Who doesn’t love a good snowball fight? This winter bring the fun of the outdoors inside with this Free Winter STEM challenge. Create a catapult using simple materials and send a ‘snowball’ flying through the air.

If you haven’t tried STEM challenges before, this catapult is always a favorite with kids of all ages. Anytime I bring this challenge into a classroom, my students are excited and engaged throughout the period.

STEM challenges mix science, technology, engineering and math. The more of these subject areas incorporated into an activity, the better. STEM challenges tend to be hands-on and allow for endless solutions. They allow children to explore the materials, problem solve and think critically.

This free winter STEM challenge uses simple materials and allows for various extension activities. I’ve shared some extension ideas below.

For even more hands-on STEM activities, click to visit the popular collection of 45+ STEM Challenge Ideas which includes various hands-on building challenges and many freebies! Also check out 60 Best STEM Activities filled with science, freebies and more.

There is a lot to learn about winter. Keep the fun of the season going even when you’re inside with a collection of 43 Winter STEM Activities.

Free Winter STEM Challenges Materials

Since I do so many STEM challenges in the classroom with various groups of students, I try to use materials that are both inexpensive and easily accessible.

The materials you need for this activity are:

• Plastic Spoon
• Elastics
• Pompoms (‘Snowballs’)
• Large Popsicle Sticks
• Activity Card

I was able to find jumbo popsicle sticks, spoons and pompoms that were winter themed, however, you can use any supplies you have on hand. If you don’t have pompoms you can also use cotton balls.

The activity card can be downloaded, for free, at the bottom of this post. The card can be printed and posted to create a center for children to visit, and complete largely independently. You don’t need to include the card, but it serves as a great reminder of the focus goal of the activity.

Creating Your Winter STEM Catapult

Once you have the materials, there is no other prep that is required. Children and their imagination will do the rest!

To start the the challenge, place the materials out for children to gather supplies from. Make sure to provide each child with roughly 10 popsicle sticks, one spoon, 4-5 elastics and a few pompoms.

Tell children the challenge, and allow them to start creating!

If you have a young group (under 6 years old) you may have to support them with this challenge by showing them a completed catapult and have them recreate their own.

Older children will begin exploring the materials and experimenting with how to set the supplies together to make a catapult. Avoid helping children with a solution as soon as they get stuck on the challenge. Some of the best learning happens after mistakes are made and children have to play around with and test the supplies.

The goal of a STEM challenge is not to simply find a solution to the challenge, but rather the process and experimentation of getting to the solution. Children will learn from their mistakes and attempts.

Winter STEM Challenge Tests

Once each child, or group of children have created a catapult, it’s time to test it. This is usually everyone’s favorite part, so make sure to leave lots of time.

Line up the catapults and place a pompom on the spoon. Hold the catapult in place and press down on the spoon on the part that’s holding the pompom, and let go! The pompom will go flying!

Once children have sent a ‘snowball’ or pompom through the air, encourage them to look at their catapult again and see if there is anything they can change to make it better. Things such as the spoon positioning, number of popsicle sticks and even placement of elastics can change how far, high and fast the snowball travels.

Redesigning the catapult is a large part of this free winter STEM challenge. After each test, children should work to make improvements on their design. If they are working with other groups, they can check out other designs and improve based on other successful results. You will end up with a few designs that are different, but equally successful.

Winter STEM Challenge Extension Ideas

Once children have done a few tests, try having a ‘snowball fight’. This can be done by setting up targets that children try and hit. Set a few targets and a line for where kids will place their catapult. Kids aim and get points based on how close they were to the target.

You can also challenge kids to create a catapult that sends the snowball high into the air versus far across the room. What changes need to be made to the design to make it go high instead of far?

You can integrate math into your activity by measuring the distance of each snowball. Test which snowball goes the furthest and measure the distance.

You can also place various numbered containers for children to aim for. They get points based on the number on the containers. Whoever ends up with the highest total, wins.

This Free Winter STEM Challenge is also a great activity to send home with kids as a kit. It’s an easy activity for children to do over winter break! Print a copy of the activity card along with popsicle sticks, a spoon, elastics and pompoms and seal in a bag. Send the bag home for a full STEM challenge that kids can do anywhere.

Download the FREE Activity Card

Join Hands-On Teaching Ideas, for free and download the activity card today! Click the grey lock box below and subscribe through Grow. Once you subscribe the card will automatically download. Subscribing this way will also unlock the other freebies on the site.

Shortly after subscribing you will receive an email that includes a link to the Free Resource Library which is filled with over 100 downloadable resources. You will also begin to receive emails from me that include products, promotions and activity ideas.