I enjoy winter and being outside in the snow. However, I also love winter themed activities that I can do inside. At school, with my students, we spend lots of time outside during winter, but I also love creating activities that bring the fun of winter indoors. This Free Winter STEM Activity is easy to set up and there’s nothing to prepare ahead of time.

Grab simple materials, such as cotton balls and jumbo popsicle sticks for this STEM challenge. You can also download and print a copy of the task card and snowman image to use with your activity. The printable is free for subscribers and you can find more information at the bottom of this post.

If you haven’t brought STEM into your classroom or home, this is an easy activity to begin with. STEM activities incorporate science, technology, engineering and math. The more of these subject areas mixed into an activity, the better.

STEM challenges are a great way to promote hands-on learning through play, as well as problem solving and creative thinking. Activities like this one are great for young children to learn persistence and a growth mind set.

For more STEM activities for your classroom or home, check out Teaching Ideas popular collection of 60 STEM Activities for Kids for year round fun, and another collection of 43 Easy Winter Activities.

Free Winter STEM Activity

Materials

There are thousands of STEM challenges and activities to choose from online, however, I find the best ones, and my favorites are the ones that use simple materials. Ideally materials that I already have on hand. Since I use these STEM challenges with large groups of children, I try to use inexpensive materials.

For this Free Winter STEM Activity, you will need:

• Cotton Balls
• Jumbo Popsicle Sticks
• Free Task Card (Optional)
• Free Snowman Figure (Optional)

The printables with the task card and the snowman figure are all free for subscribers and available at the bottom of this post. The more of the materials that you can provide to children, the better. If kids have lots of materials to build with, their creations tend to be more detailed and creative.

Free Winter STEM Challenge

The task for this winter STEM activity is simple: “Use the materials to create a home for your snowman this winter”. You can print the task card and place it for children to read and follow, or read it to children and post in the room.

Once children know the challenge, provide them with the cotton balls and snowman figure. You can decide if children will work independently, with a partner or group.

Once children know the challenge, and have the supplies, it’s time to build! Avoid giving a lot of instructions to children beyond the task description. Let each child build and create based on their understanding of the challenge. One of the best things about STEM activities is that each child will come up with a solution that is slightly different from their peers.

Children may struggle with balancing the cotton balls and sticks. This is part of the challenge, and learning. They may find squishing the cotton balls helps make their snowman home more stable. Let children explore and make mistakes as they build and create.

Sometimes the most unusual solution is the best! Give children the freedom to create and use their imagination. There is not one solution for the STEM challenge. As long as children come up with some home for their snowman, consider them successful.

Free Winter STEM Activity

Using the printable snowman image is optional, however, after doing countless STEM activities with children over the years, I have found that the ones that include a figure or character of some kind tend to be more engaging for kids. I used the snowman cut out when I did the activity with large groups, however, if you have actual snowmen figures, you can use those for your activity.

Another option for this free winter STEM activity is to place all of the materials in a large bag, along with the free task card, and provide it to children to open and create independently. The materials can also be packaged as a kit and sent home to children.

You’ll be amazed at what children can create. Some of the homes may include a roof or separate rooms. If you have time, give children the opportunity to talk about their creations and share the details they included.

Download the Free Task Card Here

You can download the free task card and snowman figure featured above for free, by clicking the box below and downloading it. Subscribe through Grow and you will receive the printables right away. If you subscribe this way, you will also unlock all of the other freebies on this site.

Shortly after subscribing you will receive an email with a link to the Free Resource Library. The library is filled with over 100 resources and you can print any that are of interest to you. From math activities and escape rooms to choice boards and more seasonal activities, you’ll find lots of activities that kids will love.