6 Science Activities to Make Make Holiday Science Lessons Simple

December is an exciting month for kids… anticipating Christmas, participating in programs, and winding up the fall.  Moms, however, can be baking for a cookie exchange, buying and wrapping presents, and trying to corral kids into finishing much-needed assignments. 

What can you do in December to relieve stress and find peace without quashing excitement in this busy season? Can you replace book work AND build anticipation for the upcoming celebration of Christ’s birth? What if we told you that homeschooling through the holidays could be fun, low-stress, AND an opportunity to focus on God’s incredible creation!

Holiday Homeschooling Made Simple

Simplifying your homeschool days can prepare your kids (and you) for the upcoming season while relieving the stress of completing complicated lessons. Here are some fun and low-stress holiday learning tips that will transform your December into an exciting time of learning:

1. Change it up a bit! Just like us, kids get stuck in a rut. If your science program normally revolves around book work, try some relaxed holiday science experiments that can change blah to exciting.
2. Remember, learning is the goal, not just checking things off the list. While experiments and library visits might seem like frivolity, don’t forget kids are still learning!  Even if you may not be following your thoughtfully designed plan, education is taking place.
3. Use holiday materials to create your activities. Bring in pinecones, red and green crystals for making ornaments, and candy cane science, brightening the days leading up to Christmas.  Consider choosing a theme for these next few weeks; develop your materials and activities around this theme.
4. Look for community events. Perhaps an area church offers a caravan through Bethlehem, your community center hosts a baking day, or an art center holds a Christmas art class.  Search for opportunities in your area that present holiday inspiration while providing learning.
5. Give yourself grace this time of year and focus on flexibility. Although you might not have the same amount of time you normally do, cut yourself some slack and choose some low-stress activities. If you don’t have time to do it every day, consider swapping lesson plan learning for one of these activities for just a couple of days. 
6. Remember the reason for the season. Jesus’s birth is just the beginning of God’s redemptive plan for us.  Determine how your family can best celebrate God and what He has done through Christ.

Simple Science Activities for December

With the above suggestions in mind, here are some fun science ideas you can try during December.  A general principle is that you can make almost any activity into science by looking at its components and its Creator.  With any science you do, consider documenting it and keeping it for your records, no matter how informal.  We have included a free lab journal form for you to use when completing the following experiments.  

*Tip: Purchase any supplies you might need at the beginning of the month so it’s all ready to go.

Biology/Botany: Research the Ponderosa Pine

Evergreens are a popular decoration for Christmas. If you decorate with a real evergreen, did you know there are specific fire safety tips you should follow? God designed the ponderosa pine, found in the western half of the United States, with special fire-resistant features. Do some reading about the Ponderosa pine’s thick bark and heat-resistant buds. Sketch the pine tree in your lab journal notebook.

Chemistry: Candy Cane Science

Candy canes are a favorite at Christmas, and you likely have some to use for decorations. One fun activity is a test to see how a candy cane dissolves in several different liquids. (Note: A liquid has a scientific definition- it has mass and volume, and you can pour it.  Its  molecules move faster than a solid’s and slower than a gas’s.)

When you create a mixture in your experiment, your candy cane is the solute, and your liquid is the solvent.  Because your candy cane is made mostly of sugar, its molecules attract the molecules in a liquid.  If the attraction is strong enough, the sugar molecules separate, leading the candy cane to dissolve. How fast an object like a candy cane dissolves is based on what the solvent is depends not only on the nature of the solvent. 

For some follow-up fun, visit Candy Cane Science: Celebrate the Holidays with Sweet Experiments & Fun Facts

Physics: Design a Christmas Magnet Maze (see Puzzle Christmas)

Use a piece of cardboard to create a Christmas-themed maze with markers.  Use a small round magnet on top of the board as a game piece and a wand magnet under the cardboard to make your magnet move.  Each magnet has a positive end and a negative end that make them attract.  Two negative ends or two positive ends repel. Once your round magnet attracts to the wand magnet, you can move your piece through the maze.

Chemistry: Make Christmas Slime

Using 1 c. Elmer’s glitter glue, 1 tsp. baking soda, and ½ c.  activator like Renu contact lens solution with boric acid and sodium borate, you can create your own Christmas slime to either play with or put in small jars to give as gifts.  (Note: Don’t try to substitute the name brands here- other brands don’t work as well as Renu and Elmer’s.) Optional: Add a peppermint scent or food color.

Botany: Pinecone Science

Gather 3-4 pinecones from outdoors and discover why pinecones open and close.  Test your pinecones by submerging them in water of different temperatures.  Sketch and record your observations.  Which ones opened?  Which closed?  How long did they take in the water?  Did you notice any changes after removing them from the water?  After drying your pinecones, use them to decorate. 

Astronomy: How Did the Wise Men Know?

Read Matthew 2:1-12 about the Magi, or wise men, who saw a star in the east and traveled a long distance to Jerusalem to look for the newborn king. Long before Christ’s birth, when Daniel was taken to Babylon, he became the chief of the wise men. The magi were astrologers who would likely have known of Daniel’s prophecies; they would have been watching for the Star of David and would have known what it signified. What is the difference between astrology and astronomy?  What does the Bible teach about each?

Finish Strong: Give Yourself Grace This Holiday Season!

Science is just one way to make your Christmas season more meaningful.  We hope we have helped jumpstart your thoughts on how to simplify your homeschool and focus on the joy of the season. Don’t forget to grab your Lab Journal to make it easy to document your fun, low-stress learning!

Whatever your plans are, leading up to Christmas, have some fun with your kids in every subject.  Enjoy some non-traditional learning and give your kids — and yourself —  grace and joy that points back to the wonder of what God has done, both in creation and in the gift of His son.  

Happy holiday homeschooling, friend! 🎄

Want More Holiday Homeschool Tips?

We’ve got you covered with these great posts, friend!

• Remembering Christ In A Modern Day Christmas
• Celebrate Christmas with 5 Names of Jesus
• How to Make Light-Up Christmas Cards – A Christmas STEAM Family Activity

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