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When you ask somebody what their favorite holiday time is, the answer will probably be summer. However, winter is not only about hot cocoa and staying indoors but also a time to try fun activities with your family. Holidays are perfect to try things you’ve postponed throughout the year.

Whatever holiday you choose to celebrate, you can always make it fun for your kids. When schools in the UAE take holiday breaks, students can practice what they learned at home. It is also the perfect time to help them learn by helping them with assignments and doing fun experiments at home.

Why Science Experiments are Important

Science is all about facts, but it also about discovering events around us. This is why teachers believe that theory learning is not sufficient for teaching and learning science. Hands-on learning is important, especially in elementary school. This can only be achieved through experiments.

Science activities boost scientific learning for kids. Instead of memorizing and sitting still, kids engage in active learning which helps them to understand different scientific phenomena. Science experiments allow kids to inquire, conduct investigations, and gather information.

Scientific activities boost learning through discovery. Experiments help kids to discover new ideas and concepts which are important in science. These activities also eliminate passive learning and make kids love science and look forward to more fun lessons.

Winter & Holiday-Themed Fun Science Experiments for Elementary Kids

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Winter and holidays are perfect for conducting creative science activities with your elementary school kids. This not only kills boredom, but it also helps them in their studies. There are many activities to conduct and we have outlined the most exciting and fun of them below.

Learn How Water Expands

When studying at an American school in Dubai, you conduct experiments in class. Although you have no lab at home, you can still have fun with science activities. You can learn how water takes different forms. Water expands when frozen. You can try several simple experiments to see how this works.

Fill an empty can with water and stop at ½ an inch from the top. To make this experiment more effective, mark the waterline on the can. Place the can on an aluminum foil/tray and place it in your freezer and leave it for a few hours or overnight. When you remove it in the morning, you will realize that the ice is above the water line indicating that water expands when frozen.

Fun with Dry Ice

Dry ice is another name for frozen carbon dioxide and it varies from normal ice in various aspects. Place both on different glasses and observe what happens. It is necessary to ask for adult supervision and help when handling dry ice. Touching dry ice with your bare hands can cause burns. Use gloves or tongs when handling ice.

Salt and Ice

From your lessons in your American school in Dubai, you might already know that when water is mixed with salt, its freezing point becomes lower. This is why salt is used on sideways and roads to melt ice.

There are many experiments you can conduct to learn about the effects of salt on ice. You need 2 containers, 2 identical ice cubes, and salt. Sprinkle salt on one of the ice cubes. The ice cube with salt melts faster compared to the one without. You can also conduct this experiment by freezing water with and without salt and observe which freezes faster.

Insulation

This experiment involves observing which ice melts faster with insulation. You need 2 ice cubes. Place them on a tray and leave one as it is and then wrap the other with a small piece of newspaper and make sure it is secure. You can either use tape or rubber bands. You will notice that the ice cube insulated with the newspaper. You can also use aluminum foil and other items to see how they insulate ice and prevent it from melting faster.

Icicles

Did you know that you can make icicles? It is actually very easy and fun. You need an empty can, hammer, and nails. Make a hole at the bottom of the can using the hammer and nails. Add 3 more holes at the near the open end of the can. Cut 3 strings at least 20 inches long. Tie the strings through the 3 holes and tie the loose ends together. Fill your can with water and hang it outside when the temperatures are below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. You don’t have to watch it, leave your can overnight and watch your icicles in the morning.

Science is an important subject that helps kids to learn about different phenomena. The good thing about science is that you can learn through fun activities in and out of the class. Winter and holiday-themed science activities are great for killing boredom, having fun, and learning!