Rock and Roll with the Play and Freeze Ice Cream Maker

Are you having a Memorial Day barbecue or potluck and want to feature a fun hands on dessert for the kids? If so, then buy a Play and Freeze Ice Cream maker and tell the kids to have a ball.



This ingenuous gadget, made by Industrial Revolution in Redmond, Washington, makes it possible to crank out all natural homemade ice cream at home, at the park, or while camping. The ice cream maker doesn’t require any electricity or refrigeration, so it’s convenient to use in a wide variety of locations. The ball consists of two sections, a metal inner chamber that holds the ice cream ingredients and an outer chamber that holds the ice and the rock salt necessary for freezing the ingredients. 



The truly magical ingredient in the process, however, is human-driven energy! By rolling, shaking, and passing the ball back and forth, the cream is chilled and eventually converted to luscious soft serve ice cream.



I recently purchased The Mega Ball, which makes one quart of ice cream. I filled it with the ice, rock salt and vanilla ice cream ingredients and put the kids to work. After about half an hour, we indeed had some gorgeous all natural ice cream.



The kids’ arms were sore, so this culinary project is best when you have LOTS of energetic curious kids around. And, be sure to tell the kids that this isn’t a soccer ball. It can’t be bounced, kicked, or tossed. 

–Melissa A. Trainer