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🎄 What We’re Using This Christmas (Amazon Favorites)
Here are a few things we’re loving and actually using this Christmas season:

🎄Kids’ Christmas Activity Book (Amazon)
🎄Christmas Playdough Kit (Amazon)
🎄Christmas Book Set (Amazon)
🎄Easy Gingerbread House Kit (Amazon)
🎄Washable Christmas Stampers (Amazon)
🎄Christmas Fun Game (Amazon)
🎄Kids’ Christmas Craft Set (Amazon)

Every December, I try really hard to balance the fun, magical side of Christmas with learning…and let me be honest: sometimes that’s really hard. Between holiday events, baking, decorating, wrapping gifts, and trying to keep up with normal homeschool life, our routine can get chaotic fast.

But a few years ago, I discovered something that completely changed December for us:

👉 Christmas STEM challenges.

My kids (12 and 6) absolutely love hands-on problem-solving. And I love that STEM activities buy me time to get things done while they learn, explore, and create in ways that don’t feel like school at all.

Christmas STEM has become our go-to December “secret weapon.”
It keeps them engaged, inspired, and excited to learn when their attention span is normally all over the place.

Today, I’m sharing our favorite kid-approved Christmas STEM challenges—simple, festive, low-prep ideas that build skills like engineering, creativity, math, critical thinking, and teamwork.

This post is packed with easy setups, minimal supplies, and high engagement so your kids stay busy in meaningful ways while you get a chance to breathe, wrap presents, or enjoy a quiet cup of cocoa.

Let’s jump in!

Why Christmas STEM Is Perfect for December

If December feels too busy for “real school,” STEM challenges are the perfect middle ground. They:

⭐ Spark creativity and curiosity

Kids get to build, design, and experiment with things they already love—Christmas trees, snowflakes, gingerbread houses, reindeer, Santa’s sleigh, and more.

⭐ Encourage hands-on learning

No worksheets. No long lessons. Just natural exploration.

⭐ Build real skills

Engineering
Problem-solving
Spatial awareness
Fine motor skills
Logical reasoning
Teamwork
Persistence
Creative thinking

All while having fun!

⭐ Keep kids busy in a productive way

This is honestly my favorite part. STEM gives kids something meaningful to do when they’re tired of crafts or noisy activities.

⭐ Bring joy into learning

December is magical. STEM makes learning magical too.

20 Christmas STEM Challenges for Kids (Fun + Low Prep!)

You don’t need fancy supplies. Most of these use things you already have: cups, tape, toothpicks, paper, foil, skewers, cardboard, marshmallows, etc.

Use these as morning baskets, brain breaks, December homeschool lessons, boredom-busters, or weekend projects.

1. Build the Tallest Marshmallow Christmas Tree

Supplies: toothpicks + mini marshmallows
Challenge kids to build a 3D tree as tall as possible without collapsing.

Skills: engineering + balance + structure

2. Candy Cane STEM Bridge

Use candy canes as the base and test how much weight the bridge can hold. Bigger kids can measure, redesign, and retest.

Skills: engineering + load-bearing structure

3. Jingle Bell Maze

Create a maze using cardboard and straws, then roll a jingle bell through it. For older kids, add “levels.”

Skills: problem-solving + design + spatial reasoning

4. Save the Gingerbread Man (Boat Challenge)

Build a raft that keeps a gingerbread cookie from getting wet. Use foil, sticks, corks, or foam.

Skills: buoyancy + structure + testing

5. Santa’s Sleigh Zipline

Design a sleigh (paper cup, cardboard, etc.) that can glide down a string. Kids can test different weights and angles.

Skills: gravity + friction + motion

6. Icicle Drip Challenge

Make icicles using a ziplock bag with a small hole and measure how fast they “grow” under cold conditions.

Skills: states of matter + prediction + observation

7. Paper Plate Snowball Catapult

Use popsicle sticks, rubber bands, and a spoon to launch cotton “snowballs.” Kids test distance and accuracy.

Skills: force + motion + measurement

8. Gumdrop Engineering City

Build Christmas-themed structures: trees, houses, towers. Bigger kids can do stability testing.

Skills: engineering + geometry

9. Snowflake Symmetry Challenge

Cut paper snowflakes and identify lines of symmetry. Try to create the most symmetrical snowflake possible.

Skills: symmetry + math + design

10. Reindeer Launcher

Build a rubber band launcher and see which “reindeer” (small pom-poms) can launch the farthest.

Skills: physics + force + motion

11. Foil Christmas Ornament Designs

Shape ornaments using aluminum foil. Then test which shapes are strongest or most flexible.

Skills: material science + design testing

12. Peppermint Tower Challenge

Stack wrapped peppermints using only frosting or marshmallow fluff as glue. Tallest tower wins.

Skills: structure + stickiness testing

13. Light-Up Christmas Card

Use LED stickers or a simple circuit kit to make a card that lights up.

Skills: circuits + electricity

14. Cotton Ball Snowstorm Fan Test

Create winter “snowstorms” using cotton balls and a fan. Kids test wind speed, direction, and structure stability.

Skills: weather + motion + prediction

15. Gingerbread House Reinforcement

Build a gingerbread house, then reinforce it using toothpicks, pretzels, or candy engineering.

Skills: architecture + problem-solving

16. Ice Lantern Experiment

Freeze water in balloons or containers, then test how ice thickness affects candle brightness.

Skills: light + insulation + temperature change

17. Elf Trap Challenge

Build a trap that could (theoretically!) catch an elf. Kids LOVE this one.

Skills: creativity + simple machines + design thinking

18. Melting Snowman Race

Freeze ice cubes with buttons/eyes inside. Then time how long each “snowman” takes to melt under different conditions.

Skills: temperature + variables

19. Nutcracker Balance Challenge

Use clothespins and craft sticks to balance objects like a “nutcracker lever.”

Skills: levers + balance + physics

20. Build a Christmas Light Pattern

Use colored pom-poms or beads to create repeating patterns like holiday lights. Great for younger learners.

Skills: patterns + early math

How to Set Up Christmas STEM With Zero Stress

Here are the tricks that changed everything for us:

⭐ 1. Create a December STEM Bin

Fill a basket with simple supplies:

popsicle sticks
straws
tape
glue
foil
cotton balls
toothpicks
jingle bells
cups
cardboard scraps
rubber bands
pipe cleaners

Then each day, challenge your kids to build something new.

⭐ 2. Let Kids Lead

The goal isn’t perfection.
It’s creativity.
It’s exploration.
It’s figuring things out without being told how.

Let them experiment. Let them fail. Let them rebuild.

⭐ 3. Add Simple Extensions for Older Kids

For your older ones, add:

measurement challenges
weight limits
redesign phases
journaling or sketching plans
time limits

This keeps them challenged without making it “schooly.”

⭐ 4. Use STEM as December Homeschool

Honestly? These activities count as learning.

If December feels busy, this is the perfect way to lighten your homeschool load without guilt and still feel confident your kids are learning.

How Christmas STEM Solves Common Homeschool Problems

December often brings:

❌ Kids who can’t focus
❌ Overstimulation
❌ Too many activities
❌ Burnt-out moms
❌ Low motivation
❌ Less time to prep lessons

Christmas STEM solves all of that.

Because STEM challenges are:

✔️ low-prep
✔️ screen-free
✔️ engaging
✔️ hands-on
✔️ flexible
✔️ fun for multiple ages

It’s learning disguised as Christmas magic.

And honestly… that’s the best kind of learning.

Final Thoughts

If December usually feels chaotic (it does for us too!), Christmas STEM challenges are one of the easiest ways to bring joy, curiosity, and calm back into your homeschool—without long lessons, heavy planning, or guilt.

Even one simple challenge a day can transform the mood and rhythm of your home.

And the best part?
Your kids will remember the fun, the creativity, and the special moments you made for them during the holiday season.

Leave a Comment 💬

Do your kids love STEM activities?
Which Christmas challenge are you going to try first?

Share below—I love hearing what other families are doing!

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Christmas STEM Challenges for Kids (Build, Design, Problem-Solve!)