I can remember singing this song along with my brother whenever we thought there might be a chance that our parents would be up for stopping at the local ice cream stand! Sometimes it worked! Then there were the times we might be playing at the playground, and we hear that familiar sound that every child longs to hear…The chimes of Ice Cream Truck! Hopefully we had a bit of change in our pockets, and we could go partake!

I often visit ice cream shops not only to consume ice cream, but to share my books and music with children and families. The above picture is from a tour I did of “JP Lick’s” Ice cream shops around the Boston area.

Having grown up in New England I was excited to learn that Massachusetts and New Hampshire made the Top Ten List of states that consume the most ice cream in the US, but when it came to the highest consumers per state, the District of Columbia topped the list. Rhode Island and Wisconsin came in second and third, respectively. 

As for American cities it is the residents of Long Beach, California who enjoy it the most. Dallas came in second while the Philadelphia ranked third.

What is your favorite flavor? 

Mine is vanilla with peanut butter cups mixed in. Some places call it MOOse Tracks! If it has the word MOO in it of course it would be my favorite! Most Americans prefer vanilla over any other flavor. Here is an idea:  Take a vote to find out the favorite ice cream flavor in your class or family. Create a graph showing the results.

Milk is the main ingredient in ice cream. Milk provides your body with calcium, which is needed for healthy bones and teeth. Calcium also helps our muscles and nerves to work properly and helps blood to clot. Milk products also provide us with carbohydrates, protein and Vitamin D. Some nutritionists say you should have 3 servings of nonfat or low-fat milk and milk products each day. One serving of dairy is equal to 1 cup of milk, yogurt or ice cream and 1-2 ounces of cheese. Ice cream is a sweet and refreshing treat. However, some ice cream is high in sugar, calories, and possibly additives and artificial ingredients. Ice cream can be part of a healthy, well-balanced diet if consumed occasionally and in moderation.

Make your own Ice Cream in 8 easy steps!

Try this simple recipe to make your own homemade ice cream! 

1. Put students into small groups of 2 or 3. 

2. In an empty and clean quart-size Ziploc® bag, mix 1 pint of half & half with ½ cup sugar. Add a little vanilla or fruit if you like. 

3. Seal the quart-size Ziploc bag, secure it with duct tape, and then place it inside of an empty and clean gallon-size Ziploc bag. 

4. Pack ice around the quart-size bag. Then sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of rock salt on the ice. Finally, fill the rest of the gallon-size bag with ice. 

5. Seal the gallon-size bag and secure it with duct tape. 

6. Have students toss the bag back and forth to each other to mix the ingredients. You may want to put a tarp on the floor for this. After about 10 minutes of tossing the bag, you will have made ice cream in the small bag! 

7. Remove the small bag and rinse it with water before opening. If you don’t, you may end up with salt in your ice cream. 

8. Enjoy!

I hope you have had fun learning about ice cream and celebrating the cows who help make it! Mooya!