Do you have STEM challenges planned for keeping students engaged when the weather is changing and holidays are around the corner?
It can be a struggle to keep your students’ attention and get to the end of the period on a normal day. This is especially true when holiday excitement is in the air.
Now imagine having exciting, middle school holiday STEM challenges on hand to keep your students learning and having fun through every season of the year!
These seasonal STEM challenges aren’t just holiday-themed activities – they’re powerful learning experiences that connect students with the world around them. In each engineering challenge, students use the design process and household materials to solve real-world problems that change with the seasons.
Fall STEM Challenges
- Corn Maze STEM Challenge: In this activity, students create a 3D marble maze modeled after a corn maze.
- Halloween Candy Bucket: In this activity, students use household materials to create a Halloween-themed bucket to hold the most candy.
- Football Helmet STEM Challenge: Design a model football helmet to protect an egg during a simulated head-on collision.
- Thanksgiving Table STEM Challenge: In this activity, students create a model table for Thanksgiving dinner that can hold the greatest amount of food.
- Cook the Corn Solar Oven: In this design challenge, students design and build a solar oven that can warm canned corn for Thanksgiving dinner.
Winter STEM Challenges
- Cookie Delivery Challenge: In this design challenge, students create a package that can protect a cookie as it is shipped through the mail.
- Snowflake Design Challenge: In this activity, students design a snowflake with six sides and rotational symmetry.
- Hot Cocoa Cup STEM Challenge: In this activity, students learn about insulators and conductors and create an insulated cup for hot chocolate.
- Lunar New Year Lanterns: Learn about the Lunar New Year. Then, design tealight lanterns in CAD and use a 3D printer to bring your lanterns to life.
- Circuit-Powered Valentines: In this challenge, students learn about circuits and create a light-up Valentine’s Day card.
Spring STEM Challenges
- Bee House: In this activity, students learn about pollinators and design and build a nesting site for mason bees.
- Plant Maze: In this challenge, students learn about phototropism and design and build a maze for a plant to grow through.
- Easter Egg Drop Challenge: In this activity, students design and build a package that will protect an egg for the Easter Bunny’s new drone delivery system.
- Water Filter STEM Challenge: Learn about water as a natural resource. Then design a water filter to clean polluted water.
- Wind-Powered Cars STEM Challenge: In this activity, students learn about climate change and renewable energy sources. Then, they design and build a wind-powered car.
Summer STEM Challenges
- DIY Fidget Spinners: In this activity, students will design, build, and test their own fidget spinner using a skate bearing and other household materials.
- Animal Prosthetics: In this activity, students design a prosthetic device to improve an animal client’s quality of life.
- Bottle Rockets: In this activity, students are tasked with designing and testing a bottle rocket launched using baking soda and vinegar.
- Water Balloon Catapults: In this activity, students design and build a catapult to launch water balloons as far as possible.
What Makes These STEM Challenges Special?
Each seasonal challenge comes fully equipped with:
- Printable, Google, and Easel versions of the student activities and worksheets
- Detailed lesson plans and slideshows for easy lesson facilitation
- Flexible building materials, so you can use what you have on hand
- Easy-to-use grading rubrics
- Certificates to celebrate your students’ successes
Transform Your Classroom Throughout the Year
These seasonal STEM challenges can be used to:
- Keep kids engaged before holiday breaks
- Practice problem-solving with the engineering design process
- Use a challenge to keep students on task when you have unusual schedules or low attendance due to field trips, testing, or other interruptions
- Give students opportunities to practice 21st-century skills, such as communication, collaboration, and critical thinking
- Leave the middle school STEM challenges for engaging sub-lesson plans
- Assign the activities to be completed on virtual or asynchronous learning days
- Use the resources for extra credit, holiday break packets, home learning, or extension activities
Grab these resources today so you can take a break from planning and know your students will still be learning and having fun as you enjoy the holidays!
Ready to Bring Fun STEM Activities to Your Classroom?
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