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.
What are included in the middle school seasonal STEM bundles?
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:
- Fall STEM Challenges
- Corn Maze Design Challenge: In this activity, students create a 3D marble maze modeled after a corn maze.
- Halloween Candy Bucket Design Challenge: In this activity, students are create a bucket to hold the greatest amount of Halloween candy.
- Thanksgiving Table Design 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 Challenge: In this activity, students design and build a solar oven that can warm canned corn for Thanksgiving dinner.
- Winter STEM Challenges
- Cookie Delivery Challenge: In this activity, 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 Challenge: In this activity, students learn about insulators and conductors and create an insulated cup for hot chocolate.
- Circuit-Powered Valentine Challenge: In this activity, students learn about circuits and create a light-up Valentine’s Day card.
- 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.
- Wind-Powered Car Design 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 Spinner Challenge: In this activity, students will design, build, and test their own fidget spinner using a skate bearing and other household materials.
- Animal Prosthesis Challenge: In this activity, students design a prosthetic device to improve an animal client’s quality of life.
- Bottle Rocket Challenge: In this activity, students are tasked with designing and testing a bottle rocket launched using baking soda and vinegar.
- Water Balloon Catapult – In this activity, students design and build a catapult to launch water balloons as far as possible.
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 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!
Want more fun STEM activities?
Save money and time when you buy seasonal STEM bundles! Then you’ll have fun projects ready-to-go all year long!
