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Winter Science Experiments Round-Up

  • Writer: Amy Wung Tsao
    Amy Wung Tsao
  • Sep 24
  • 3 min read

I’ve rounded up for you all my favorite kid’s science experiments and STEAM activities with a winter or winter holiday theme! Get ready to start building and experimenting with snowflakes, gingerbread houses, marshmallow towers, and light-up snowmen! 




Winter Science & Symmetry


Photo of paper cut snowflake, titled "DIY STEM Snowflakes." with the Learning Resources logo in the corner.

From Learning Resources


This is the perfect winter STEAM activity that also works on kid’s fine motor control skills with folding and cutting.


Start off with simply folding a paper in half for a simple 2-sided symmetry example. Then you build up to more folds and see how the symmetry changes with adding more folds!



Winter Science & Building


Photo collage of different 2D and 3D shapes made out of toothpicks and mini marshmallows.

Little Bins for Little Hands

Next time my kids ask for hot chocolate, I’m going to give them extra marshmallows and toothpicks for building. What a sweet way to experiment with geometry! 


Younger kids can experiment with making different 2D and 3D shapes. This activity can even support Common Core math standards for kindergarten (K.G.A.3 - Identify shapes as 2D or 3D) and 1st grade (1.G.A.2 - Compose 2D or 3D shapes to create a composite shape.)!


Older kids can try this STEM challenge - build the tallest tower they can out of marshmallows and toothpicks. This can be an individual or team project. It even supports NGSS K-2 Engineering Design curriculum standards. (K-2-ETS1-2: Develop a physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.)


Photo of a hand holding a hair dryer pointed at a gingerbread house, performing a structural integrity wind test.

from Science Buddies

Not only do you get to craft a gingerbread house, but then you get to put it through an earthquake test and a wind test, just like real engineers! I love that this could also get kids thinking about how structures can be strong in some situations but weak in others. 

Build multiple house designs and compare the tests results, to support NGSS K-2 Engineering Design curriculum standards. (K-2-ETS1-3: Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.) 


Want to keep your kids building and thinking? Check out the books and videos in this post, all about structural engineering for kids!



Winter Science & Electricity


Handmade card with a picture of a snowman whose orange nose is a lit up LED bulb.

from the Exploratorium Sending some winter holiday cards this year? Make them extra special and homemade with the science of electricity! All you need is some cardstock, foil, LED bulbs, and coin batteries. You can make up your own card design, but I thought this snowman was especially perfect for the winter holiday season.


Craft a light up snowman!  from Squishy Circuits How cute is that snowman with his light-up nose? To build this, you could buy the kit, or use your own playdoh, modeling clay, LED bulb and button battery.




I hope something here sparked a fire of curiosity for you!  And if you're still looking for something with a bit of science and fun for a cozy winter afternoon indoors, check out this round up of STEAM crafts that would make for a fun and cozy winter afternoon indoors.


Plus, sign up here with your email for more kid science every month! 




Till next time,

Amy Wung Tsao



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