toddlers.
Safety tips
- Supervise closely to ensure your toddler does not put small frozen toys in their mouth.
- Check that the ice block has no sharp edges before handing it over.
- Keep a towel handy for cold hands — take breaks if fingers get too chilly.
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