Pittsburgh’s cold, gray winter weather doesn’t exactly inspire creativity, so you and your kiddos might be experiencing a bit of a slump. €˜Tis the season of holiday breaks and snow days, so that just won’t do! Check out these awesome winter S.T.E.M. and S.T.E.A.M. activities, and we’re sure you’ll find all the inspiration you could possibly need!
We’ve compiled a list of activities that are perfect for kids in:
- Preschool
- Elementary School
- Middle School
- High School
Fizzy Cookie-Cutter Experiment
Ages:
Preschool
The old favorite baking soda and vinegar experiment gets a fun, holiday twist with this wintry take on a classic! Simply mix vinegar and some festive food coloring in a small bowl. On a cookie sheet, arrange cookie cutters in a scene, and then pack them full of baking soda. Drip your colored vinegar onto the shapes and watch them come to life!
Crystal Candy Canes
Ages:
Elementary/middle school
Crystals are mesmerizing no matter what your age, but school aged children in particular are sure to love this activity. For this activity, simply create a candy cane shape out of pipecleaners and hang it over a water and Borax detergent mixture. All that’s left to do is sit back and watch the magic happen!
“Snow Ball€ Catapult
Ages:
Elementary/middle school
Have some fun learning about physics this holiday season with this festive catapult activity. Using colorful rubber bands and popsicle sticks, your child will create a simple machine that utilizes a lever to launch “snow balls€ (or white pom poms, available in the craft aisle).
Winter Tinkering Kit
Ages:
Elementary/middle school
A tinkering kit is a little bin full of interesting materials your junior inventors and engineers can use to flex their mental muscles! Simply gather some things that will be sure to spark your child’s imagination: pipe cleaners, tooth picks, old CDs, ballons, colored tape, string, styrofoam, and anything else you can think of. Make it your own, and have fun with it!
New Year, New Wardrobe
Ages:
All
Are the kiddos getting antsy waiting for the New Year’s festivities to commence? Channel that energy into a creative project like designing and decorating your own party hats and decorations that you can wear to ring in the new year!
Gumdrop Engineering
Ages:
All
Gumdrops are the candy of choice for the holiday season, but letting your kids eat the whole bag might mean a long night for you. Avoid the sugar rush by using gumdrops and toothpicks to learn about building stable architectural structures, and also just have fun!
3D Paper Snowflakes
Ages:
High School
When you think of winter, snow is one of the first things that comes to mind. While younger kids may be content making old school paper snowflakes, older kids might want something a little more difficult. Challenge them to create three-dimensional snowflakes, and see what kind of unique ideas your children can come up with!
A Rooftop Fit for a Reindeer
Ages:
Middle School
If your kids enjoy activities like Gumdrop Engineering, they’ll love this! Challenge your youngsters to build a structure out of newspaper and duct tape that would be able to support a reindeer. If no reindeer are available for testing, we’re sure one of your little engineers would be happy to fill in!
Snowy Slime
Ages:
Elementary/Middle School
It’s ooey, it’s gooey, and it’s always a crowd favorite: slime! After making a basic slime using white glue, liquid starch, and water, add a little sparkle to your slime with silver glitter and snowflake-shaped confetti.
Evergreen Oobleck
Ages:
Preschool/Elementary School
Ordinary oobleck is made up of just two ingredients: cornstarch and water. Throw some evergreen needles, pine cones, and cranberries into the mix, and you’ve got a beautiful holiday sensory experience that will be sure to keep your little scientists busy.
It may be cold out in the Steel City, but there are still plenty of awesome S.T.E.A.M. activities to be done. We ho-ho-hope that you have a great time exploring these winter stem activities this holiday season!
