6 Winter Sports STEM Challenges and Activities for Kids
Are your elementary students ready to compete in a classroom version of the Winter Olympic Games?
We’ve put together 6 of our favorite winter sports and created a Winter Games lessons for Grades 3-5 in the STEM Teachers Club and a Winter Games lessons for K-2 in the STEM Teachers Club to help get your students excited about the Olympic Games and also engage them in hands-on STEM challenges. Your students will learn about a variety of sports played in the Olympics, build their own versions, and compete to win their own Winter STEM Games medals. These challenges are sure to be a classroom favorite!
Here are 6 winter sports STEM challenges and activities for kids:
Curling
In the game of curling, players slide 40-pound stones made of granite on a sheet of ice toward a target made up of four circles. The purpose of the game is to score points by getting your team’s stones closer to the center than the other team’s stones. Players take turns sliding their stones. Scoring takes place when all eight stones from each team have been slid down the ice. This team sport requires great balance, precision, and athleticism. Curling is an Olympic and Paralympic winter sport.
For this STEM challenge your students will create curling stones to prepare for a winter sports competition using limited materials and within a limited timeframe. At the end of this challenge, your students will test their stones by playing a game of curling against another team.
Learn more about this challenge HERE.
Bobsledding
Bobsledding is the sport of sliding down an ice-covered incline on a sled that holds either two or four people. Most runs are made of concrete or stone covered with several inches of ice. Bobsleds have adapted over the years using materials like wood, steel, and now more commonly aluminum. Innovative sled design can play a large part in the success of the team in bobsledding.
For this STEM challenge your students will design and build their own bobsled to prepare for a winter sports competition using limited materials and within a limited timeframe. At the end of this challenge, your students will test their bobsleds by racing against other teams.
Learn more about this challenge HERE.
Hockey
Hockey first became an Olympic sport in 1920. It is a well-known team sport that includes two teams working against each other to maneuver a puck into the opponent’s goal using a hockey stick. There are many different types of hockey, but Olympic hockey is played on ice. A game of hockey consists of three periods each lasting twenty minutes. The goal of the game is to shoot the hockey puck into the other team’s net. At the end of the game, the team with the most goals is the winner.
For this STEM challenge your students will create goals and hockey sticks to prepare for a winter sports competition using limited materials and within a limited timeframe. At the end of this challenge, your students will test their gear by playing a game of hockey against the other teams.
Learn more about this challenge HERE.
Ski Jumping
Ski Jumping is a winter sport in which competitors try to achieve the longest jump by speeding down a steep ramp that curves on skis. Skiers leap from the end of the ramp to cover as much distance as possible in the air. Ski Jumping has been part of the Winter Olympics since 1924. Ski jumpers make two jumps. Their score is determined by distance covered and form.
In this STEM challenge your students will create skis and a ski jumper to prepare for a winter sports competition using limited materials and within a limited timeframe. At the end of this challenge, your students will test their design by having their skier jump off of a table. The skier that jumps the furthest distance will be declared the winner.
Learn more about this challenge HERE.
Biathlon
A biathlon competition involves two parts - skiing and shooting. Competitors ski through a cross-country trail which is divided into two or four shooting rounds. For half of the shooting rounds, the competitor shoots standing up while the other half is completed lying down. During each shooting round, the biathletes must hit five targets. Biathletes who do not perform well during the shooting portion of the event are penalized by having the extra time or distance added on. The winner of the biathlon is the person with the shortest total time.
For this winter STEM challenge your students will design a shooter to prepare for a winter sports competition using limited materials and within a limited timeframe. At the end of this challenge, your students will test their design by shooting a ping pong ball at targets.
Learn more about this challenge HERE.
Snowboarding
Snowboarding was first included as a sport at the Winter Olympics in 1998. These events include the giant slalom and the halfpipe. The giant slalom is a downhill racing event. The halfpipe is an event in which competitors perform tricks while moving from side to side on a ramp that curves up at both ends.
Snowboard racing is one type of snowboarding. In these events, competitors try to complete a course in the fastest amount of time. These races can be done by a single competitor racing against the clock or by two or more competitors racing against each other. The snowboard racing events that are currently part of the Winter Olympics are parallel giant slalom, parallel slalom, and snowboard cross.
For this STEM challenge your students will design a snowboard to prepare for a winter sports competition using limited materials and within a limited timeframe. At the end of this challenge, your students will test their design by racing their snowboard against other teams.
Learn more about this challenge HERE.
Winter Games STEM Challenges are the perfect way to connect the real world to your classroom through STEM. These challenges will help your students develop critical thinking and engineering skills as they plan, design, and execute their own ideas. Celebrate the Winter Olympics with your students. These STEM challenges are sure to be a hit! Don’t forget to download your FREE Winter Games STEM Medals.
You can find the entire 3-5 Winter Games lessons in the STEM Teachers Club HERE.
You can find the entire K-2 Winter Games lessons in the STEM Teachers Club HERE.
Are you a member of the STEM Teachers Club? Members get access to this resource and all NEW Carly and Adam STEM resources for just $15 a month.
*There are currently 800+ STEM challenges within the membership. Members also get access to PD training, challenges, prizes, and more. Learn more.
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