Year Two wanted to conduct an experiment on ice. We decided to find out the answer to the question, what makes ice melt the quickest? We came up with our own ideas of what we could use in the experiment and settled on: salt and sugar (with one block of ice as a control where we did nothing to it). The experiment allowed the children to really show off their scientific thinking. They made careful observations of the change that they were seeing; they suggested variations to the experiment and drew conclusions from what they saw.  As soon as we had set up the experiment, the trays were placed into a special viewing area from which they could observe the changes. Some children also took it upon themselves to write directions on how to look at the trays and how to protect them.  The children drew a diagram of the experiment! The experiment also inspired the children to design their own experiments and ideas related to ice.  The children observed that salt melts ice significantly faster than sugar because it is more soluble, allowing it to rapidly lower the ice's freezing point through a process called freezing point depression. It was a fantastic afternoon of child led learning. Watch this space, as clearly year Two are scientists of the future!