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Are you looking for some fun, creative STEM Christmas activities, projects, and challenges to keep your students engaged this holiday season?
Insert our countdown to Christmas STEM activities. After years of doing holiday STEM activities with my kids, I’ve put together a giant list of all our favorites – some of which I created myself, and some I’ve curated from other places.
Keep reading for my top 30+ Christmas STEM activities list plus the benefits STEM education can add to your homeschool.
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Free Christmas STEM Challenges You Can Enjoy At Home
If you scroll down a bit more, you’ll find a HUGE list (31+) of Christmas STEM activities your kids can enjoy right away. But in addition to those activities, I thought I’d share some free Christmas STEM building challenges with you too. And a brand new printable resource!
Introducing the free printable Christmas STEM Challenges. Enjoy these challenges at home using materials you probably already have on hand!
Inside this printable bundle, you will find several pages. First, you’ll get a list of materials. Most of these materials can be found in everyday houses. If you don’t have these on hand already, they are very inexpensive and easy to get a hold of.
Materials include:
- Paper cups
- String/yarn
- Toilet paper rolls
- Tissue paper
- Aluminum foil
- Popsicle sticks
- Paper plates
- Pencils
- Plastic wrap
- Marshmallows
- And many more!
Gather the materials that you already have on hand. You will not need every single item on this list. Feel free to grab other like-items on your own and add them to the stack!
Next up in your bundle, you will find 2 pages of open-ended STEM challenges for your kids to complete. Using the materials on hand, your kids will need to complete Christmas-themed challenges such as:
- Build a sleigh for Santa
- Build a parachute for Santa
- Build a chimney for Santa
- Build a mailbox for Santa
- Build a snowball (marshmallow catapult)
- Build a Christmas tree
- Build a bridge for a toy car
- Build a ramp for a sleigh
- And lots more
Don’t these STEM challenges look so fun?
And that’s all the instructions your kids will get! They will need to utilize all of their creativity and problem-solving skills to solve these Christmas STEM challenges.
Throughout the challenge, they will be able to fill out the (included) worksheet. Answer questions such as
- The plan
- What worked?
- What did not work?
- What did I learn?
This STEM challenge printable is really a great way to bring some learning fun into the holiday season. And best of all, it’s completely free!
So what are you waiting for? Get started enjoying these Christmas STEM challenges right now! Just tell me where to send the free printable.
And now, on to your other fun Christmas STEM ideas and activities.
Our Favorite Christmas STEM Activities and Science Experiments
I’ve marked these Christmas STEM activities and science experiments in ascending order, however you can use them in any way you see fit. Better yet, go ahead and bookmark this page (and pin the image) for quick reference!
Depending on your kids’ ages, you’d be surprised at how educational a gingerbread house or gingerbread nativity can be.
You can have your kids test out the stability of different materials (graham crackers or gingerbread?), glues (frosting, chocolate, marshmallows, etc) , and even structure shapes!
Plus the creativity and problem-solving involved in coming up with candies to represent each character/scene in your structure is a good example of STEAM.
Read all about how we turn gingerbread nativities into a fun STEM activity.
While rock candy is not typically thought of as a Christmas STEM activity, this fun science experiment can easily be given a Christmas theme.
For example, consider the colors you are using. Reds, greens, and whites are traditional Christmas colors and are easily incorporated into rock candy.
Flavors can also play a part in your experiment. Cinnamon or peppermint flavoring would be great Christmas themed flavors and would make your rock candy extra delicious.
If you’re feeling extra ambitious, you could even try shaping the object your sugar crystals will be growing on into a candy cane or snowflake shape.
I don’t know how you’d do this…but that’s part of the experiment so your kids could totally give that a try!
Keep all of these tips in mind when following the instructions in this how to enjoy your own rock candy science experiment article. With a little creativity and imagination, you’ll have a wonderful Christmas STEAM project on your hands!
For some reason, Christmas is associated with candy and treats, which is why this edible stained glass activity is absolutely perfect!
Your kids will love making their own Christmas-themed images, or whatever random image they come up with, out of melted (or homemade) hard candy.
Use reds and greens or any color you can think of! This activity requires adult supervision but it’s a ton of fun and a screen-free way to spend an afternoon. Go read more about edible stained glass now!
jdaniel4smom.com has a fun steam activity that is pretty simple to make. Your kids get to make a little reindeer craft and then they get to make their reindeer fly, just like Santa’s reindeer!
These flying reindeer are so cute, and they are fun for kids of all ages.
All you need to complete this activity are a few straws, some plastic pipettes, some scissors and glue, and a picture of a reindeer (or whatever critter you want to see fly).
The instructions on jdaniel4smom.com are really confusing to follow, but I was able to find a video on YouTube to help you out. This is basically the same activity, just with bats instead of reindeer.
In short, you make your little flying critter (reindeer in this case), stick some plastic pipettes to it, and then using your lung power, you blow and watch your creation fly!
This is a simple STEAM activity that is fun and easy to enjoy during the holiday season
Step up the educational value of this Christmas activity by doing some measuring and comparing. Measure your reindeer’s progress after each flight and then make graphs of the data you collected.
Math is an important part of STEAM and these free printable Christmas symmetry pages bring math, logic, and problem solving right into your child's day. Go grab your free pages now!
What says Christmas and the holiday season better than hot chocolate? This hot chocolate science experiment is tons of fun and will have your kids learning tons while begging for more!
STEM activities are fun because they teach kids new things but STEM challenges are even more fun because they take that educational concept and encourage kids to take it even farther.
A good STEM challenge, such as this ribbon and bell chime STEM challenge, will force your kids to think creatively and put on their problem-solving hats. Plus they're tons of fun and are sure to bring in some giggles!
Many families (ours included) make toothpick bridges or other structures out of gum drops. But have you ever made Christmas structures using gum drops?
You've Got This Math has some super fun tutorials for making your own holiday structures out of this delicious (yet sticky) candy. Go check it out!
Chemical reactions and physical reactions are some of the best parts of STEAM, especially for younger kids. Explore these reactions with this dancing jingle bells Christmas STEM project!
Challenge your kids to focus on their hand-eye coordination and develop their fine motor skills with this Christmas string art project. Another fun way to bring some STEAM into your day.
Bath bombs are a fun way to bring some science into your daily lessons! Add some Christmas to your bath bombs by making surprise bath bomb Christmas ornaments.
Encourage your kids to make their own Christmas gifts this year, or maybe just their own Christmas ornaments, with these easy melted crayon science projects.
How fast can you make a reindeer fly? Challenge your kids' engineering skills with this flying reindeer STEM challenge.
Explore the weather by making your very own blizzard in a jar! No matter where you live, you'll be able to enjoy a white Christmas with this activity.
Coding is a perfect example of a STEM activity and this holiday coding game is a great way to bring some coding fun into your holiday festivities. Be sure to grab the free printable!
You saw our instructions for gingerbread structures higher up in this list, but that can be a little bit complicated for younger kids. This gingerbread cookies STEM activity is a perfect way to tone that challenge down a notch so it's appropriate for all ages.
These Christmas tree symmetry crafts bring some logic and math into your child's holiday celebrations as well! Only instead of merely drawing pictures on a piece of paper (like in the link shared above) these ones allow your kids to build their own 3D structure.
Snow globes are a fun way to bring some Christmas cheer right into your home! And these DIY snow globes allow your kids to make their very own. What a great STEM activity for the Christmas season!
Can your kids build their own circuit? With this Christmas circuit tree, they'll finally get to learn how! Learning about circuits is an often overlooked, but still important, aspect of STEAM.
This fizzy Christmas painting brings chemical reactions to life. This activity is perfect for even the littlest of kids (with adult supervision, of course) and is quick and easy to set up as well as clean up.
This LEGO parachute STEM challenge is another easy way to bring some engineering skills into your child's list of skills. Just have one of your little LEGO guys dressed as Santa or an elf and voila! You've got an easy holiday STEM challenge.
Are you looking for more homemade Christmas gifts your kids can make for their loved ones? Why not a DIY marbled nail polish mug?
This project is easy and tons of fun, assuming you're there to supervise. And when you're through, you'll have a ton of beautiful, handmade gifts!
This activity is good for Christmas morning enjoyment or for enjoying during the days leading up to Christmas.
Using popular stocking stuffer items (clementines, apples, etc) can your kids build their very own snowman? A fun and simple holiday STEM activity that the kids are going to love - almost as much as they're going to love eating them!
Video Tutorials For 9+ Christmas Science Experiments and STEM Activities
Do you prefer video tutorials over written instructions? Here are some amazing Christmas science experiments and STEM activities I found on YouTube. Just follow along and have some fun!
Peppermint Slime
I know a lot of families are anti-slime (it’s so messy!) but if you haven’t banned slime at your house, why not enjoy a Christmas-themed slime recipe. Slime is one of the simplest science activities out there, and the fun just keeps on going and going.
At our house, slime is only allowed outside, so we do these kinds of activities when the weather isn’t horrible. Thankfully, my kids are willing to put up with a little cold if it means they get to play with some slime – especially slime that smells as good as this stuff! Peppermint is one of the best Christmasy smells out there, and this scent always puts me in the mood for Christmas.
Make your own Christmas slime during your winter break by following the directions in the video!
Holiday Magic Milk
Have you ever seen those magic milk science activities? The concept is simple. First, you put some milk in a wide bowl or pan. Then you drop in a few drops of food coloring (various colors work best). Finally, you dip a cotton ball or q-tip in some dish soap and then into the milk. The fun part is the reaction that follows.
This simple activity is very popular on Pinterest these days, and by simply color-coordinating your food coloring to coincide with the holiday season (red and green for example) you’ve got an easy yet fun Christmas STEM activity that your kids can do all on their own!
For an extra challenge, try to contain your food coloring drop into Christmas-themed cookie cutters so your magic milk is shaped like snowmen, candy canes, and Christmas trees. What fun!
Dissolving Candy Canes
A dissolving candy cane science experiment is another fun Christmas STEM activity that uses simple materials. In fact, this is probably my kids’ favorite STEM idea from everything on this list. This time of year, my kids are all about the treats, whether they’re eating them, baking them, or merely playing with them.
So any DIY Christmas STEAM activity that involves something as delicious as candy canes is a win in their book.
For this experiment, you will need a few glass containers, such as cups or mason jars. Fill each container with a different liquid. The options are as limited as your imagination, but oil, vinegar, and water are good places to start. You might also consider using milk or juice. You could even experiment with different temperatures of water! The choice is yours and this is a fun way for kids of all ages to truly get involved.
Fill each container with your liquid of choice and then drop in a candy cane. Leave your science experiment for a few days and see what happens! You can even involve the kids in the scientific method by having them make hypotheses and guessing which candy cane will completely dissolve first.
Kick this learning activity up a notch by downloading these printable freebie scientific method worksheets. These worksheets transform this already fun educational adventure into a completely done-for-you lesson plan.
Popsicle Stick Snowflakes
What kid doesn’t love experimenting with paint and glue? And snowflakes are an iconic Christmas decoration that goes well just about anywhere. Your kids can use these snowflakes to decorate their bedrooms, the school room, or even the Christmas tree. Or they can give them away as DIY Christmas gifts that they made themselves. The possibilities are nearly endless, and the activity is simple and fun.
First, you’ll need some popsicle sticks, or craft sticks. Paint your sticks and let them dry (or you could use pre-colored craft sticks). Then, using glue, assemble your snowflakes! This activity is a good way to enjoy some simple engineering practice.
Marshmallow Catapults
Making marshmallow catapults out of popsicle sticks (craft sticks) is another popular STEM activity you can enjoy at Christmastime (either before or during winter break). This activity is a lot of fun for kids of all ages. After all, who doesn’t love seeing a marshmallow go flying?
We created this video tutorial ourselves. We’ve found this catapult design to be much more sturdy and effective than the popsicle stick catapult design you find most places on the web. So I think you’ll really enjoy it!
This activity is a good use of both gross motor and fine motor skills and therefore a perfect example of Christmas STEAM.
Borax Crystal Icicle Ornaments
Several years ago, when we chopped down our first live Christmas tree, I realized that all our fancy Hallmark ornaments were too heavy for the branches of our living tree. So that year I decided to start a new tradition of a Christmas tree filled with exclusively homemade ornaments – and we’ve been continuing that tradition ever since.
Fancy Hallmark ornaments are beautiful, but I love the simple feeling of an old-fashioned Christmas that all homemade ornaments gives. Usually we do simple things such as strung popcorn or homemade paper snowflakes, but this year we are going to try something new – borax crystal icicle ornaments.
These DIY Christmas ornaments only require a few ingredients, and they are fun and safe for kids (with adult supervision). The video below shows a twirly design but you could shape your pipe cleaners into any design you like! Easy peasy Christmas tree STEM idea for kids. Tell me – what will your kids make?
Grow Your Own Christmas Tree
And speaking of Christmas Tree STEM activities, what about growing your own Christmas tree? Amazon has a super cute STEM activity for kids to do this holiday season!
You can also make your own craft! All you need is a sponge shaped like a Christmas tree, a handful of grass seeds, and a squirt bottle.
First, you soak the sponge in water. Then your kids cover the sponge in grass seeds. And finally, have your kids spray the sponge and seeds with the water bottle every day. After a few days (up to two weeks) your seeds will have started to grow and your kids will have grown their very own Christmas tree!
You could also experiment with other seeds and see which seeds grow fastest and which seeds grow the slowest. Visit giftofcuriosity.com for more detailed instructions as well as pictures for the option above.
Your project will turn out similarly to the one in the video below, only you’ll have used a shaped sponge for the holiday season. (Or maybe not! I couldn’t find any shaped like a tree, but maybe you’ll have more luck. Or you could get a big square sponge and cut it yourself?)
Fizzing Candy Canes
Did you know you can experiment with baking soda and vinegar in something other than a homemade clay volcano? It’s true! Use these typical kitchen ingredients to enjoy your very own fizzing candy cane experiment.
The concept is simple. Dump some baking soda in a shallow pan or dish. Place some candy canes on top, then carefully drop some vinegar on your candy canes. Watch your experiment fizz and bubble, and enjoy a subtle peppermint smell that will (hopefully) mask the vinegar stink.
It’s fun, simple, and Christmasy!
Edible Glass
One of my favorite Christmas traditions is making delicious treats with my mom. We used to make cookies and candies and all kinds of deliciousness, and then we’d either deliver them to neighbors or eat them ourselves. I would even bring some of our homemade treasure to school to share with my friends.
As a person who loves all things food, it’s no wonder this is one of my favorite Christmas memories. So of course I had to include a delicious and edible STEAM activity for you and your kids to enjoy too.
This holiday season, why not make some edible glass with your kids? Edible glass, or sugar glass, is easy to make and only takes a couple of ingredients. You will need some adult supervision as there is a lot of stove time (and some VERY HOT sugar) but that just means you get extra family bonding time in too, so no problem!
When you’re done with your sugar glass, you can use it to decorate a gingerbread house or just eat it plain! Yum.
How to Make the Most of Your Holiday Season Countdown to Christmas STEM Projects
All of the activities listed above are learning lessons of their own. You don’t have to worry about adding anything to them, but if you’d like to make it a more well-rounded lesson then consider adding some of the following:
- books related to the activity’s concept
- videos of similar experiments
- games
Regardless of what you choose, always start with a plan. Grab your planner or print a blank December calendar and jot down what activities you plan to do each day. Get your kids involved in choosing the order to help build excitement and anticipation. If there are things to be purchased, make that list ahead of time as to not be scrambling around. This will make for less stress and overwhelm, especially during the relaxing holiday season.
Consider incorporating an accomplishment system by putting a sticker on each day an activity is completed. Set a goal and reward your kids for completing a certain amount. You could even turn these fun Christmas activities into Christmas STEM challenges by merely giving the kids an overall idea of what their goal is and setting them free to problem solve on their own.
Of course, keep in mind that it’s all fun and not a perfection competition. Remind your kids that even if their STEM challenges do not turn out the way they originally intended, as long as they learn something and keep moving forward, then the activity was a success
The idea is to continue fostering a love for learning, especially during the time most homeschoolers consider to be the “winter slump”. Dodge that sluggish downtime with these fun activities, and don’t be afraid to come up with some of your own!
CHIME IN: What are your favorite Christmas and/or winter-themed STEM activities? Share them in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
The Benefits of Science and STEM Activities
Rooted in science, technology, engineering, and math – STEM activities have a unique way of providing kids with hands-on, real-world learning experiences. These fun activities help teach kids more than just the basics and often add a fun touch to learning overall. Throw in an ‘A’ for art and you’ve got STEAM activities that invoke creativity as well as logic!
I have yet to meet a child that didn’t like learning how things work, what makes something tinker, or building something from scratch. Sure, there are some children who would rather do one more than the other, but providing the opportunity for them to explore is a great start.
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Lauren Geaney
Thursday 16th of December 2021
Hi! I love the Christmas building challenges!
Thank You!