• Investigate and predict what common objects will do in response to an action (e.g., whether materials will sink/float or melt/freeze)

Activity: Christmas Sink or Float

Intro: A fun way for students to create and test their hypotheses. With this activity, students will predict whether they think an item will sink or float.

Materials: 

• Christmas Sink or Float Handouts

• Pack of Candy Canes 

• Pack of Ornaments

• Pack of Jingle bells

• Pack of Tinsels

• Pack of Plastic Cookie Cutters

• Pack of Metal Cookie Cutters

• Pack of Plastic Bowls

• Water

• Towels

  
  

Procedure: 

1. Have students draw predictions for each item.

2. Draw a Christmas item in the bowl to help them understand the difference between 

3. Have students test each item (Candy Cane, Ornament, Jingle bells, Plastic Cookie Cutter, Metal Cookie Cutter, and Tinsel)

4. Have students record the results!

• Explore objects by appropriately using magnets, balances, eyedroppers, beakers, jars, etc.

Activity: Magnetic Science with Jingle Bells

Intro: An engaging way for students to practice using magnets with a twist of Christmas!

Materials:

• Pack of Jingle Bells

• Wood Blocks

• Bar Magnets

• U-shaped magnets

• Large Popsicle Stick Magnets

• Different kinds of containers

Procedure:

1. Teachers will have to prep the large popsicle stick magnets by hot-gluing mini round magnets to a large popsicle stick to make a magnetic wand of sorts.

2. Have students first sort bells by color and size and transfer the bells between different containers

3. Have students count how many bells they can pick up with the magnetic wand.

4. Have students explore how other different magnets work. (U-shaped magnet, Bar magnet) 

Activity: Design a Sleigh for Santa

Intro: Students will become Christmas engineers with this simple sleigh-building challenge using egg cartons!

Materials:

• Egg Cartons 

• Pairs of Scissors

• Paint (Red, Green, White, Brown, Black) 

• Paint brushes

• Popsicle sticks

• Santa figurines

• Glue or other adhesive

Procedure:

1. Teachers will show kids a slide showing a variety of traditional sled designs and discuss their strengths and weaknesses.

2. Students will be given the following criteria:

• Santa must not fall out 

• The sleigh must have room for presents

3. Teachers will give students 10 minutes to draw their designs with their group (family included).

4. Students will then build and decorate their Santa sleigh.

5. When the sleds are complete, each sled will be tested by running it across a smooth surface to see which one is the most stable and can travel the fastest.

Activity: Gingerbread man bridge

Intro: A fun activity where students help the gingerbread man escape!

Materials:

• Popsicle Sticks

• Wood Blocks

• Construction paper

• Paper cutouts of a gingerbread man

• Recycled Toilet paper rolls

• Tub of Water

• Gingerbread Man Cookie

• Building bridge handout

Procedure:

1. Teachers must set the scene: The Gingerbread Man is trying to escape from the Hungry Fox. The Gingerbread Man can't swim, or he'll crumble apart, so we must build a bridge for him to get away!

2. The teacher must place the gingerbread man cookie in the tub of water to show students that they must build a bridge.

3. Teachers must prepare a river made out of blue construction paper to resemble what the gingerbread man must get away from.

4. Students will have 20 minutes to design and build their bridges with the help of peers and parents.

5. Once everyone is done, they will be allowed to go around and explore what other teams or students have built.

Activity: Melting Snowman

Intro: An engaging way for students to see how a marshmallow snowman can be changed by heating and cooling!

Materials: 

• Hot paper cups

• Black permanent marker

• Hot cocoa mix

• Hot water

• Ice cubes

• Regular marshmallows

• Mini Marshmallows

• Black and orange gel food coloring

• Toothpicks

• Melting Snowman experiment worksheet

Procedure:

1. Students will use a toothpick and food coloring to draw the snowmen's faces on the marshmallows. Allow students to do this for 5 minutes. 

2. Teachers will give students 3 hot paper cups that are labeled as hot, warm, and cold.

3. Students will then pour the hot cocoa mix into the three cups. Students are free to use one packet for all three packets. 

4. The teacher will pour hot water into the three cups and mix.

5. The teacher will then add 1-2 small ice cubes to the “warm” cup and mix until the ice melts.

6. The teacher will then add 3 ice cubes to the “cold” cup and mix until the ice melts. Must make sure to test that the liquid is cold.

7. The teacher will then ask students to form a hypothesis about which marshmallow will melt, and make sure that they are specific about the temperature of the hot cocoa.

8. The parent, student, or teacher will then carefully drop the marshmallows into the cups of cocoa at the same time. (Each cup should have one big marshmallow and one small marshmallow.)

9. The melting process should begin! The last step is to discuss the results with students.

Activity: Tallest Snowman

Intro: An engaging way for students to help Santa put up a star tree topper!

Materials:

• Packs of toothpicks

• Packs of regular marshmallows

• Packs of mini marshmallows

• Black and orange food coloring markers

• Measuring tape or ruler

• The tallest snowman worksheet

• Prize for the tallest snowmen

Procedure: 

1. Teachers must set the scene: Santa wanted to put the star on top of the tree, but his reindeers were sleeping. To not wake them up, we must help Santa make the tallest snowman!

2. Students will be handed marshmallows and toothpicks and will be able to begin planning how to build their snowmen. They will be given 5–10 minutes to plan.

3. Students will then begin making their snowmen; they can do this in groups with other peers or with parents.

4. After 10 minutes of building, the time will be up, and each of the snowmen will be measured.

5. The group or student who built the tallest snowmen will then be given a prize for helping Santa put the star on top of the tree.

Optional: Students can make the snowman head, so the marshmallow looks like a snowman!

Students can do this by:

• Using food coloring markers to draw the face.
  

Activity: Snowman Shooter

Intro: A fun way for students to engage with the forces of push and pull!

Materials: 

• White paper cups

• Balloons

• Scissors

• Black and orange markers

• Marshmallows

• Cotton Balls

• Measuring tape or ruler

• Snowball shooter worksheet

Procedure: 

1. The teacher will give students a white paper cup with the entire bottom cut out. The teacher will also give students a tied balloon.

2. The teacher will show a demonstration of how to cut the bottom of the balloon before students, so students will not mistake what bottom to cut. 

3. Students will then stretch the balloon over the bottom of the white paper cup.

4. Students will use black and orange markers to decorate the snowman's face on the paper cup.

5. The teacher will then give students cotton balls and marshmallows, so students can put one in the cup, pull back the balloon, let go, and watch the item fly!

6. Students will then measure how far the marshmallow and cotton ball flew individually and compare.

Activity: Christmas Tree Fizzing

Intro: Watch a Christmas tree change in physical properties!

Materials:

• Clear plastic cups or Mason jars

• Christmas tree, marshmallow peeps

• Cold Water

• Hot Water

• Vinegar

• Seltzer

• Pens or Markers to record findings

• Christmas Worksheet

Procedure: 

1. The teacher will label each of the four clear containers with the four different liquids: hot water, cold water, seltzer, and vinegar. Then fill each of the containers about ¾ full. 

2. Students will be given 4 Christmas tree marshmallow peeps and carefully place each one in each cup.

3. Students will then observe any changes in the marshmallow peeps and fill out their worksheets.

Science Night ends at 8:00 p.m.

• Boiron, B. (2021b, February 20). How to make snowman snowball shooters. Mombrite. https://www.mombrite.com/how-to-make-snowman-snowball-shooters/

• Boiron, B. (2021c, August 9). Hot cocoa and Marshmallows melting snowmen experiment. Mombrite. https://www.mombrite.com/hot-cocoa-marshmallows-melting-snowmen-experiment/

• Catherine, M. (2023, June 7). An easy to set up preschool magnet science activity with Jingle Bells. Fun. https://fun-a-day.com/preschool-magnet-science-jingle-bells/

• Gorden, B. (2022, August 5). 🎄 christmas tree science experiment dissolving peeps activities. Preschool Play and Learn. https://www.preschoolplayandlearn.com/christmas-tree-science-experiment-dissolving-peeps/

• Lynn, N. (2021, December 17). Building gingerbread bridges: December stem challenge. Natalie Lynn Kindergarten. https://natalielynnkindergarten.com/building-gingerbread-bridges-december-stem-challenge/

• McClelland, S. (2023, November 8). Santa’s Sleigh Stem Challenge. Little Bins for Little Hands. https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/printable-santa-stem-activity-challenge/?epik=dj0yJnU9b3hDaFVGcGtJOF9pOXpFeDB2aWtaZ0RxMzVLQlp3NzcmcD0wJm49S2JaRVhMc0k1UWtiOTJ1Q1p6S3VodyZ0PUFBQUFBR1ZiN1A4

• O’Block, T. (2023, November 7). Christmas Science Experiments & Stem Challenges. Lessons for Little Ones by Tina O’Block. https://lessons4littleones.com/2017/11/18/christmas-science-experiments/?epik=dj0yJnU9S0dTX2xsM1Q0T0hQOGVET0hBdDVydW9EVVJ1S2dIYmEmcD0wJm49bXRKeDd6dDZacy0wQzRJelloWWZVZyZ0PUFBQUFBR1ZiNlBn

• Texas administrative code. (n.d.). https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.ViewTAC?tac_view=5&ti=19&pt=2&ch=112&sch=A&rl=Y

• Welcome to Texas Education Agency | Texas Education Agency. (n.d.). https://tea.texas.gov/academics/early-childhood-education/2022-texas-pkg-comprehensive-guide.pdf