Frozen DIY Sleds for Ice Block Races
We knew when we decided to have a Frozen themed party for Allison’s 4th birthday party it was going to be difficult to make sure it was boy/girl friendly. We really had to put on our thinking caps to make sure there were fun boy activities. When we came upon Mom Endeavors amazing idea for ice block races, we knew we had to do them. I am lucky that my husband is a good sport and agreed to take on the project of making these DIY Sleds for Ice Block Races. The kids had a blast.
How to Make Frozen DIY Sleds for Ice Block Races
You will need:
- 1- 2’ x 4’ piece of 3/8” thick plywood
- 1 piece of 1″ x 2″ wood (comes in 8 ft. length)
- 1 piece of 2″ x 3″ wood (comes in 8 ft. length)
- Blue Spray Paint with Primer
- White Spray Paint with Primer
- Gray Spray Paint with Primer
- White Nylon rope
- Ice Blocks
You can make two sleds out of a single piece 2’ x 4’ piece of 3/8” thick plywood – it can be thin because it doesn’t need to support much weight. With a pencil, outline the shape of the two sleds.
For a simpler shape, two 18” x 24” rectangles are fine, but to have a pointed front, find the lengthwise center of each sled and draw pencil lines, these will be at 9″ and 18”. Also draw a line across the board at 24”. Along the two lengthwise lines, put a dot 1&1/2 inches from the line across the board on either side.
On either side, draw the side of the sled, 18” from the edge of the board. Then draw the diagonals that make the pointy sled tips. Using a Jigsaw, cut along the correct lines.
Drill two evenly spaced holes through the front of the sled for the pull ropes.
It is probably easier to spray paint all parts before assembly. We painted one sled blue and one sled white.
Cut and paint your 1”x2” edge pieces. I used 18” sides, and cut the back piece to fit exactly between them.
Cut and paint your sled runners. I used 20” runners with a 60 degree mitered cut at the front to allow them to “slide”.
Using a nailgun, or screws, assemble your edge pieces.
With the edges laying down, put some glue along the top, and carefully place the sled. My husband attached the edges using a nailgun only, and one of the back pieces did pop off during the party. He suggests using screws for the back because these edges takes hits as the sled gets pulled and the block ice slides back and forth on the top of the sled.
Use screws to attach the runners, I placed them about a quarter of an inch in from the sides of the sled.
Pull your pull rope through the holes, and tie knots under the holes to attach it. As long as the holes are close enough to the rope thickness, the knots will keep the rope from pulling out.
Our DIY Sleds for Ice Block Races were adorable. Even better than we had hoped for, my husband really out did himself. If we hadn’t run out of time we were going to paint for filigree decorations on the top. But even as they were they were great!!!
We looked around for a place to get the ice blocks. Our local Ralph’s grocery store sold them. We talked to the manager and pre-arranged to pick up 8 ice blocks on the morning on the party. We didn’t need that many, 4 or 5 would have been enough. We picked up the ice around 10 am and kept them in coolers until the time of the party. The party was on a hot day in July and the ice blocks lasted well into the early evening. There actually were a a couple slivers left on the grass the next morning.
We setup up our Kristoff and Sven Quality Ice Block Sales station with some white plastic sheeting to represent the snow and an old tree branch we had hanging around. Laurie made a sign from an image we found on Google Images. The kids were immediately drawn to the ice when they arrived in the backyard.
For the actual ice black races, we paired the kids up and let them race across the lawn. Each pulling their own block of ice on one of the Frozen DIY sleds.
Everyone got a prize – the girls got their Elsa capes and the boys got their Olaf Shirts.
Throughout the party, even after the Ice Block Races were over, the kids (especially the boys) had fun playing with the ice blocks and the Frozen DIY Sleds. This Frozen DIY Sleds for Ice Block Races Party activity was a big success – maybe not as popular as the DIY Play Snow but it was a close second.
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