Kids love building snow balls and snow forts all winter long! Bring the outdoor fun inside with this hands-on Winter STEM Challenge. Using just a few materials, children try different strategies to create a free standing fort. Make learning fun with this hands-on activity that kids are sure to love in the classroom or at home.

Hands-on learning is one of the best way for kids to learn, and remember what they learned. STEM activities are ideal for providing this opportunity. I teach young children and have done countless STEM challenges over the years. Children are always excited and engaged throughout each activity. As a teacher, I love seeing all of the learning that happens during these challenge.

STEM activities focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. The more of these subject areas combined into an activity the better.

One of the great things about this winter STEM challenge is that the materials are inexpensive and hopefully supplies that you already have on hand. Make sure to print the free activity card to make the activity even easier to set up.

Keep kids engaged all season long with more themed activities. Make sure to check out Hands-On Teaching Ideas popular collection of 43 Winter STEM Activities, a home for a polar bear STEM for Kids and an Easy Winter STEM Activity.

Winter STEM Challenge Materials

There are only a few materials that you need for this challenge. You can use variations of the supplies and like all STEM challenges, I encourage you to use what you already have available. Part of the challenge is children exploring the materials and finding a way to make them work. They may not always be the best or provide the most straightforward solution, but that’s part of the challenge, and fun!

For this winter STEM challenge, you will need:

• Dough
• Toothpicks
• Free Activity Card

Using the activity card is optional, but it is great to use for classroom centers to encourage children to work independently.

You can use playdough or even clay for the material to attach the fort together. Any material similar to playdough should work.

Winter STEM Activity Card

The activity card helps to keep the challenge focused. There are countless solutions possible for this STEM challenge and there isn’t one ‘right’ answer. As long as the fort that children create only uses these materials and is a structure of some kind, then consider their result a success.

With all STEM challenges, the process is the focus. Some children may try ten different building solutions and still be creating when time is up. However, they learn from every single solution and learned persistence throughout the activity time.

The card is great to post in the room to share the challenge with children. Tell children that they are being challenged to, “Use the dough and toothpicks to create a snow fort.” They are not allowed to use any other materials.

Winter STEM Activity

Supply as many toothpicks and dough that you have available. I find the more of the materials that I supply, the more detailed and creative the structures become.

Once you have read the challenge to children and provided them with the supplies they’ll need, you’re ready to start! Avoid giving too much direction or suggesting too many ideas as children start. Give them the freedom to create whatever they can imagine.

Often children will attach their toothpicks together by making small balls. At first their forts may not become 3d and may stay flat on the table. You can encourage children to take a look at their peers solutions for ideas and inspiration, but I would encourage them to build for awhile on their own first.

Some children may use the dough to add walls to their fort. This is a great idea and can make the fort look very unique. You will be amazed at what kids come up with!

Give kids lots of time to build. I suggest at least half and hour, but you can give them as long as you want to. Often children like the idea of using a plastic figure or toy to build a fort for. This addition often helps to keep kids even more engaged.

STEM Extension Idea

Another extension idea that is ideal for older children is to limit the amount of each material they can use. For example, provide only 20 toothpicks and a small ball of clay. This will encourage children to be mindful with their supplies while creating and increase the challenge.

This winter STEM activity is also a great project to send home with children. It’s a great way to keep kids learning over winter holidays! Print the activity card and place it, along with a bunch of toothpicks and clay into a sealable bag. This bag can then be send home and it includes everything children need to create and problem solve!

Download the Free Activity Card

Download the free activity card by subscribing below. Click the grey box and subscribe through Grow. Once you subscribe, the activity card will download right away. By subscribing through Grow you will also unlock the other freebies on the site.

Shortly after subscribing you will receive an email with a link to the Free Resource Library. Here you will find all of the free printables available on this site, all in one place. You will also receive emails with Hands-On Teaching Ideas latest products, promotions and activity ideas.