Snow Much Fun: 20 Winter STEM Activities Your Students Will Actually Love
Canadian winters are long, snowy, and full of potential for STEM exploration. Why not embrace the season and turn it into a classroom of discovery? These 20 detailed activities are perfect for incorporating math, science, social studies, art, and even gym into your teaching plan—all with a winter twist. From building snowmen to creating snowflake art, these ideas require minimal prep and promise maximum fun.
Ready to warm up your classroom with some frosty fun? Let’s dive in.
1. Snowflake Geometry
Activity: Fold a piece of paper into quarters or eighths and cut out intricate patterns. Once unfolded, students can measure angles, calculate the symmetry, and explore fractions.
Link: Paper Snowflake Patterns from First Palette
2. Winter Animal Tracks
Activity: Take your class outdoors to look for animal tracks in the snow. Bring a guide to help identify prints and connect this activity to lessons about local wildlife and habitats.
Link: Animal Track Identification Guide from the Audubon Society
3. Ice Cube Experiments
Activity: Test how ice cubes melt on different surfaces (metal, wood, fabric). Extend the lesson with predictions, recording data, and graphing results.
Link: Science Fun: Ice Cube Melting Experiment
4. Winter Bird Feeders
Activity: Make bird feeders by spreading wow butter on pinecones and rolling them in birdseed. Have students observe which birds visit and record findings in a journal.
Link: Easy Pinecone Bird Feeder Instructions
5. Snow Science
Activity: Collect snowflakes on black paper and use a magnifying glass to observe their unique patterns. Discuss how snow forms and melts.
Link: Snowflake Chemistry from Science Buddies
6. Hot Cocoa Math
Activity: Measure and mix cocoa ingredients using a simple recipe. Practice fractions by dividing portions and make bar graphs to compare favorite toppings.
Link: Kid-Friendly Hot Cocoa Recipe
7. Snowball Science
Activity: Measure the weight and size of snowballs before throwing them at different distances. Compare results and create a scatter plot of your findings.
Link: Experiment with Snowball Physics
8. Ice Sculptures
Activity: Freeze water in containers overnight and have students sculpt shapes with plastic tools. Discuss freezing and melting points.
Link: DIY Ice Sculptures for Kids
9. Winter Constellations
Activity: Use a stargazing app like Star Walk to identify constellations visible in winter. Indoors, create constellations by poking holes in black paper and shining a flashlight through them.
Link: Star Walk App for Stargazing
10. Snowflake Symmetry Art
Activity: Teach symmetry by folding paper and cutting snowflake designs. Use math to discuss angles and fractions within their creations.
Link: Snowflake Symmetry Art Ideas
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