Each season brings new opportunities for interesting STEAM activities, and winter is no exception. That’s because the weather and season have elements ideal to inspire a variety of science, technology, engineering, art and math activities, as well as cross-disciplinary projects involving more than one. Getting children involved in fun and interesting winter STEAM activities that keep minds active and warm can make a long, cold winter break pass more quickly—and joyfully!
Start with a Book
Books provide excellent opportunities for kids to learn and expand their worldview, and there are some wonderful books about winter. Whether they live in an area that receives snowfall or not, reading about it can be enlightening.
A classic, The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats follows a young boy named Peter as he experiences the wonders of a fresh snowfall. The beautiful collage illustrations make it a charming read-aloud, or the animated version is fun for kids to enjoy with friends.
For older kids, Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin tells the true story of Wilson Bentley, who developed a lifelong passion for snowflakes. Both artist and scientist, Bentley engineered the equipment and process to preserve and photograph snowflakes; 500 of his amazing photos are on display at the Smithsonian.
STEAM-y Seasonal Fun
Take some time for fun seasonal exploration with a variety of creative and exciting winter STEAM activities. With an adult to lend a hand, these winter activities make ideal family winter projects.
Play in the Snow
Whether kids experience it on a regular basis or not, snow provides plenty of potential for seasonal fun, even beyond sledding, skiing, skating and making snowmen. With adult supervision, kids can use a plastic bin or basin to shape bricks with packed snow, then stack them to create an igloo or snow fort.
Back indoors, looking at the science of snow crystals can be a fun and interesting investigation in geometry. After viewing the magnificent detail of individual snowflakes, kids can make their snowflake ornaments from popsicle sticks.
Emphasize Movement
With less opportunity for active play outdoors, it is important to provide safe opportunities for movement indoors. Dancing to a favorite song is a quick and fun way to release energy, and creating your own choreography gives the activity a creative, personalized twist.
For a more involved hands-on challenge, consider helping kids to engineer a Rube Goldberg machine. This elaborate contraption performs a simple task—like passing a tub of popcorn—through a series of chain reaction steps.
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Bake Together
Cookies are a delicious winter holiday tradition, and following a recipe helps build crucial measurement skills. Get kids involved with mixing up and rolling out sugar cookies, then practice new frosting techniques to create cookies that are both visionary and tasty. While tasting the finished product, talk about what techniques you used to make each cookie a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.
Another project that results in a delicious dessert is Baked Alaska. Kids will be intrigued by the mystery of baked ice cream.
Observe Animals in Winter
Just as humans don hats and scarves, animals also make adjustments to thrive in winter weather. Talk about animals’ needs and how the challenge of finding food causes many birds to migrate south for the winter. Work together to construct a bird feeder from common household items, including LEGO® blocks, a clay pot, an empty plastic bottle, a ladle or something from kids’ own imaginations. Make a plan for where you’ll hang it come spring!
Start Seedlings
Late winter is an ideal time to start flower and vegetable plants for a garden. Research and plan your garden together, allowing each family member to request a couple of favorite fruits, vegetables or herbs. If you don’t have seedling flats, save up egg cartons to recycle as seed starters.
Do a bit of research before buying seeds to determine the optimal time to start them. Six weeks ahead works for most plants. This preparation will get kids out working with you in the garden when the time is right, offering options that blend creative exploration and hands-on activities kids will enjoy with friends.
Winter Science Experiments
A great way to keep minds active at winter break is through engaging science experiments that explore how the cold season affects the world around us. Kids of different ages can work in teams on fun challenges like building ice lanterns, testing how salt melts snow, or experimenting with how different materials insulate against freezing temperatures. These themed investigations encourage kids to make predictions, test their ideas, and observe real results, which is at the heart of STEAM learning. Adults can also introduce simple engineering games, such as designing a mini tent that best holds heat, helping kids connect problem-solving with everyday science. These hands-on activities kids will enjoy not only spark curiosity at camp but also inspire them to recreate similar things back at home or outside with friends.
Prep for a Summer of STEAM
Kids who can’t get enough STEAM activities in the fall and winter will thrive in a summer camp that emphasizes science, art and seasonal fun outdoors. Winter is a great time to research camp options and start making some preliminary plans for the upcoming summer.
By engaging kids in active exploration of the world around them, we can keep them engaged and learning all the way through winter break. The best winter activities will keep them thinking, solving problems and researching new things. Capture their interests in science, technology, engineering, art and math by directing them toward open-ended projects that provide opportunities for deeper exploration. A bit of ingenuity will ensure the whole family stays active and warm right through to spring.
Galileo’s camps offer the perfect mix of hands-on learning and serious summer fun. We have summer camps in Berkeley and all the way to Chicago. Be sure to check our camp finder to find the location closest to you. Sign up for our mailing list to keep up-to-date on our camp happenings, year-round innovation resources and registration information for the upcoming camp season.
