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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) If you’re anything like me, December comes with a mix of magic and… well, chaos. Your preschooler is excited, there are crafts everywhere, wrapping paper in corners you didn’t know existed, and somehow you still want to squeeze in meaningful learning without adding more stress to your day.
And that’s exactly where low-prep preschool Christmas STEM activities come in.
These activities require:
And best of all, they turn holiday excitement into hands-on problem-solving, early math skills, creativity, and scientific thinking… all while letting you relax a little.
Whether you're homeschooling, keeping kids busy on a December afternoon, or simply trying to make the holidays feel magical without a ton of planning, these STEM activities are here to help.
Let’s jump in.
Why Christmas STEM Activities Are a Lifesaver in December
Before the activities, here’s the truth I wish another mom had told me sooner:
👉 STEM isn’t “extra” — it’s actually one of the simplest ways to keep kids calm, engaged, and learning with low prep.
Kids love:
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Building
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Testing
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Pouring
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Experimenting
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Exploring
These things naturally reset their brains, focus their energy, and help them self-regulate.
During the busiest month of the year, STEM activities become your secret tool for:
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Teaching without worksheets
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Keeping hands busy
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Strengthening attention span
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Encouraging independent exploration
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Making memories
And because preschoolers learn BEST through play, these activities don’t feel like school… but they still build foundational STEM skills beautifully.
20 Low-Prep Preschool Christmas STEM Activities
Each activity includes simple materials, quick setup, and clear learning benefits.
1. Marshmallow Snowball Structures
Materials: Marshmallows + toothpicks or pretzel sticks
Let your child build "snowflakes," Christmas trees, or little houses using marshmallows and pretzels.
STEM Skills: engineering, symmetry, fine-motor development
Why it works: Preschoolers LOVE squishy building materials. Everything feels fun, not “school.”
2. Dissolving Gingerbread Man Science
Materials: Gingerbread cookies, warm water, cold water, bowl
Place a gingerbread cookie in warm water and another in cold water. Watch what happens.
STEM Skills: observation, comparing, early chemistry
Conversation starters: “Which cookie dissolves faster? Why do you think?”
3. Christmas Sink-or-Float Test
Materials: Bowl, water, small holiday items (ornaments, pinecones, ribbon, bells)
Test whether each item sinks or floats.
STEM Skills: prediction, buoyancy, classification
Why they love it: Preschoolers adore dropping things into water—simple as that!
4. Candy Cane Color Mixing
Materials: Mini candy canes, warm water
Unwrap colorful candy canes, place them in warm water, and watch the colors swirl.
STEM Skills: dissolving, color theory
Extension: Try cold vs warm water for comparison.
5. Christmas Tree Cup Stacking Challenge
Materials: Green plastic cups
Challenge kids to build the tallest or strongest “Christmas tree tower.”
STEM Skills: engineering, balance, spatial reasoning
Low prep: Literally just cups — that’s it.
6. Ornament Ramp STEM Challenge
Materials: Cardboard, tape, round ornaments
Create ramps with cardboard and roll ornaments down.
STEM Skills: gravity, force, speed
Add-on: Try changing ramp height and predict what will happen.
7. Build-a-Sleigh Challenge
Materials: LEGO or DUPLO, small toy Santa
Invite your preschooler to build Santa a sleigh sturdy enough to carry him.
STEM Skills: engineering, creative problem-solving
Why it’s magical: Mixing toys + Christmas sparks instant engagement.
8. Peppermint Oobleck
Materials: Cornstarch, water, peppermint extract
Create Christmas-scented oobleck and explore solids vs liquids.
STEM Skills: states of matter, sensory science
Bonus: Add red food coloring to swirl in holiday colors.
9. Christmas Shadow Matching with Flashlights
Materials: Flashlight, ornaments, small Christmas figures
Shine a light and explore how shadows change when items move closer or farther.
STEM Skills: light, shadow, cause and effect
Kids love: Holding the flashlight like a little scientist.
10. Toothpick Christmas Trees
Materials: Gumdrops or marshmallows + toothpicks
Build 2D and 3D tree shapes.
STEM Skills: geometry, structure building
Make it festive: Use green gumdrops for tree colors.
11. Melting Ice Ornaments
Materials: Ice ornaments (freeze water in muffin tin), warm water, droppers, salt
Let kids melt the ice “ornaments” using warm water and salt.
STEM Skills: states of matter, temperature
Why it works: Sensory, hands-on, and surprisingly calming.
12. Christmas Coding for Preschoolers (Unplugged!)
Materials: Painter’s tape grid + printable picture cards
Create a simple grid on the floor and place a “Santa” card at one end. Kids give simple directional commands to get the “elf” card to Santa.
STEM Skills: sequencing, early coding, logic
Zero screens needed!
13. Jingle Bell Magnet Maze
Materials: Jingle bells + magnet wand + shallow tray
Hide bells under the tray and use the magnet wand to move them around.
STEM Skills: magnetism, cause and effect
Huge hit: Bells make it extra fun.
14. Christmas Playdough Engineering
Materials: Playdough, beads, pine needles, cinnamon sticks
Invite kids to make structures, trees, ornaments, or towers.
STEM Skills: fine-motor skills, engineering
Pro tip: Homemade cinnamon playdough smells amazing.
15. Reindeer Catapult
Materials: Popsicle sticks, rubber bands, spoon, mini pom poms
Build a basic catapult and launch “reindeer noses.”
STEM Skills: force, motion, problem-solving
Preschool-safe: Use soft pom poms for launching.
16. Ornament Weighing Station
Materials: Balance scale + small ornaments
Let them weigh ornaments to see which are heavier or lighter.
STEM Skills: measurement, comparison
Add learning: Sort from lightest to heaviest.
17. Christmas Pattern Blocks
Materials: Pattern blocks or cut-paper shapes
Kids build Christmas shapes (tree, wreath, stocking) using geometric pieces.
STEM Skills: shape recognition, spatial awareness
Low prep: Print and go.
18. Santa’s STEM Bridge Challenge
Materials: Craft sticks + tape + small Santa toy
Ask your preschooler to build a bridge strong enough to hold Santa.
STEM Skills: engineering, structure, testing
Kids adore: Seeing if Santa will fall through.
19. Magnetic Christmas Sensory Bin
Materials: Rice dyed red/green, jingle bells, magnetic items, magnet wand
Let your child “hunt” for magnetic Christmas treasures.
STEM Skills: magnetism, exploration
Super low prep: Dye rice once and reuse it all season.
20. Sparkly Snow Slime
Materials: Clear glue, saline, baking soda, glitter
Make sparkly Christmas slime.
STEM Skills: chemistry, mixing, sensory
Why it works: Preschoolers will happily play for 20–30 minutes.
Tips for Making Christmas STEM Actually Low-Prep
To make these truly helpful during a busy season, here’s what I do:
Keep a small STEM basket
Fill a basket with:
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Pom poms
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Jingle bells
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Toothpicks
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Cups
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Tape
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Craft sticks
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Playdough
When everything is in one place, setup takes 30 seconds.
Use the same materials across multiple activities
Coffee filters, marshmallows, bells, magnets, and cups can cover dozens of STEM challenges.
Let your preschooler guide the activity
Follow their curiosity and let them change the rules. It builds independence and creativity.
Choose activities that clean up easily
Most of these involve only one or two materials.
Common Preschool December Problems These Activities Solve
These STEM activities help when:
✔ Your child is bouncing off the walls
✔ They need something hands-on but not messy
✔ You need 15 minutes to drink your coffee or prep lunch
✔ You want meaningful learning without worksheets
✔ You're homeschooling but low on energy
✔ You want festive learning without buying more supplies
✔ You need activities siblings can join in on
These little STEM invitations save your day during the busiest month of the year.
How to Use These Activities for Homeschool Learning
If you’re a homeschool parent like me, here’s how these STEM ideas fit beautifully into your December rhythm:
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Use them as morning invitations
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Add them to your Christmas unit study
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Turn them into quiet time activities
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Include them in sensory bin rotations
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Use them on days when your child needs a BREAK from structure
And remember: STEM counts as real learning.
Even simple preschool STEM builds:
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Measurement skills
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Scientific thinking
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Problem-solving
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Cause & effect
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Creativity
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Early math
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Motor skills
This is meaningful learning — without overwhelm.
Final Thoughts: Let STEM Bring Calm, Joy, and Magic to Your Christmas Season
December with preschoolers is BUSY. But it’s also full of wonder, and you deserve activities that don’t drain your energy — activities that bring connection, calm, and joy into your home.
These low-prep Christmas STEM ideas do exactly that. They’re quick to set up, fun to explore, and packed with learning you can feel good about.
If this post helped you find a few new ideas — or even just reminded you that learning doesn’t have to be complicated — then I’m so glad you’re here. And if you want even more simple Christmas activities, homeschool printables, or learning ideas to make the season magical, make sure to explore my other posts.
Your support helps me keep creating helpful content for your home and homeschool.
💬 Leave a Comment
Which activity are you trying first?
Or do you have a favorite Christmas STEM idea to share? I’d love to hear from you below!
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Thank you for reading my blog! Stay tuned for more tips, resources, and printable materials to help make your homeschooling experience enjoyable and effective. Check out my store for a variety of educational products and printables to assist you on your homeschooling journey.
Nancy at Cleverly Kindred ❤️
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