How far can you toss a Christmas tree? This holiday season, add a hands-on STEM challenge to your kids’ activities. This Christmas-themed project is a great way to keep kids learning during the excitement of the season. Print the free activity card and easily prepare this Christmas STEM Challenge.

STEM challenges are a great way to spark an interest in science, technology, engineering and math. Great STEM activities incorporate as many of these subject areas as possible. STEM challenges tend to be open ended with a focus on the process, not the outcome.

I love bringing new and different STEM challenges into my classroom for my students. They are always excited to try them and I love all the learning that happens.

For this Christmas STEM challenge, kids will create a catapult using only a few materials. Once created, they will place a mini Christmas tree, or tree cutout, on the spoon and send it flying!

Fill the holidays with lots of hands-on learning with more STEM activities, check out 25 Christmas STEM Activities. The holidays are also a great time for family games and fun. Try a DIY Hands-On Christmas Escape Room and Free Christmas Escape Room Printable.

Christmas STEM Challenge Materials

As a teacher, I’m always looking for STEM activities that require minimal prep, use only inexpensive materials and are engaging. This challenge is all three!

For this Christmas STEM challenge, you will need:

• Activity Card (Free to download at bottom of post)
• Plastic Spoon
• Jumbo Popsicle Sticks
• Elastics
• Mini Tree (Or tree image cutout – included)

The more of each material you can supply children with, the better. However, for older children you can limit the supplies to increase the challenge. Children have to use only the supplies provided.

Once you have a collection of the materials, you are ready to start the challenge!

If young children are working on this STEM activity, you may need to create a catapult in advance to show them what they are trying to recreate. If older children are doing the challenge, I would encourage them to experiment with the supplies to have them figure out how to make a catapult.

The activity card can be printed and placed at a center in the room, or given to each child. The card can allow children to work independently.

Creating the Catapult

Give each group/child the materials and tell them the challenge. They need to use the materials to create a catapult that can toss a Christmas tree. Once everyone understands the challenge, it is time to start creating.

Start by stacking the popsicle sticks. Children will have to play around and test how many popsicle sticks to use. They can test if using more sticks makes the tree go further, or higher, or both.

Secure the stack of sticks using an elastic on both ends. Tape can also be used if it is easier for young children to work with.

Next, slip the spoon through the stack of sticks and secure with another elastic. Children can also test if putting a stick under the spoon helps make the tree fly further.

Part of every STEM challenge is trial and error. Encourage children to be okay with making mistakes. Even if their idea doesn’t work, it encourages them to think like a scientist and be willing to take risks.

Once children have created a catapult, it’s time to test it! Remind children that testing their catapult is part of the challenge and their creation is not meant to be complete after their first try.

Start by placing a small Christmas tree figure on the spoon. Hold the end of the spoon down and let go. How far did the tree go? What can be done to make the catapult work even better?

Continue to test and make improvements each time until everyone is happy with their final catapult.

Christmas STEM Challenge Alternative Ideas

A few other options for this challenge include using pompoms instead of mini trees. You can also use things like, coins, ping pong balls or any other small object. As long as there is a bit of weight to the object it should work.

If you don’t have a mini tree figure, included in the resource there is a mini tree image. You can print this image, cut it out and secure it to a pompom or other object.

You can also simply fold the image and secure it to a small object. Different objects will result in different distances it will fly. As long as all children are using the same object, then the results will be fair.

Have children continue to build, test and improve their catapult.

Extension Activities

When I have done this activity in the past, I always add the following extension idea.

Once children have created their catapult, I line up small numbered containers on the floor along with a line for the catapults to be on.

Children using their catapult, and mini tree, aim for each of the containers. Children can keep track of their points from the containers that they successfully get their tree in.

You can also incorporate math into the activity by measuring how far each tree is able to fly. Whichever tree goes the furthest, wins. Taking note on which catapults are most successful is an important observation for kids. They should check the winning catapults and compare and think about any changes they can make to their catapults to make them better.

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