Kids' Ice Cream Maker

Just the other day, I was researching ice cream makers. I didn't realize it beforehand; but there are ice cream makers for kids. This is a really smart idea for birthday parties, July 4th celebrations, or just for fun anytime. Kind of reminds me of the birthday parties I used to have when I was a kid.

I grew up with five brothers and one sister. So you can imagine that we didn't always have the best of everything. But we certainly never went hungry and were taken care of very well. My parents always tried to make holidays and birthday special for us even though they didn't have very much spending cash.

That day, my mom and dad brought home this huge full sheet cake with my name on it of course. Cakes from a bakery were a special treat because we only had them on birthdays. Of course in a big family that meant at least a dozen bakery cakes every year.

That evening some relatives came over. My cousin Erin and her mom came over bearing gifts. Erin and I were very close – more like sister and brother than cousins. We always had a great time whenever we got together. Erin laughed constantly whenever she was with me – she still does to this day.

Along with our cake, we had ice cream floats. My mom let us all make our own. What was she thinking letting a dozen kids have at it with ice cream and pop (soda to the rest of the world)? I know we made a huge mess but we all had a very memorable time.

I think we would have had even more fun if were able to make our own ice cream for our floats. Here are three kid's ice cream makers that are sure to liven up any party and provide kids (and adults) with some very long lasting memories.

4 Quart Electric Ice Cream Maker

While this electric ice cream maker isn't specifically designed for kids, it looks like a very brightly colored beach pal which is sure to attract any youngster's attention right away. As ice cream makers go, this is a very inexpensive machine that can churn out 4 quarts of homemade ice cream in about 25 minutes. The kids can all have fun adding ingredients to the freezer can and layering the ice and salt in the bucket. Put on the motor mechanism, stand back, and watch it churn.

Since this is motorized churning, the ice cream will come out a little softer and not as hard has hand cranked ice cream – a big plus when serving kids. Check out the Nostalgia Electric 4-Quart Electric Ice Cream Maker at Amazon.

Ice Cream Ball Ice Cream Maker

The ice cream ball sounds like loads of fun to me. You put in the ice and rock salt at one end and add the ice cream mix to the other end. Then you shake it, roll it, pass it around, and make ice cream. What could be more entertaining than letting kids play with a ball as they make ice cream at the same time? I don't know. But it sounds like a lot of fun to me and I haven't been a kid in a very long time.

The Play and Freeze Ice Cream Ball ice cream maker is available in 1 pint and 1 quart models. Both models are available in purple, green, blue, red, pink, and orange. When full, the pint model weighs in at about 7 pounds. The quart model will weigh about 10 pounds when filled with ice, salt, and ice cream mixture.

Now keep in mind this isn't a high quality ice cream maker. If you want the richest, creamiest ice cream, look somewhere else. But if you follow the directions and scrape the sides of the ice cream chamber after the first ten minutes of mixing, you will get ice cream and not a gloppy, sloppy mess. This is soft-serve ice cream and will not be the consistency of ice cream made by a hand-churned ice cream maker.

Also, this isn't for a 20 people. You get one quart of ice cream. So a good size for a few people or some portion control for more people. This amount would have worked fine for making ice cream floats for a dozen kids at my birthday party many, many years ago. I know I would have liked the YayLabs Play and Freeze Ice Cream Ball Ice Cream Maker when I was a kid.

Personal Ice Cream Maker

When it comes to ice cream, you don't have to be a kid to enjoy it. We all like to over indulge when eating ice cream, especially when it's homemade ice cream. Well, the personal ice cream maker may solve that problem by making a single serving of ice cream. A single serving is just the right amount for a small child or someone who is watching their calorie intake.

I found these adorable personal ice cream makers that any kid would love to have. Just add in any ingredients you want such as juice, chocolate milk, cream, fruit, raisins, nuts, etc. It's all good and will turn into ice after about 3 minutes of vigorous shaking. Be prepared to jump in and start shaking if you have small children. Since this is an ice cream maker, you will need ice and rock salt as well.

I liked this cute set of 4 Mugz Personal Size Instant Ice Cream/Slushy Makers.  The set includes one each of a grizzly bear, baby seal, penguin, and snowy owl. These Mugz are also available individually or in sets of two. I've also seen these person ice cream makers in dog and polar bear varieties.

So there you have it. Just three simple ice cream makers for kids that provide excitement, entertainment, and lasting memories. Ice cream makers don't have to be sophisticated or expensive. Just as long as they make ice cream and are fun for the kids.