Snack and Story Time: ICE CREAM EVERYWHERE!

Discussion ideas and a recipe to pair with ICE CREAM EVERYWHERE by Judy Campbell-Smith

As the last threads of summer weave into autumn, it’s fun to savor some of our favorite summer activities. Without question, one of our favorite activities is eating ICE CREAM! With so many different flavors and toppings, it’s a treat to be enjoyed by all. Of course, ice cream can be eaten all year long, but with the hottest temperatures of the year waning, we’re enjoying this cool treat with the last of our hot temps.

Did you know that ice cream is eaten all over the world and can even be eaten at breakfast?! Plus, it has different names in a variety of countries. How do I know? I read a book, of course! Books take us on journeys—including ones with ice cream.

READ: ICE CREAM EVERYWHERE: Sweet Stories from Around the World, by Judy Campbell-Smith, Illustrated by Lucy Semple. Gather with various cultures around the world as they celebrate sharing ice cream together—and the traditions surrounding this treat!

DISCUSS:

1. What is your favorite kind of ice cream? Why?

2. Which type of ice cream sounds the yummiest to you in the book?

3. Is there a type of ice cream you’d like to make?

4. What are some unique names of ice cream you noticed?

Looking back at the book:

1. Do you remember where one of the oldest ice cream shops in the world is?

2. What kind of ice cream is hokey pokey?

3. Which country eats more ice cream than anyone else?

4. What is dulce de leche?

5. What is maras?

DO: Make ice cream of your own!

Did you know you can make ice cream with just a jar and 4 simple ingredients? You

can! Try this recipe for some homemade goodness:

Homemade Ice Cream

You’ll need one wide-mouthed mason jar.

1. Pour 1 cup heavy cream into a cold mason jar.

2. Add in 1-2 TBLS sugar.

3. Add 1tsp vanilla.

4. Finally, a pinch of sea salt.

5. Cover the jar with its tight-fitting lid and shake! Stop shaking when the ingredients double in size and get thicker. (Usually 4-5 minutes, but kids can take turns!)

6. Freeze until the consistency resembles soft-serve ice cream, roughly 30 minutes, and enjoy!

If you don’t have a mason jar or you don’t want to wait for the ice cream to freeze, you can use this same recipe in plastic bags. Instead of putting ingredients into a jar, put them into a quart size freezer bag. Then fill a gallon plastic bag half full of ice cubes. Fit the tightly sealed quart bag inside the gallon ice bag. Shake for 7-10 minutes until the ingredients have the consistency of soft serve ice cream.

You can add chunks of fruit, candy, or sprinkles!

FYI—IF you don’t eat it all, you can freeze it, but you’ll want to let it soften before digging in!

Answers to book questions:

1. Bakdash in Syria is one of the oldest ice cream shops in the world.

2. Hokey pokey is vanilla ice cream with bits of toffee chunks.

3. New Zealand eats more ice cream per person than any other country.

4. Dulce de leche is Argentina’s caramel-like spread used to flavor many dishes, including ice cream.

5. Maras is a stretchy, chewy, Turkish ice cream! Some vendors make it dance!

For more ice cream book ideas, see this post from the 2021 Summer Challenge.

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