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Winter weather might keep us inside, but learning doesn’t have to pause until the snow melts. Joyful exploration can happen right indoors with hands-on STEM and sensory play activities. Using winter materials, kids can discover and learn in the warm indoors.
Here are seven engaging winter STEM lessons for home or the classroom.
1. Salt Snowflakes
Glue and salt are classic classroom staples. Draw snowflake designs with glue, sprinkle generously with coarse salt, and let dry overnight. Paint the dried snowflakes with watercolors and watch the colors spread and blend together. For an extra STEM connection, discuss how snowflakes often have six points because water molecules freeze into hexagonal patterns.
2. Frozen Treasure
Freeze small toys, beads, and natural objects in ice cube trays or containers. Invite kids to uncover the treasures using tools like salt, warm water, paint brushes, and water droppers. Explore states of matter, melting, temperature, and cause and effect.
3. Sensory Snow Day
Fill a bin with real snow and add scoops, spoons, and water cups with food coloring. Kids can pour, measure, paint the snow, and experiment with color blending, reinforcing early math and science concepts.
4. Snowstorm in a Jar
Let kids create a swirling snowstorm by filling a jar with water, paint, glitter, oil, and a fizzy tablet, then watch the materials move and swirl. Discuss weather, density, and how the different ingredients interact.
5. Build a Mini Snow Shelter
Challenge kids to engineer a shelter using available materials like cotton balls, marshmallows, cardboard, foil, craft sticks, building blocks, paper, and tape. The goal is to protect a small toy animal from the “wind.” Test the designs by gently blowing them with a fan or straw.
6. Fake Snow Sensory Play
Mix hair conditioner and baking soda to create fake snow. Use it to build a snowman, make snow sculptures, and explore texture through sensory play.
7. Popsicle Stick Snowflakes
Use painted and glittered popsicle sticks to design and build snowflake structures. Experiment with symmetry, balance, and different ways to connect pieces.
Make winter STEM a go-to solution for snow days indoors. Using winter-themed materials, kids can explore science, math, and engineering in meaningful learning moments all winter long.
Explore more hands-on learning ideas and educator resources on the ECR4Kids blog.
