This image shows a tree during winter, spring, summer, and fall. The text says "Holiday STEM Challenges."

Holiday STEM Challenges for Middle School

Do you have a plan 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 holiday season.

Check out these holiday-themed STEM challenges to keep your students on task until the bell rings! In each engineering challenge, students use the design process and household materials to solve holiday and season-themed problems.

This image shows a corn maze, bee house, candy bucket and hot cocoa cup STEM challenges. The text reads "STEM challenges for every season."

What’s included in the middle school holiday STEM bundle

This growing bundle currently has 11 engaging holiday and seasonal STEM challenges. By the December 2022 completion date, it will have 16 challenges (4 for each season), including:

  • Spring STEM Challenges
    • Bee House Challenge: In this activity, students learn about pollinators and design and build a nesting site for mason bees.
    • Plant Maze Challenge: In this activity, 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.
    • More coming soon!
  • Summer STEM Challenges
    • Coming soon!

Each holiday STEM challenge also has

  • 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

How can the seasonal STEM challenges be used in your middle school classroom? 

  • 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 this resource 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!

Want more fun STEM activities?

Save even more when you grab the ultimate middle school STEM challenge bundle! Then you’ll have fun projects ready-to-go all year long!

This image shows STEM Challenges for middle school on a wooden table background. The text reads "middle school STEM challenge bundle."

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