Lake ice

Okay kiddo, have you ever seen a big lake when it's really cold outside? Sometimes, the water in that lake gets so cold that it turns into a hard, slippery layer called ice!

Now the thing about ice is that it's not all the same. Some ice is thin and weak, while other ice is thick and strong. When people want to go skating or fishing on the lake, they need to make sure the ice is thick enough to hold them.

But how do we measure the thickness of the ice? Well, people use a special tool called an ice auger. This tool drills a hole through the ice so they can measure how thick it is.

But why does the ice get thicker or thinner? It depends on a few things. If it's really cold out for a long time, the ice will get thicker because the water is turning into ice more and more. But if the sun comes out and it gets warmer, the ice might start melting and getting thinner.

It's important to be careful around lake ice because if it's too thin, it might break and someone could fall in the freezing water. So if you want to go on the ice, be sure to ask an adult first and make sure it's safe!