Winter Themed Science Projects: Our Top 3 For Middle Schoolers

When the temperature drops and the world outside turns into a frosty wonderland, it can be tempting to cozy up with hot cocoa and put the lesson books away. But what if you could harness the magic of the season to create unforgettable learning moments? The winter months offer a unique, natural laboratory right outside your window. Finding engaging winter science experiments for kids is a fantastic way to keep your middle schooler’s mind sharp and curious, even when it’s too chilly for a trip to the park. These hands-on activities are not just about checking off a science credit; they’re about fostering a love for discovery and showing that science is all around us.

Seasonal STEM projects for your homeschool can transform a dreary winter day into an exciting expedition into chemistry, physics, and biology. For middle schoolers, this is a crucial time to connect abstract scientific concepts to tangible, real-world results. They’re old enough to grasp complex ideas but still young enough to be amazed by the simple magic of a growing crystal or the physics behind a perfectly packed snowball. 

We’ve rounded up our top three favorite winter-themed science projects that are perfect for this age group. They require minimal, easy-to-find materials and deliver maximum educational impact, all while being genuinely fun.

1. The Science Of Snowflakes: Borax Crystal Snowflakes

One of the most iconic symbols of winter is the delicate, six-sided snowflake. While catching and observing real ones is a lesson in itself, growing your own provides a brilliant hands-on look at the process of crystallization. This experiment is a classic for a reason: it beautifully demonstrates how molecules arrange themselves into structured, repeating patterns, much like how ice crystals form in the atmosphere. It’s a perfect blend of chemistry and art that leaves you with a beautiful decoration.

For this project, your middle schooler will learn about the concepts of solutions and saturation. By dissolving borax in hot water, you create a supersaturated solution. This means the water is holding more borax particles than it normally could at a cooler temperature. As the solution cools, the water can no longer hold all the dissolved particles, so they begin to precipitate out and attach themselves to a surface—in this case, your pipe cleaner snowflake form. This process of coming out of the solution to form a solid is crystallization.

Materials You’ll Need:

• Wide-mouth glass jar (like a canning jar)

• Boiling water

• Borax (found in the laundry aisle of most grocery stores)

• Pipe cleaners

• String or fishing line

• A pencil or craft stick

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Create Your Snowflake Form: First, help your child twist and cut the pipe cleaners to form a snowflake shape. A good way to start is by twisting two or three pipe cleaners together in the center to create a six-pointed star. Make sure the finished shape is small enough to fit inside your jar without touching the sides or bottom.
2. Prepare for Hanging: Tie a piece of string to one of the arms of your pipe cleaner snowflake. Tie the other end of the string to the middle of a pencil or craft stick. You will use this to suspend the snowflake in the solution. Test it out by lowering it into the empty jar; the pencil should rest across the rim of the jar, and the snowflake should hang freely inside.
3. Make the Supersaturated Solution: This step requires adult supervision. Boil enough water to fill your jar. For every cup of boiling water, you will add 3 tablespoons of borax. Pour the boiling water into the jar, then add the borax one tablespoon at a time, stirring until it dissolves. Keep stirring until the solution is saturated (meaning no more borax will dissolve and some may settle at the bottom).
4. Grow Your Crystals: Carefully lower your pipe cleaner snowflake into the hot borax solution, letting the pencil rest on the rim of the jar. Ensure the snowflake is fully submerged and not touching any part of the jar.
5. Wait and Observe: Place the jar in a location where it won’t be disturbed overnight. As the water cools, you will start to see crystals forming on the pipe cleaner. The slower the solution cools, the larger the crystals will be. By morning, you will have a sparkling, crystal-covered snowflake!
6. Analyze the Results: Gently lift the snowflake out of the jar and let it dry on a paper towel. Have your middle schooler examine the crystals with a magnifying glass. Discuss their shape, how they attached to the pipe cleaner, and how this process mimics the formation of real snow and other minerals in nature.

2. Winter Wildlife Survival: The Blubber Mitten Experiment

How do animals like polar bears, seals, and penguins stay warm in freezing arctic waters? This simple but effective biology experiment explores the science of insulation. By creating a “blubber mitten,” your child can feel the difference this amazing adaptation makes. This project is one of our favorite winter science experiments for kids because it provides a powerful and memorable sensory experience that drives the concept home. It’s a great way to kick off a lesson on animal adaptations, ecosystems, or thermal energy.

The science behind this is all about heat transfer. Our bodies are constantly generating heat, but in a cold environment, that heat escapes into the surrounding air or water. Insulation works by creating a barrier that slows down this heat transfer. Blubber, which is a thick layer of fat, is a poor conductor of heat. This means it doesn’t allow the animal’s body heat to escape easily, keeping the animal warm even when its surroundings are frigid. This experiment uses vegetable shortening to simulate blubber, allowing students to experience its insulating properties firsthand.

Materials You’ll Need:

• A large bowl of ice water

• Vegetable shortening (like Crisco)

• Two large, resealable plastic bags

• A stopwatch or timer

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Prepare the Blubber Mitten: Have your child place their hand inside one of the plastic bags. This will be the “liner” to keep their hand clean. Now, carefully scoop a generous amount of vegetable shortening and pack it all around the outside of that bag. The layer should be thick and even, about an inch deep all around.
2. Seal the Mitten: Carefully turn the second plastic bag inside out and place it over the shortening-covered bag. Press the two bags together around the opening and seal them as best you can. You have now created a “blubber mitten” with a layer of simulated fat trapped between two layers of plastic.
3. The Control Test: Before testing the mitten, have your child place their bare hand (the one not in the mitten) into the bowl of ice water. Use a stopwatch to time how long they can comfortably keep it submerged. Record this time. Most people can only last for a short period before the cold becomes too uncomfortable.
4. The Blubber Test: Now, have your child put their hand inside the blubber mitten and submerge it in the same bowl of ice water. Start the timer again. They will immediately notice a dramatic difference. They should be able to keep their hand in the water for a much longer time without feeling the intense cold.
5. Discuss the Findings: After the experiment, discuss the results. Why did the blubber mitten keep their hand so much warmer? Talk about which animals have blubber and where they live. You can expand the lesson by researching other forms of insulation used by animals, such as thick fur or feathers, and how they work in a similar way to trap air and slow heat loss.

3. The Physics Of Fun: Building A Snowball Catapult

This project combines engineering, physics, and a healthy dose of outdoor fun. Building a simple catapult to launch snowballs is a fantastic way to explore concepts like potential and kinetic energy, trajectory, and levers. It takes middle school science activities out of the kitchen and into the backyard, where the results are dynamic and exciting. This is a project that encourages problem-solving and iteration—if the first design doesn’t work perfectly, what can be adjusted to make it better?

When the catapult arm is pulled back, it stores potential energy (energy of position). When released, that potential energy is instantly converted into kinetic energy (energy of motion), which is then transferred to the projectile—the snowball. By adjusting the launch angle and the tension, your child can experiment with how these variables affect the snowball’s range and height. It’s a direct and exciting demonstration of physics principles in action.

Materials You’ll Need:

• Craft sticks (jumbo size works best)

• Rubber bands

• A plastic bottle cap

• Hot glue gun (with adult supervision)

• Snowballs (or marshmallows/cotton balls for indoor use)

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Build the Base: Stack about 7-8 craft sticks on top of each other and wrap a rubber band tightly around each end to secure them. This will serve as the fulcrum for your lever.
2. Create the Lever Arm: Take two more craft sticks. Stack them and wrap a rubber band around one end only.
3. Assemble the Catapult: Carefully pry open the two craft sticks that form the lever arm. Slide the stack of 8 sticks (the fulcrum) between them, as close as possible to the rubber band that is holding the lever arm together.
4. Secure the Arm: Now, use another rubber band to secure the whole structure. Crisscross the rubber band over the intersection where the lever arm and the fulcrum meet. This creates the tension needed to power the catapult. The free ends of the lever arm should stick out over the top.
5. Attach the Basket: With help from an adult, use a hot glue gun to attach the plastic bottle cap to the top craft stick of the lever arm. This cap will hold your snowball.
6. Launch Time! Take your catapult outside. Place a small, firmly packed snowball into the bottle cap. Hold the catapult base steady with one hand, and with the other hand, press down on the end of the lever arm. Release it and watch your snowball fly! Experiment with different launch angles by moving the fulcrum forward or backward. Measure the distance and see if you can engineer improvements to get your snowball to fly even farther.

More Homeschool Inspiration Awaits

Bringing lessons to life with hands-on projects is one of the greatest joys of homeschooling. It helps solidify concepts and builds lasting memories that your children will carry with them. These winter-themed experiments are just the beginning. Every season holds new opportunities for discovery and learning, turning the world around you into your personal classroom.

We hope these ideas spark some scientific curiosity in your home this winter. Don’t let the cold weather put a freeze on your learning adventures. For more creative lesson plans, practical homeschooling advice, and resources to support you on your journey, be sure to explore more of our articles here at DKM Homeschool Resource.