Celebrate World Children’s Day with our Rainbow Ripple Funfetti Ice Cream — a colourful, joyful vanilla swirl filled with sprinkles, rainbow sauce and kid-friendly fun.
World Children’s Day is all about imagination, colour, confidence and play — so today’s ice cream celebrates exactly that.
Think birthday-cake energy meets old-school ice cream parlour joy: soft vanilla ice cream filled with colourful funfetti sprinkles and a bright, swirly rainbow ripple.
Every scoop looks like happiness — and tastes like it too.
And whether you’re making this with your kids, for your kids, or simply embracing your inner kid (we all need that sometimes!), this funfetti rainbow creation is pure joy in a tub.
✅ In This Article, You’ll Find:
- The meaning behind World Children’s Day
- Why getting kids into the kitchen builds confidence, creativity and connection
- A delicious Rainbow Ripple Funfetti Ice Cream recipe (churn or no-churn)
- How to make the colourful rainbow ripple
- Fun, child-friendly ways to get little hands involved
- Sprinkle rules (so they don’t melt or bleed)
- Toppings, add-ins and serving ideas
- Allergy-friendly & alternative diet swaps
- FAQs & related reads
If you’d like to head straight to our Rainbow Ripple Funfetti Ice Cream Recipe, you can use the following link, or read along to find out more.
What Is World Children’s Day?
Observed every year on 18 November, World Children’s Day is all about celebrating the joy, imagination and limitless creativity of young people.
It’s a day that encourages:
- play
- colour
- learning
- kindness
- letting kids be kids
So what better way to celebrate than with a cheerful, colourful ice cream bursting with sprinkles and a rainbow swirl?
Our Rainbow Ripple Funfetti recipe is designed to be:
✨ Fun ✨ Easy ✨ Perfect for little helpers ✨ And full of joy
Tiny hands can pour, stir, swirl and sprinkle — and the result looks like a party in a bowl.
Why Getting Kids Into the Kitchen Is Pure Magic
There’s something wonderfully special about little hands helping in the kitchen — the wobbling, yet quite precise, sprinkle pours, the sticky fingers, the proud “I made this!” moment.
Cooking isn’t just about food for children; it’s learning through play.
- Measuring teaches numbers.
- Pouring builds coordination.
- Stirring encourages confidence.
- Creativity? That comes naturally — especially when sprinkles are involved!
Of course, the kitchen can be a risky place for tiny helpers, but with a bit of planning — safe tools, clear boundaries, jobs suited to their age — it becomes a fun, safe space to explore.
And when it comes to ice cream? It’s one of the easiest, safest and most joyful family-friendly projects. No hot ovens, no sharp knives — just mixing, swirling and decorating. Kids feel involved, capable and excited… and you get memories (and mess!) that are absolutely worth it.
If you’d like even more ideas to help children build confidence in the kitchen, take a look at our guide Fun Ice Cream Recipes for Kids – Getting Children Involved in the Kitchen — it’s packed with simple projects little chefs can genuinely help with.
Our Rainbow Ripple Funfetti Ice Cream is the perfect way to stir up imagination, spark confidence and celebrate World Children’s Day with joy, colour and togetherness.
Ready to get churning?
Rainbow Ripple Funfetti Ice Cream Recipe (Serves 6–8)
A colourful, nostalgic vanilla funfetti base with a bright, swirly rainbow ripple.
Creamy, joyful, and absolutely made for celebrating World Children’s Day.
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Chill Time: 3–4 hours | Churn Time: 20–25 minutes | Freeze Time: 2–3 hours | Total Time: ~7 hours 40 minutes
Ingredients
Vanilla Funfetti Ice Cream Base
- 300ml double cream
- 250ml sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 50g rainbow sprinkles (see sprinkle rules below!)
Rainbow Ripple Sauce
You can choose one of these two options:
Option A — Quick DIY Rainbow Ripple (recommended for vibrancy)
- 120g icing sugar
- 2–3 tbsp warm water
- Food colouring gels in pink, yellow, blue, and purple
- 1 tsp glucose syrup or honey (for swirl texture)
Option B — Shortcut Ripple
- Shop-bought raspberry, mango, and blueberry sauces
- A few drops of gel colouring to intensify the swirl (optional)
Method
Make the vanilla funfetti base:
- Whisk the double cream until soft, billowy peaks form.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together condensed milk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
- Fold the whipped cream gently into the condensed milk mixture until smooth.
- Set aside.
Prepare the rainbow ripple
- For DIY icing ripple:
- Divide the icing sugar into 4 small bowls.
- Add a splash of warm water to each, mixing until you get a thick, spoonable glaze.
- Tint each bowl with a different gel colour.
- Stir in a tiny drop of glucose syrup to keep the swirl glossy.
- For shortcut ripple:
- Use fruit sauces as your colour base and add a drop of gel colouring if needed.
Add the sprinkles (the safe way!)
- Fold in your rainbow sprinkles right at the end, once the base is fully mixed. (This prevents colour bleeding + soggy streaks.)
Assemble the ripple:
- Pour half the vanilla funfetti base into a freezer-safe tub.
- Drizzle streaks of different colours across the top.
- Swirl gently with a knife or skewer — don’t overmix!
- Add the remaining ice cream on top and repeat the swirl.
Freeze:
- Cover and freeze for 2–3 hours until scoopable.
- For extra clean scoops, freeze overnight.
Nutritional Values (per ~100g serving)
- Calories: ~265 kcal | Fat: ~18 g | Carbs: ~24 g | Sugars: ~22 g | Protein: ~3 g
Please note: Nutritional values are estimates and can vary depending on the brand of sprinkles, colouring, and sauces used.
🎨 How To Make the Rainbow Ripple
The magic of the ripple is in the swirl — and it’s incredibly simple.
Choose one of two methods:
1️⃣ Quick “Rainbow Sauce”
Stir together:
- condensed milk
- a splash of warm water
- a mix of gel food colourings (swirled, not fully blended)
This gives you a marbled, streaky, rainbow syrup that folds beautifully into vanilla ice cream.
2️⃣ Separate Colour Streaks
Divide a little condensed milk into 3–5 small bowls.
Tint each with a different colour and streak each one through the ice cream separately for bold streaks.
Pro Tip: less stirring = prettier swirls!
Funfetti Sprinkle Rules
Sprinkles are simple — but they can cause chaos if added too early.
Here’s how to keep them bright and intact:
| Sprinkle Rule | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| ❌ Don’t add sprinkles to warm mixture | Heat causes sprinkles to melt → bleed → turn greyish. |
| ❌ Don’t add sprinkles at the start of churning | Friction breaks them down and the colour starts running. |
| ✅ Add sprinkles at the end | Fold them in just before freezing (no-churn) or at the very end of churning. |
| Best Types | classic funfetti • rainbow jimmies • edible confetti • stars |
| Avoid | nonpareils (tiny ball sprinkles) — they *always* bleed. |
Optional Add-Ins (Kid Favourites!)
Mix in any of these to create “party scoops”:
| Add-In | Why Kids Love It |
|---|---|
| Mini marshmallows | Soft, squishy and perfect for colourful “party scoops”. |
| Crushed Party Ring biscuits | Adds crunch + iconic UK childhood nostalgia. |
| Mini chocolate beans | Colourful, crunchy little bursts of chocolate. |
| Diced jelly sweets | Chewy, bright and loved by every kid ever. |
| Mini fudge cubes | Buttery pops of sweetness through each scoop. |
| Rainbow belt strips (cut tiny) | Bright colour + fun, chewy texture. |
| Birthday cake sponge pieces | Instant “birthday cake ice cream” vibes. |
Pro Tip: Let kids choose their own mix-ins — it instantly becomes “their” ice cream.
Serving Ideas — Made for Kids!
Make it playful, colourful and interactive:
🍪 Funfetti Ice Cream Sandwiches
Scoop between two biscuits (cookies, party rings, shortbread, whatever your little ones love).
Roll the edges in sprinkles for extra magic.
🎂 Birthday Sundae Cups
Layer:
- Funfetti ice cream
- rainbow sauce
- whipped cream
- sprinkles
- a cherry
Perfect for parties.
🧇 Waffle Bowl Sundaes
Use rainbow waffle cones or bowls and top with:
- mini marshmallows
- popping candy
- strawberry sauce drizzle
🍭 DIY Sprinkle Bar
Give each child:
- a scoop
- a bowl of sprinkles
- a tiny spoon
Let them decorate their own masterpiece.
Get Kids Involved – Safe & Fun Tasks
Perfect tasks for little helpers:
- pouring ingredients into bowls
- choosing sprinkle colours
- swirling the rainbow ripple
- decorating their bowls
- smashing Party Rings in a zip bag
- scooping toppings
- stirring (with supervision)
Kids LOVE seeing their creations turn into real ice cream.
🌱 Allergy-Friendly & Alternative Diet Versions
These days, families often juggle different dietary needs — and the good news is that Rainbow Ripple Funfetti Ice Cream is wonderfully adaptable.
With just a few simple swaps, you can make this colourful celebration scoop vegan, gluten-free or lower in sugar without losing any of the fun, flavour or magic.
| Diet Type | Swaps / Notes |
|---|---|
| Dairy-Free / Vegan | Double cream → coconut cream Condensed milk → coconut condensed milk Use vegan sprinkles (many are accidentally vegan) |
| Gluten-Free | Most funfetti is naturally GF — the add-ins matter most. Choose GF biscuits (like Schär) or skip biscuit mix-ins. |
| Reduced Sugar | Use half the condensed milk Choose sugar-free sprinkles Make a light swirl with puréed berries instead of rainbow sauce |
❓ FAQ For Rainbow Ripple Funfetti Ice Cream & World Children’s Day
Do the sprinkles melt or blend in?
Not if you add them right at the end of churning or just before freezing.
Can I use food colouring for the ripple?
Yes — gel colour works best and gives bold, bright colours without watering down the ice cream.
Is this recipe safe for young kids?
Yes! No raw eggs, no heat needed beyond gentle warming, and the rest is stir-and-swirl fun.
Can I make this ahead for parties?
Absolutely — it freezes beautifully for up to 2 weeks.
Can I use shop-bought ice cream instead?
Yes — soften vanilla ice cream, swirl in your rainbow sauce and fold in sprinkles. Instant shortcut!
🔗 Related Reads Kids Will Love
👉🏽 Kid-Friendly Christmas Ice Cream Recipes: Fun, festive scoops designed with little taste buds in mind — perfect for getting kids involved in holiday dessert making.
👉🏽 10 Easy Homemade Ice Cream Recipes for Kids: Simple, low-faff recipes that are ideal for tiny hands to help with — great if World Children’s Day sparks a whole weekend of kitchen fun.
👉🏽 Fun, Easy & Healthy Frozen Treats for Kids: Lighter, parent-approved options that still feel like a treat. Perfect for after-school, weekends or screen-time snack breaks.
👉🏽 No-Nut Ice Creams & Sorbets (Allergy-Friendly): Inclusive frozen treats that keep things safe for nut-free households, parties and school-friendly celebrations.
The Final Scoop
World Children’s Day is a beautiful reminder of what kids bring into our lives — colour, joy, curiosity and pure imagination.
This Rainbow Ripple Funfetti Ice Cream celebrates all of it – Bright. Happy. Silly. Sweet – Just like childhood.
Whether you’re making it with your little ones or simply tapping into your own inner kid, may this scoop bring a smile, a giggle and a bit of sparkly magic to your day.
If you try it, I’d love to hear how your version turned out — and what sprinkle combination your family chose. Leave a comment below and share the fun! 🍭✨
We hope you’ve enjoyed our Rainbow Ripple Funfetti Ice Cream — created to celebrate World Children’s Day (18th November) — and that it’s inspired you to make something colourful, joyful and a little bit magical in your own kitchen.
Whether you whip it up with the kids, surprise them after school, or simply fancy a bowl of pure nostalgic happiness, this recipe is all about bringing playfulness back into dessert.
If you have any questions, want help adapting the recipe, or just fancy sharing the sprinkle chaos that unfolded in your kitchen, drop us a comment below — we always reply and we love hearing your flavour stories.
Stay connected for more homemade ice cream inspiration!
Share your funfetti creations with us on social media and be part of a community that loves experimenting, celebrating and scooping together.
For mouthwatering recipes, expert tips and exclusive updates, follow Frosted Fusions on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and X — just click the icons below.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click on these links and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps support our website and allows us to continue creating content. Thank you for your support!
Hi Cian, Nice to see you again and thank you for your lovely comment. Guylian chocolates have that wonderful nostalgic charm,…