10 Winter STEM Activities

It's January and we are in the heart of the winter season.    To celebrate the winter months our team of tutors has pulled together some of our favourite Winter STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) ideas and activities.    We have also included an A for STEAM to make it Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math.

The ideas below cover a wide variety of STEM activities, but focus on a common idea: Winter!

1) Learn about Seasons: build a circle of the year with four quarters (one for each season).  This incorporates fractions (quarters), art (pictures to show seasons) and engineering (if you are able to spin the wheel).

2) Take an Education Field Trip: Even in the cold weather it is nice to take a break from the house.  Take your child to the Ontario Science Centre which has great activities and exhibits to learn about STEM.

3) Play with STEM Toys:  Our President, Joanne Sallay features 10 STEM Gift Ideas For Brainy Kids

4) Snow Science: Fill three jars with ice, snow and water and see if they all have the same H2O.  Leave the jars in room temperature and watch the snow melt.  Before doing so guess which jar will end up with the most water and why. Discuss how water changes form when it freezes, melts or becomes a gas.   For older students, this helps promote an understanding of chemistry and molecular structure.

5) Shapes and Patterns: Make coloured icicles by attaching a string to a porch or deck and letting it hang with a cup filled with colored water. Watch as ice forms along the string with different colours.

6) Pictures and Videos: have your child take pictures of any holiday gifts to create their own collage or video.  There are tons of online tools to edit, add music or overlay text.

7) Build a Snowflake: Using construction paper, tape / glue and photos of real snowflakes, this activity teaches children about basic shapes, symmetry and the structure of snowflakes.

8) Friction: Learn about friction and try to push different items across the ice and see which one goes the furthest.

9) Learn about Nature: National Geographic for Kids has tons of games, videos and articles to learn about nature and the winter season.

10) Build a Snowman: How could we not include this for winter activities.  Building a snowman helps teach kids engineering to build items with the right size and shape to ensure they stay sturdy and don't fall over.