What is a better way to bond with your children than including them in the kitchen? Most children are curious and love to understand how things work. You may have witnessed how a child always wants to pick up the spoon and eat themselves at an early age. Since the child is at a young age, he/she craves attention and activity. They want to be included and eagerly wait their turn. Although most parents avoid bringing their children into the kitchen because of safety hazards, sometimes, opening their minds to fun activities is a good idea. One such example is by making ice cream at home! Yes, you heard it right. The best birthday gift or Christmas present is indeed an ice cream maker for your loved ones. The science behind making ice cream is not only informative but fascinating and fun too! Keep your children busy with a fun pastime and open them up to the world of science. An ice cream maker will give them a cold and creamy treat for their hard work and the process of making it will spark their interest nonetheless! This is your sign to look around for an exciting ice cream maker and teach them how to make ice cream at home today!
Why are ice cream makers for kids the best way to keep them busy!
During the summer breaks when your children have friends over and they are playing outdoors, they are bound to ask you for snacks. What better way to treat them than with a machine that is fun to use and can allow them to make the best, most enjoyable, and deliciously refreshing frozen treat? In this article, you will find ice cream makers that are literally toys to play with, but produce ice cream in return! Such example of one is the Ice Cream Ball Machine which is an actual rubber ball with compartments inside that can be filled with crushed ice and ice cream mixture and then be kicked around by your children for some time and resulting in creamy ice cream when opened up later on. Who knew children could get a treat for playing right? These playful ice cream makers will teach your children patience while you spend your time relaxing in the summer heat. Go ahead and switch a comfy show on your television, invite your friends over and have the AC on full blast while the children play outside and make their own ice cream. We promise you they won’t come begging you to whip them something up and you won’t need to step in the kitchen. We will make this task easier for you and give top picks for Ice Cream Makers that tick off the fun, interactive, productive, and easy works chart.
Who this is for?
Here are a few reasons your kids will love this appliance
- Since these Ice cream machines are practically toys, your child will want to play with it for hours and show their friends as well. This will keep them busy while adults can relax and do their own thing
- Because of how fun the machine is, children will prefer it over electronics, thus reducing screen time
- It will teach them patience while they wait for the ice cream to get made
- You can bond with your child better
- It makes the best gift
- There is no better treat than Ice cream!
- Instead of buying store-bought ice cream, you can make it at home with less sugar and the ingredients, flavors, and toppings of your choice
How we picked
Our top five picks come with a variety of ice cream makers that are proper electric churning machines to manual hand-held shaking ones according to your preference and needs. The professional machines come with multiple options and form a better quality and texture of ice cream. They have cranks that allow you to crush candy into your ice cream as well. But these do not come cheap. If you are looking for low maintenance and a cheaper product, go for the hand-held shaking ice cream or manual crank ice cream makers that allow the child to enjoy the process more than the actual ice cream.
How we tested
By checking the capacity, price range, and product design and material, we were able to come up with products that will best suit your needs. By looking at ratings and customer reviews, we have set forth 5 ice cream makers that are making rounds in the market.
Factors to Consider
It is a good idea to consider the capacity the ice cream maker can hold before buying it. For instance, if you buy a handheld toy ice cream maker for your child, expect it to not work as well at producing the rich creamy consistency of store-bought ice cream. If you are looking for an ice cream maker that produces a better result, then buying one with an electric churning machine and tabletop design is the way to go.
Care and maintenance
Make sure to read the instructions carefully before using the ice cream maker so you know what to expect. All these products mentioned below have been thoroughly researched and picked to ease your own study and only those items are listed that are easy to clean and maintain in the household.
Other good ice cream makers
There are several ice cream makers on the market that are suitable for children. One option is the Cuisinart ICE-21 Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker. This machine is easy to use and has a large ingredient spout, making it easy for kids to add ingredients and watch the ice cream being made. Another option is the Nostalgia Retro Red 50’s Style Ice Cream Maker, which is a manual machine that can be churned by hand, making it a fun activity for kids. Both options are relatively inexpensive and can make delicious homemade ice cream.
Top 5 Best Ice cream makers for kids
Play and Freeze, Ice Cream Ball Maker
Best Seller
Style: Outdoor play freeze | Size: 8.8 x 8.8 inches sphere | Capacity: 1 pint | Weight: 2.2 pounds
Most people get whacked out when they hear about ice cream ball machines. The idea itself seems crazy. I mean, who heard that you can make ice cream while you play right? This ice cream maker is shaped in… you guessed it, a round ball! The exterior is just like a regular rubber ball that children play with. You can keep your children entertained for hours and thus encourage them to play outside and get their daily dose of exercise, with, of course, a treat at the end. It’s like the product of their exertion and indirectly a reward. This play and freeze ice cream ball is a genius idea running on principles of science. All you have to do is add an ice cream base into the ball with ice and rock salt in a compartment around the ice cream base. After that, secure the opening of the ball and throw it to your kids. Now, what it requires is 30 to 40 minutes of rigorous rolling around through children playing. This helps manually turn the ice cream since the rock salt around the ice prevents it from melting, which, in turn, solidifies the ice cream base into a soft serve-like consistency.
Pros
- Scientific
- Requires no electric supply
- Quick and fun
Cons
- Requires stirring in between play to get the right creamy consistency
- While opening the ball, you can easily get dirt inside if you don’t wash it properly
- With the ice and rock salt, the ball can get heavy and hard to kick around
Nostalgia Electric Ice Cream Maker
Professional
Style: Table top| Size: 9 x 8.75 x 12.25 inches| Capacity: 2 quarts | Weight: 4.5 pounds
This aesthetic ice cream machine comes with a hand crank that you can use to mix up various ingredients into your ice cream. The durable design comes with a bottom-drive electric motor that does all the turning. No manual effort is needed. It is extremely easy to clean with a detachable bucket That allows you to clean the contents of the ice cream maker. It even comes with a candy crusher that can help you hand-crank the candy and break it down for smooth mixing. You can use this component for cookie pieces, nuts, candy, and much more. all you need to do is add the ice cream mixture in one compartment and the ice and salt mixture in the other. Children and adults can both use this ice cream maker for whipping up frozen yogurt, ice cream, or sorbet in no time. This ice cream maker is perfect for parties and summer break fun!
Pros
- Guaranteed perfect ice cream
- Extremely adorable
- Huge 2-quart capacity
- Contains a candy crush within the machine
Cons
- expensive
- Heavy
- requires electricity
DASH Ice Cream and Popsicle Maker
Multifunctional
Style: Tabletop| Size: 10.5 x 8.5 x 8.5 inches| Capacity: 1 quarts | Weight: 5.19 pounds
This unique ice cream maker allows you to make two different kinds of ice creams. You can make popsicles in the 7 popsicle molds and soft serve ice cream in the ice cream machine. All you need to do is press the button on top and assemble the frozen, cooling bowl and lid. After you turn on the ice cream maker, you need to add the chilled ingredients and let them mix to make all your favorite flavors. After allowing the ice cream to churn, go ahead and scoop out your frozen treats and share them with your family and friends. The mixing paddle inside the machine allows the ingredients to stir so you don’t have to. You can easily make frozen yogurt, sorbets, and popsicles. All you need to do is freeze the container and turn on the machine. The double-walled, insulated freezer bowl keeps the ice cream and popsicles chilled. It is the best product to take with you to parties and regularly uses in the kitchen. It’s simple to use and super easy to clean.
Pros
- Two functions (popsicles, and ice creams both)
- Cheap
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Requires electricity
- Plastic exterior
- More instruments to wash
AMAV Toys Ice Cream Maker Machine Toy
Exciting
Style: Outdoor, Indoor tabletop| Size: 9.6 x 7.9 x 11.5 inches| Weight: 1.89 pounds
This ice cream maker is bound to make every child’s ice cream factory dreams come true. All you need is some ice, rock salt, milk, and flavoring as well as a little bit of patience. This ice cream machine will keep your kids happy and excited about the process. This is a cute toy to give your children. It has two different flavors and no freezing is required. All you need to do is add some ice and have fun making the ice cream. The machine has a pouring funnel that allows your children to pour in the mixture. Then they need to turn a paddle manually and allow the ice cream to mix and form. It’s the best toy for your children to show off to their friends and play with for hours.
Pros
- Colorful and fun
- Affordable
Cons
- Messy
- Doesn’t bring about a creamy ice cream texture
- Not so durable
Ice Cream Magic Personal Ice Cream Maker
Compact and Easy
Style: Handheld| Size: 4.74 x 4 x 8.75 inches| Weight: 5.9 ounces
This ice cream maker is one of the cutest and easiest ice cream makers you’ll ever find! It is shaped like an ice cream cone with a cute ice cream lid and spoon. This product follows more of the process and makes a delicious treat for your child. This hand-held ice cream maker allows your child to pour in cream with their favorite flavorings such as chocolate or strawberries for the ice cream base and ice and salt to the exterior compartment before they close the lid and shake for a few minutes til their ice cream is made! For a better result, scrape the sides and stir gently before you close it and shake it again for a few minutes. It will give a consistency of soft serve or frozen yogurt. If you want to make it a healthier option for your children, you can add their favorite frozen yogurt to the metal compartment, and they’ll have you begging for more. Get creative and use various flavors and make your children happy with this fun and tasty treat.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Cute design
- Affordable
Cons
- Not as great results
- Makes very small serving
Conclusion
You might notice how fun it is for children to decorate store-bought ice cream by making a banana split at home. They find making ice cream fun with toppings only. They eagerly add on the chocolate or caramel syrup with sprinkles, chocolate chips, Oreo cookie crumbs, frozen fruit, and much more. The market is packed with ice cream toppings to make your ice cream, special and fun. You can find a variety of cones cups and even chocolate shells readily available at the supermarket. Incorporating the process of making the ice cream itself for your children is an even better idea for making ice cream twice as fun than how much it already is. Go ahead and get your child this perfect gift, and allow them to learn the magic of science and how it can be used to make ice cream. Make them understand how rock salt keeps the temperature of ice low and prevents it from melting, and how constant churning or manual shaking can cause liquid to solidify into a creamy texture that they love called ice cream. Make them play with these ice cream makers and keep them busy on a hot summer day. Go and get yours now!