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Winter Boredom Busters

Holiday Word Search Printable

Can you find all the holiday words hidden in this word search?

Print the Activity!

Holiday Word Search Printable

Can you find all the holiday words hidden in this word search?

Print the Activity!

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Holiday Mathlink® Cube Measuring

Use Mathlink® Cubes to measure the height of the Holiday items!

Purchase Mathlink Cubes

Holiday Mathlink® Cube Measuring

Use Mathlink® Cubes to measure the height of the Holiday items!

Purchase Mathlink Cubes

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Holiday Printables Pack!
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Get Glowing with STEM Ice Lanterns

Your holiday guests will be delighted as they arrive to your doorstep on a cold night greeted by these frosty, glowing lanterns. Oh what fun it will be when they learn your little scientists created the evening’s entryway décor!

It goes without saying that these lanterns work best in freezing temperatures. Should you choose to use them to light your holiday table, make sure to place them in a bowl for when they begin to melt!

This experiment involves the change of matter from a liquid to a solid (and eventually back to a liquid).

 

You will need:

• Plastic red cups

• Smaller plastic cups that can fit inside

• Decorations - glitter pipe cleaners, craft pom poms, glitter, pine sprigs, etc.

• Water

• Tape

• Food coloring

• Candles (battery-operated is probably best)

Grab one of your red cups, and twist pipe cleaners up the length of the cup. This part requires some engineering inspiration and small hands. How do you get them to stay up? If you choose, add some craft pom poms. Working on the pom poms to stay suspended in the pipe cleaners also creates a unique challenge. Think!

Next, pull out a long piece of tape and attach it to one side of the cup near the lip. The tape will be the important piece that will hold down the second cup, so it doesn’t float. Basically, have the tape ready before you pour in the water.

Fill the cup about half full with water. Add a few drops of food coloring if you would like at this time.

Place the smaller cup into the bigger, red cup. Pour your water in between the two cups, so it fills until about a half inch below the rim. You’ll want to push down on the smaller cup the entire time because the goal is to have the two rims even with each other.

Secure your second cup in place with the tape.

Place in the freezer overnight.

When you are ready to place your lanterns out for all to enjoy, remove them from the fridge and give yourself about 5 minutes. This is the perfect time to discuss the scientific changes you observe.

• The water is now frozen.

• The frozen water has pushed the small cup up.

• The frozen water has perhaps even changed the shape of the outer cup.

Remove the inner cup with a little tug and turn the red cup upside down to shake out the ice lantern. Time is not on your side handling the frozen lanterns, as they will melt quickly.

Showcase them with a battery-operated candle any place around the house where you’d like to wow your guests!

Happy Holidays!

Get Glowing with STEM Ice Lanterns

Your holiday guests will be delighted as they arrive to your doorstep on a cold night greeted by these frosty, glowing lanterns. Oh what fun it will be when they learn your little scientists created the evening’s entryway décor!

It goes without saying that these lanterns work best in freezing temperatures. Should you choose to use them to light your holiday table, make sure to place them in a bowl for when they begin to melt!

This experiment involves the change of matter from a liquid to a solid (and eventually back to a liquid).

 

You will need:

• Plastic red cups

• Smaller plastic cups that can fit inside

• Decorations - glitter pipe cleaners, craft pom poms, glitter, pine sprigs, etc.

• Water

• Tape

• Food coloring

• Candles (battery-operated is probably best)

Grab one of your red cups, and twist pipe cleaners up the length of the cup. This part requires some engineering inspiration and small hands. How do you get them to stay up? If you choose, add some craft pom poms. Working on the pom poms to stay suspended in the pipe cleaners also creates a unique challenge. Think!

Next, pull out a long piece of tape and attach it to one side of the cup near the lip. The tape will be the important piece that will hold down the second cup, so it doesn’t float. Basically, have the tape ready before you pour in the water.

Fill the cup about half full with water. Add a few drops of food coloring if you would like at this time.

Place the smaller cup into the bigger, red cup. Pour your water in between the two cups, so it fills until about a half inch below the rim. You’ll want to push down on the smaller cup the entire time because the goal is to have the two rims even with each other.

Secure your second cup in place with the tape.

Place in the freezer overnight.

When you are ready to place your lanterns out for all to enjoy, remove them from the fridge and give yourself about 5 minutes. This is the perfect time to discuss the scientific changes you observe.

• The water is now frozen.

• The frozen water has pushed the small cup up.

• The frozen water has perhaps even changed the shape of the outer cup.

Remove the inner cup with a little tug and turn the red cup upside down to shake out the ice lantern. Time is not on your side handling the frozen lanterns, as they will melt quickly.

Showcase them with a battery-operated candle any place around the house where you’d like to wow your guests!

Happy Holidays!

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Festive Cookies and Cocoa Party - Holiday Must-Haves

Do your kids love setting up pretend ‘tea parties’ with their dolls and stuffed animals? My four-year-old will happily sit playing with a setup like that for over an hour, so we are always on the lookout for fun ways to put a seasonal twist on the tea parties. That’s why we were delighted when Learning Resources® released two festive kitchen set products: Hot Cocoa Time! and Santa’s Cookies.

What’s Included?

Each set comes with a fun range of pieces to ensure that the play remains open-ended. The Santa’s Cookies 12-piece set includes a cookie sheet complete with rolled-out dough, pre-cut cookies, a neat suction-style cookie cutter, rolling pin and spatula, plate, glass of milk, and cute dry-erase note to Santa.

The Hot Cocoa set includes a big brewing pot, two cups, plates and spoons, a hot cocoa pot, cookies, and marshmallows. All items are sturdy and easy to clean, which is always a bonus when it comes to toys for kids!

Combining the Fun for a Festive Cookies & Cocoa Party

My preschooler had been playing with both sets separately, but I knew she would love to set up her festive party for her dolls and unicorns using the sets together.

We spread out a pretend snow tablecloth, and she got to work propping up her little friends in the chairs. She was chatting to them the whole time about where they were going to sit and how much fun they would have.

Once everyone was seated, she got to work taking their orders. I loved listening to her asking her ‘friends’ what they wanted, and then she would make up an order for them. This was a great way for her to develop her vocabulary and work on some simple numeracy.

She would count how many scoops of cocoa powder to add, how many marshmallows, or how many of each type of cookie. If your child is older, they could always write down the orders on the dry-erase Santa’s note board.

My preschooler was also able to develop descriptive shape-based language. I would ask her to find a shape with x number of sides or a curved edge. She was so careful and sure to give her unicorns and her doll exactly what they ordered!

The tools which come with the sets are perfect for helping children to develop their fine motor skills. My daughter was careful to scoop, roll and serve, making sure not to ‘spill’ anything on our ‘fancy’ tablecloth!

After all of her friends had their orders, they sat enjoying their festive party together. We put on some fun seasonal music, and it was a special moment of quality time. It’s always so magical when the child can lead the play and direct the conversation. It’s amazing how much confidence they gain from the opportunity to let their imaginations drive the activity!

Writer's bio

Lucy Baker is a Mom of two (4 & 8 years old) passionate about creative play and hands-on learning. She firmly believes in providing children with the opportunity to learn through play and being part of their play journey as a parent. See more of her creative play ideas and process art projects on Instagram @findthelittlemind, and over on her blog, Find the Little Mind.

Festive Cookies and Cocoa Party - Holiday Must-Haves

Do your kids love setting up pretend ‘tea parties’ with their dolls and stuffed animals? My four-year-old will happily sit playing with a setup like that for over an hour, so we are always on the lookout for fun ways to put a seasonal twist on the tea parties. That’s why we were delighted when Learning Resources® released two festive kitchen set products: Hot Cocoa Time! and Santa’s Cookies.

What’s Included?

Each set comes with a fun range of pieces to ensure that the play remains open-ended. The Santa’s Cookies 12-piece set includes a cookie sheet complete with rolled-out dough, pre-cut cookies, a neat suction-style cookie cutter, rolling pin and spatula, plate, glass of milk, and cute dry-erase note to Santa.

The Hot Cocoa set includes a big brewing pot, two cups, plates and spoons, a hot cocoa pot, cookies, and marshmallows. All items are sturdy and easy to clean, which is always a bonus when it comes to toys for kids!

Combining the Fun for a Festive Cookies & Cocoa Party

My preschooler had been playing with both sets separately, but I knew she would love to set up her festive party for her dolls and unicorns using the sets together.

We spread out a pretend snow tablecloth, and she got to work propping up her little friends in the chairs. She was chatting to them the whole time about where they were going to sit and how much fun they would have.

Once everyone was seated, she got to work taking their orders. I loved listening to her asking her ‘friends’ what they wanted, and then she would make up an order for them. This was a great way for her to develop her vocabulary and work on some simple numeracy.

She would count how many scoops of cocoa powder to add, how many marshmallows, or how many of each type of cookie. If your child is older, they could always write down the orders on the dry-erase Santa’s note board.

My preschooler was also able to develop descriptive shape-based language. I would ask her to find a shape with x number of sides or a curved edge. She was so careful and sure to give her unicorns and her doll exactly what they ordered!

The tools which come with the sets are perfect for helping children to develop their fine motor skills. My daughter was careful to scoop, roll and serve, making sure not to ‘spill’ anything on our ‘fancy’ tablecloth!

After all of her friends had their orders, they sat enjoying their festive party together. We put on some fun seasonal music, and it was a special moment of quality time. It’s always so magical when the child can lead the play and direct the conversation. It’s amazing how much confidence they gain from the opportunity to let their imaginations drive the activity!

Writer's bio

Lucy Baker is a Mom of two (4 & 8 years old) passionate about creative play and hands-on learning. She firmly believes in providing children with the opportunity to learn through play and being part of their play journey as a parent. See more of her creative play ideas and process art projects on Instagram @findthelittlemind, and over on her blog, Find the Little Mind.

READ MORE

DIY Snowman Sensory Bottle!

Who doesn’t love a good snow globe? Each one is a spellbinding combination of swirling, swishing liquid, and falling glitter that is perfect for sensory play. As mesmerizing as they are, did you know that snow globes are actually an experiment regarding the scientific principle of viscosity?

Let’s apply the standard of viscosity by creating a Snowman Snow Globe. We’ll put it together and then explain why it works.

You will need the following:

  • A water bottle (a clear glass water bottle was used here)
  • Clear glue
  • Tap water
  • Glitter
  • Black tape for the snowman’s top hat
  • Markers, paper, and pipe cleaners to make the snowman face
  • Craft items for the “floaters” inside the globe, like snowflakes, stars, buttons, or jingle bells

First, let’s get our snow globe looking like a snowman. Using a sharpie marker, draw on the eyes and buttons.

Second, you can draw on the carrot nose, but we used leftover orange sticky craft paper here.

Next, select a pipe cleaner to tie around under his carrot nose for a little scarf.

The man needs a top hat, right? Wrap the cap in black tape for his hat.

Now that he’s dressed and ready to go, squirt the clear glue into the bottle. We added more glue to one of our bottles. Will more thick glue make the glitter move slower or faster?

Next, sprinkle in your glitter and drop in the items that will float.

Now it’s time to watch the snow fly!

So what does viscosity mean for the snow globe?

The viscosity of a fluid is its relative “thickness.” Think of glue or maple syrup. Both are thick and slow. Viscosity is measured by its resistance to a stress factor. In the case of our snow globe, the stress is the water and shaking motion. Compared to the water, it is much thicker, slowing the fall of our glitter, snowflakes, and jingle bells.

 

 

The snow globe we made with less glue moved the objects much faster through itself. Less viscosity = easier movement of objects. 

 

Stay warm this winter!

DIY Snowman Sensory Bottle!

Who doesn’t love a good snow globe? Each one is a spellbinding combination of swirling, swishing liquid, and falling glitter that is perfect for sensory play. As mesmerizing as they are, did you know that snow globes are actually an experiment regarding the scientific principle of viscosity?

Let’s apply the standard of viscosity by creating a Snowman Snow Globe. We’ll put it together and then explain why it works.

You will need the following:

  • A water bottle (a clear glass water bottle was used here)
  • Clear glue
  • Tap water
  • Glitter
  • Black tape for the snowman’s top hat
  • Markers, paper, and pipe cleaners to make the snowman face
  • Craft items for the “floaters” inside the globe, like snowflakes, stars, buttons, or jingle bells

First, let’s get our snow globe looking like a snowman. Using a sharpie marker, draw on the eyes and buttons.

Second, you can draw on the carrot nose, but we used leftover orange sticky craft paper here.

Next, select a pipe cleaner to tie around under his carrot nose for a little scarf.

The man needs a top hat, right? Wrap the cap in black tape for his hat.

Now that he’s dressed and ready to go, squirt the clear glue into the bottle. We added more glue to one of our bottles. Will more thick glue make the glitter move slower or faster?

Next, sprinkle in your glitter and drop in the items that will float.

Now it’s time to watch the snow fly!

So what does viscosity mean for the snow globe?

The viscosity of a fluid is its relative “thickness.” Think of glue or maple syrup. Both are thick and slow. Viscosity is measured by its resistance to a stress factor. In the case of our snow globe, the stress is the water and shaking motion. Compared to the water, it is much thicker, slowing the fall of our glitter, snowflakes, and jingle bells.

 

 

The snow globe we made with less glue moved the objects much faster through itself. Less viscosity = easier movement of objects. 

 

Stay warm this winter!

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Image of Hot Cocoa Sensory Bin

Sensory Play with Hot Cocoa Time!

The winter days can be long, especially when too cold for extended periods outside. Those are the days when I try to set up a fun and inviting sensory play activity for my four-year-old. During a recent snow day, she was desperately trying to convince me that we needed to set up a hot chocolate stand just like an ice cream stand we had set up the previous summer. I was game for the hot chocolate part, but I'm not sure about the standing outside to sell it! We compromised and decided to enjoy some simple sensory play with our Learning Resources® Hot Cocoa Time! Playset and a packet of cocoa powder.


What you need:

  • Hot Cocoa Time! set from Learning Resources (Amazon exclusive)
  • Bowl of warm water
  • Cocoa powder
  • Twisty Dropper™
  • Tray or tablecloth (ours is an IKEA SMULA tray, they are great for sensory play and crafting with kids!)

Let’s Get Set Up

It’s a good idea to put the materials on some sort of tray or plastic cloth as things may get a little messy. I scooped a few spoons of hot chocolate powder into the brown cocoa powder box from the set. I also put out the kettle, spoons, two cups, some warm water in a bowl (not too hot, of course) and a Twisty Dropper to help encourage plenty of fine motor work.

 

It’s Hot Cocoa Time!

My four-year-old was beside herself with excitement when she opened the cocoa box, and there was real cocoa powder in there. She carefully scooped the powder into the cups, counting out the scoops as she went. Of course, she felt there needed to be plenty of chocolate flavor, so I guess it’s a good thing she got to practice counting nice and high! Then she used the dropper to add lots of water to the kettle, ready to pretend to boil it. It never ceases to amaze me how patient kids are when transferring water with droppers. My kids always love to use a dropper and will happily keep squeezing and releasing over and over until the job is done. Once she was happy with how much water was in her kettle, she pretended to flick a switch, and we stood and waited as the water ‘boiled.’


 

‘Click’! The water was ready, and so was my little one. She poured the water into the cups right over the cocoa powder. She then used the spoons to stir in the powder until it dissolved. She was giving a running commentary as she went, telling me how the water was changing color and that she could smell the chocolate, and it was YUMMY! We both pretended to sip on our cups of hot chocolate, giving it the occasional stir as we chatted.

 

With these sorts of set-ups, I always like to leave plenty of opportunities for my preschooler to explore the materials however she wishes. She asked if she could make a bowl of hot chocolate next, so that’s what she did. She kept transferring the water and cocoa powder, stirring, smelling, and eventually serving. She liked to ensure that all the powder was fully dissolved before serving it to me. This activity allowed for plenty of fine motor development and working on some science fundamentals. She predicted what would happen as she mixed the ingredients, observed the changes, and then analyzed and described the outcomes. It was science without us even realizing it!

 

Have you ever used hot chocolate powder for sensory play? What is your favorite way to play with your Hot Cocoa Time set? We’d love to try out some fun new ideas. Now I’m off to finish my sixth cup of hot cocoa!

 

 

Writer’s Bio

Lucy Baker is a Mom of two (4 & 8 years old) passionate about creative play and hands-on learning. She firmly believes in providing children with the opportunity to learn through play and being part of their play journey as a parent. See more of her creative play ideas and process art projects on Instagram @findthelittlemind and on her blog, Find the Little Mind.

Sensory Play with Hot Cocoa Time!

The winter days can be long, especially when too cold for extended periods outside. Those are the days when I try to set up a fun and inviting sensory play activity for my four-year-old. During a recent snow day, she was desperately trying to convince me that we needed to set up a hot chocolate stand just like an ice cream stand we had set up the previous summer. I was game for the hot chocolate part, but I'm not sure about the standing outside to sell it! We compromised and decided to enjoy some simple sensory play with our Learning Resources® Hot Cocoa Time! Playset and a packet of cocoa powder.


What you need:

  • Hot Cocoa Time! set from Learning Resources (Amazon exclusive)
  • Bowl of warm water
  • Cocoa powder
  • Twisty Dropper™
  • Tray or tablecloth (ours is an IKEA SMULA tray, they are great for sensory play and crafting with kids!)

Let’s Get Set Up

It’s a good idea to put the materials on some sort of tray or plastic cloth as things may get a little messy. I scooped a few spoons of hot chocolate powder into the brown cocoa powder box from the set. I also put out the kettle, spoons, two cups, some warm water in a bowl (not too hot, of course) and a Twisty Dropper to help encourage plenty of fine motor work.

 

It’s Hot Cocoa Time!

My four-year-old was beside herself with excitement when she opened the cocoa box, and there was real cocoa powder in there. She carefully scooped the powder into the cups, counting out the scoops as she went. Of course, she felt there needed to be plenty of chocolate flavor, so I guess it’s a good thing she got to practice counting nice and high! Then she used the dropper to add lots of water to the kettle, ready to pretend to boil it. It never ceases to amaze me how patient kids are when transferring water with droppers. My kids always love to use a dropper and will happily keep squeezing and releasing over and over until the job is done. Once she was happy with how much water was in her kettle, she pretended to flick a switch, and we stood and waited as the water ‘boiled.’


 

‘Click’! The water was ready, and so was my little one. She poured the water into the cups right over the cocoa powder. She then used the spoons to stir in the powder until it dissolved. She was giving a running commentary as she went, telling me how the water was changing color and that she could smell the chocolate, and it was YUMMY! We both pretended to sip on our cups of hot chocolate, giving it the occasional stir as we chatted.

 

With these sorts of set-ups, I always like to leave plenty of opportunities for my preschooler to explore the materials however she wishes. She asked if she could make a bowl of hot chocolate next, so that’s what she did. She kept transferring the water and cocoa powder, stirring, smelling, and eventually serving. She liked to ensure that all the powder was fully dissolved before serving it to me. This activity allowed for plenty of fine motor development and working on some science fundamentals. She predicted what would happen as she mixed the ingredients, observed the changes, and then analyzed and described the outcomes. It was science without us even realizing it!

 

Have you ever used hot chocolate powder for sensory play? What is your favorite way to play with your Hot Cocoa Time set? We’d love to try out some fun new ideas. Now I’m off to finish my sixth cup of hot cocoa!

 

 

Writer’s Bio

Lucy Baker is a Mom of two (4 & 8 years old) passionate about creative play and hands-on learning. She firmly believes in providing children with the opportunity to learn through play and being part of their play journey as a parent. See more of her creative play ideas and process art projects on Instagram @findthelittlemind and on her blog, Find the Little Mind.

READ MORE

Snow Cone Sensory Bin

Snow has to be one of the best and most exciting sensory bases for play. Have you ever thought to scoop some up and bring it inside for a fun hands-on setup? It makes prep a breeze and is sure to engage your little ones. For this activity, we decided to use some snow from the yard to make pretend snow cones. It led to so much sensory exploration and engaging conversation.

Materials needed:

The Set Up

Grab a big bowl of snow from outside and set it up somewhere a little more warm and cozy. To prepare the colored water simply fill each test tube nearly all the way to the top and add two drops of each color food coloring. My 3 year old chose red, pink, purple, blue, green, and yellow. I asked her to help mix the color in, which she really enjoyed doing. We put the test tubes out along with the snow, droppers, fine motor toys, and bowls and cups. It is also a good idea to have a small towel on hand as it can get a little wet and messy.

How the Activity Works

My daughter has always loved sensory set-ups, and this one didn’t disappoint. She got straight to work scooping up the snow and transferring it to one of the bowls ready to make her first snow cone. She thought it was so fun that the Handy Scoopers and Squeezy Tweezers made perfect little snowballs!

As she added the scoops of snow she used the tools to mash up the snow a little and was constantly talking about what flavors she was going to add. She opted for lots of red for her first one and told me that it was going to be a very strawberry flavor! She used the Jumbo Eyedroppers to squirt the colored water onto the snow. I always love watching as the color spreads across the snow. She kept adding squirts of color until she was happy with her first yummy snow cone.

She enjoyed making many more, using the different sized cups and bowls. We added in some numeracy by counting how many scoops of snow and how many squirts of colored water were needed for each snow cone she made. We even speculated how much each one would cost to buy…her suggestion of $37 seemed a little steep!

After a while, she started to experiment with mixing the colors to make new ‘flavors’. The colors spread through the snow to make new colors which she thought was so cool to watch. She spent lots of time debating what these new flavors would be called!

Throughout this entire activity, she was working her fine motor skills hard, as well as building her sensory confidence. The snow offered such a unique sensory base and there was the added bonus that as time went on the snow started to melt which completely changed the consistency of her creations. By the end of the activity, she was enjoying a slushy rainbow mess… so much sensory fun! Do you ever bring snow inside for play? What are your favorite activities to use it for?

Snow Cone Sensory Bin

Snow has to be one of the best and most exciting sensory bases for play. Have you ever thought to scoop some up and bring it inside for a fun hands-on setup? It makes prep a breeze and is sure to engage your little ones. For this activity, we decided to use some snow from the yard to make pretend snow cones. It led to so much sensory exploration and engaging conversation.

Materials needed:

The Set Up

Grab a big bowl of snow from outside and set it up somewhere a little more warm and cozy. To prepare the colored water simply fill each test tube nearly all the way to the top and add two drops of each color food coloring. My 3 year old chose red, pink, purple, blue, green, and yellow. I asked her to help mix the color in, which she really enjoyed doing. We put the test tubes out along with the snow, droppers, fine motor toys, and bowls and cups. It is also a good idea to have a small towel on hand as it can get a little wet and messy.

How the Activity Works

My daughter has always loved sensory set-ups, and this one didn’t disappoint. She got straight to work scooping up the snow and transferring it to one of the bowls ready to make her first snow cone. She thought it was so fun that the Handy Scoopers and Squeezy Tweezers made perfect little snowballs!

As she added the scoops of snow she used the tools to mash up the snow a little and was constantly talking about what flavors she was going to add. She opted for lots of red for her first one and told me that it was going to be a very strawberry flavor! She used the Jumbo Eyedroppers to squirt the colored water onto the snow. I always love watching as the color spreads across the snow. She kept adding squirts of color until she was happy with her first yummy snow cone.

She enjoyed making many more, using the different sized cups and bowls. We added in some numeracy by counting how many scoops of snow and how many squirts of colored water were needed for each snow cone she made. We even speculated how much each one would cost to buy…her suggestion of $37 seemed a little steep!

After a while, she started to experiment with mixing the colors to make new ‘flavors’. The colors spread through the snow to make new colors which she thought was so cool to watch. She spent lots of time debating what these new flavors would be called!

Throughout this entire activity, she was working her fine motor skills hard, as well as building her sensory confidence. The snow offered such a unique sensory base and there was the added bonus that as time went on the snow started to melt which completely changed the consistency of her creations. By the end of the activity, she was enjoying a slushy rainbow mess… so much sensory fun! Do you ever bring snow inside for play? What are your favorite activities to use it for?

READ MORE

DIY Gumdrop Christmas Tree

Are you looking for a fun, screen-free activity for your little ones this holiday season? I highly recommend building Gumdrop Christmas Trees! The activity is inexpensive, has minimal setup, and is adored by people of all ages. Who doesn’t like incorporating candy into a project?!

Building structures from toothpicks and gumdrops is an excellent STEM activity incorporating science, learning, and math into play. All you need is a bunch of toothpicks and some spiced gumdrops. I had a hard time finding gumdrops locally (I was shocked since it is Christmas time!), so if you run into that issue, mini marshmallows will also work just as well.

I laid the supplies on the table and told my girls that we would try and build Christmas trees. They are only three and five years old, so they needed some advice on getting started. I explained that they first needed to build a base, and then after that, they would just add to it as they saw fit.

We talked and walked through the base building together. After that, they caught on to the process and began constructing their trees!

As the building continued, the girls would point out if the structure was wobbling, and I would show them how they could add support with more toothpicks.

Finally, all that was left was adding a yellow gumdrop star at the top.

This was a fun project and a wonderful way to incorporate a screen-free STEM activity into the holidays. If your children are a bit older, you can even set up a competition to see who can build the tallest or most elaborate tree. For younger kids, just providing the toothpicks and gumdrops will create an awesome fine motor STEM activity. Regardless of age, this is a fun project to do together as a family. It’s something that both kids and adults are sure to enjoy!

DIY Gumdrop Christmas Tree

Are you looking for a fun, screen-free activity for your little ones this holiday season? I highly recommend building Gumdrop Christmas Trees! The activity is inexpensive, has minimal setup, and is adored by people of all ages. Who doesn’t like incorporating candy into a project?!

Building structures from toothpicks and gumdrops is an excellent STEM activity incorporating science, learning, and math into play. All you need is a bunch of toothpicks and some spiced gumdrops. I had a hard time finding gumdrops locally (I was shocked since it is Christmas time!), so if you run into that issue, mini marshmallows will also work just as well.

I laid the supplies on the table and told my girls that we would try and build Christmas trees. They are only three and five years old, so they needed some advice on getting started. I explained that they first needed to build a base, and then after that, they would just add to it as they saw fit.

We talked and walked through the base building together. After that, they caught on to the process and began constructing their trees!

As the building continued, the girls would point out if the structure was wobbling, and I would show them how they could add support with more toothpicks.

Finally, all that was left was adding a yellow gumdrop star at the top.

This was a fun project and a wonderful way to incorporate a screen-free STEM activity into the holidays. If your children are a bit older, you can even set up a competition to see who can build the tallest or most elaborate tree. For younger kids, just providing the toothpicks and gumdrops will create an awesome fine motor STEM activity. Regardless of age, this is a fun project to do together as a family. It’s something that both kids and adults are sure to enjoy!

READ MORE