Elly Pergant Johnson, 10, left, and Elsie Sutherland, 10, right, play under the snow-laden branches of a bush during a snowstorm in Ottawa, on Jan. 16, 2021.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
Julie Misener is coordinator, report and proposal writing at Let’s Talk Science
Kids love winter and it’s a perfect time to engage them in exploring the world around them. These STEM activities will do more than just teach your kids math and science concepts – they will help them make connections to everyday life and develop their curiosity, creativity and problem-solving skills. So embrace your inner child and use these STEM ideas to have some fun during the holidays.
Turn a winter walk into an adventure
Up for an adventure? Try a coin-toss walk to determine your route. Heads up, go left and tails, go right. Or challenge kids who love to collect things with a small container. They can bring home any nature items that fit inside.
Set out to discover how animals stay warm. Fill a container with enough ice water or snow to cover your hand. Then wrap each finger in a different insulating material such as fake fur, cotton balls, foil, fleece or wool. Put a thin plastic glove on and dunk in the container to explore which materials are best at keeping fingers warm. To test the insulating properties of air, place a deflated balloon on one finger. Then insert a straw between the balloon and your finger and blow some air into it. Does the layer of air help keep your finger warmer? Can you think of any animals that have a layer of air around their body?
STEM in the snow
If you’re “lucky” enough to have snow, there are lots of great STEM opportunities to explore.
Add food colouring to water to make snow paint and challenge your kids to design a snow maze by coming up with and building parameters, an entrance, an exit and obstacles in the yard or in a park.
Or, try this simple snow experiment to see ice and snow contain the same amount of water. Take three plastic containers and make a mark on each at about the ¾ mark. Pack snow in one, put snow gently in another and fill the third with water. Make sure the kids make their predictions and then take the snow inside to let it melt. Once you’ve made your comparisons, put the container of water outside to freeze and observe what happens to the level of water inside (water expands as it freezes).
Do-it-yourself monster tracks can also be a lot of fun. Cut large Yeti or other footprints from foam or heavy cardboard and attach them to your kids’ boots. Encourage them to consider how walking in snow is different with a larger footprint. They can make trails to surprise others or challenge friends and family to monster track races.
No snow? No problem
Collect berries, branches, buds, leaves and other natural materials in a shallow container, add a string hanger, fill with water, add food colouring and let it freeze to make a natural suncatcher. Or fill balloons with water and food colouring to make beautiful ice globes.
Building blocks develop a wide range of skills from imagination to mathematics. Make ice blocks of all sizes by using ice cube trays and other containers to create a wealth of winter building materials. Add food colouring to these too if you like. Battery-powered twinkle lights can make your kids’ creations sparkle and add to the festive season. You can use this activity as a sugar-free alternative to the gingerbread house.
Head inside to see if you can pick up a piece of ice in water with a string. No touching the ice and no knots in the string allowed! You’ll need a bowl, ice cubes, water, string or yarn and table salt. Fill the bowl 3/4 full with water. Add ice cubes and let them float to the top. Give everyone a chance to see if they can pick up an ice cube with a length of string. Then place one end of the sting on top of an ice cube and sprinkle salt where the string is touching the cube. Count down from 20 and then carefully pull the string upward. (Salt lowers the melting point of ice, allowing the string to attach to the cube.)
Engaging tweens in STEM
Get critical-thinking and problem-solving flowing in older kids. Challenge them to investigate the environmental cred of their favourite brands by looking at how some of their gear is manufactured and disposed of or how plastics can be recycled into winter wear and the impacts of fast fashion. Encourage them to upcycle items from their own wardrobes and host a fashion show or clothing swap.
Winterize warm-weather activities
Winter is a great time to fly a kite. Wind speeds of between 8 and 40 kilometres an hour are best. This is a good way to get outside and brighten grey skies.
A scavenger hunt is always fun and encourages kids to explore and discover the natural world and ask questions. If you’re having trouble breaking the connection with tech, let your kids bring along a phone or camera to create a video or photo journal.
And remember, stay warm, have fun and never stop exploring.
Let’s Talk Science – a leading partner in Canadian education – is a national charitable organization committed to inspiring and empowering Canadian youth to develop their skills to participate and thrive in an ever-changing world. Let’s Talk Science offers a comprehensive suite of free STEM-based programs to support youth, educators, families and volunteers across Canada. For more information visit letstalkscience.ca.