Looking for a fun Christmas or winter activity that incorporates science, technology, engineering, and/or math? Winter STEM / STEAM Challenges are the perfect activities because they engage your students in brain-busting work disguised as fun!

The basic premise:

Working against a criteria/constraints list individually or in partners/groups, students will design and build the tallest free-standing snowman possible. (Option 2: Students design and build a snowman of greatest volume possible.)

Note: This is the digital format, compatible with Google Slides ™.

For the print version, click here.

Resource includes:

• NGSS aligned standards, Grades 2 – 8

• Teacher Tips:
  • Links to my 5-part video series on getting started with STEM challenges
  • Materials and timing
  • Criteria & Constraints (including modifications to increase difficulty for older students)
  • Measuring results
  • Universal STEM Challenge Notes & How to Use Student Slides
  • Post-design extension activities list
  • Link to a video walk-through of the challenge

• Student Slides
  • Criteria & Constraints List (editable)
  • Design Analysis
  • Discussion Questions

• Extension templates
  • Process flow map
  • Create & solve math problems based on designs
  • Video/website linked slides
  • Design an Experiment for Melting Ice
    • Walks students through the steps of the scientific method to design an experiment to melt ice. Sample answer key included.
  • Observation recording slides for melting ice experiment

Sample/suggested materials for each student or group:

(Materials you’ll need to do the activity are easily modified. You don’t need to provide all of the following materials. Select a subset and/or add in your own ideas.)

For each student or group:

• Bag of cotton balls and/or 3 pieces of tissue paper and/or 5 sheets of copy paper
• Straws (5 – 10)
• Pipe cleaners (5 – 10)
• Tape (24 in.)
• Scissors
• Ruler or measuring tape

This resource is also available in print format and as part of the Christmas/Winter and the Mega STEM Challenge bundles. Click through below:

If you prefer to purchase on TPT, click here. 

Note: Any coupon codes you received for subscribing to the email are for this site and will not work on TpT.