39 December Science Activities for Preschoolers

Chrismas month is filled with festive cheer, snowfall, and twinkling lights, but isn’t just about holiday celebrations. December is also a perfect time to introduce some Science Activities for Preschoolers and curious preschoolers. 

While the world outside transforms into a winter wonderland, indoors can be a hub of scientific exploration and discovery. From the magic of frosty patterns to the mysteries of winter animals, there’s no end to the wonders of science this season. 

This post is to uncover some delightful December science activities specially tailored for preschoolers. Let’s make this a fun Christmas.

Understanding Science and Preschoolers

Are preschoolers too young for science? With their innate curiosity and eagerness to explore the world, the answer is a resounding “no.” In fact, learning science and interacting with its concepts has notable benefits for your kid’s development. 

Children in preschool thrive with hands-on activities. Engaging their senses through activities, such as making slime or observing changes in the weather, allows them to actively touch, feel, and understand their environment.

At this pivotal stage in their learning journey, introducing science can be instrumental. It not only sets the stage for future academic achievements but also enhances their critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, fine motor skills, and language skills.

Adding science to preschool lessons does more than just teach facts. It helps kids think, feel, play, and interact better. It also boosts their creativity and curiosity, helping them explore and ask questions about the world they see.

Let’s explore some learning activities

Simple December Science Activities for Preschoolers

December offers a festive opportunity to introduce science to your preschoolers. Incorporate holiday and winter themes to make experiments engaging. Dive into simple chemistry activities that teach about reactions, liquids, and solids. Enhance their experience by blending art and sensory play into these science explorations. Here’s how to sprinkle some creative fun into your December science lessons:

1. Christmas Fizzy Painting

Combine baking soda and paint to create a fizzy, colorful reaction. This science activity not only teaches about chemical reactions but also provides an opportunity for sensory play.

2. Grinch Slime

Make green, sparkling slime and stretch it just like the Grinch’s heart. This easy science activity combines Christmas sensory play with chemistry.

3. Magnetic Christmas Sensory Bin

Start with a clear plastic bottle, preferably one that’s been cleaned and dried. Inside, add a mix of magnetic items like paper clips, small metal beads, or tiny toys. 

For a touch of whimsy, consider adding glitter or colored sand. Then fill the bottle with a clear liquid, such as water, baby oil, or glycerin, leaving a bit of air at the top.

Seal the bottle by screwing the lid on tightly, and for added safety, secure it with super glue or a hot glue gun. Once ready, children can use a magnetic wand or strong magnet to move the items inside, observing the fascinating interactions of attraction and repulsion. Always ensure kids are supervised while playing to prevent any accidents or ingestion of small parts.

4. Dancing Jingle Bells

Add bells to carbonated liquid to see what happens. This December Science Activities for Preschoolers teaches about sound waves and provides an opportunity for sensory play.

5. Magic Milk Experiment

Chrismas activities don’t have to be expensive. In fact, you can do some free Christmas activities using things you already have at home.  

Use milk, food coloring, and dish soap to create a colorful reaction. This activity teaches about surface tension and provides an opportunity for artistic expression. It can also be a great introduction to the scientific method for kids.

Combine milk, food coloring, and dish soap to observe a vibrant display of colors swirling and mingling. By adding drops of food coloring to milk and then introducing a touch of dish soap, the colors spread and shift in mesmerizing patterns.

This not only offers a visual treat but also serves as a practical demonstration of surface tension in liquids. The dish soap disrupts the milk’s surface tension, causing the food coloring to move in fascinating ways.

Beyond the scientific aspect, this experiment allows for creativity as participants can experiment with different color combinations and patterns, turning science into a form of art. It’s a hands-on way to understand a scientific principle while also indulging in a bit of artistic play.

6. Christmas Book Science

Combine reading and science with this fun Christmas science experiment. Choose a Christmas science book, such as “The Science of Christmas” by Robin Koontz, and perform the experiments described in the book. Your little ones will love learning about the science behind their favorite holiday traditions!

7. Hibernation Cave

Talk about hibernation and why some animals sleep during winter. Create a “hibernation cave” inside the house or classroom and discuss which animals hibernate.

There are plenty of Christmas Stories that talk about hibernation. For example, tell your child the adventure of “Bobby the Bear” where he prepares for his long winter nap, gathering food and finding the perfect cozy spot.

8. Salt Crystal Christmas Trees

Create a beautiful salt crystal Christmas tree ornament with your preschoolers. This activity is a fun crystal science experiment that works well for younger children. All you need is pipe cleaners, salt, water, and food coloring. Your preschoolers will love watching the crystals grow and seeing their beautiful creations hanging on the tree.

9. Snowflake Science

Explore the science of snowflakes with your preschoolers. You can use a magnifying glass to examine real snowflakes or create your own snowflakes using borax and pipe cleaners. 

Your kid will love learning about the unique shapes of snowflakes and how they are formed.

10. Melting Snowmen

Create a melting snowman experiment with your preschoolers. All you need is baking soda, vinegar, and some snowman decorations like buttons and carrot noses. Your kid will love watching their snowmen melt and learning about the science behind the reaction between baking soda and vinegar.

11. Hot Chocolate Science

Explore the science of hot chocolate. You can experiment with different temperatures and ingredients to see how they affect the taste and texture of the hot chocolate. Your child will love sipping on their creations and learning about the science of cooking.

12. Christmas Light Circuits

Create a Christmas light circuit with your preschoolers. You can use LED lights, batteries, and conductive tape to create a simple circuit that lights up a Christmas tree or other decoration. Learning about the science of electricity and seeing their creations light up can be super fun for kids

These December science activities are a great way to keep your preschoolers engaged and learning during the holiday season. Try one or all of them with your little ones and have fun exploring science together!

Christmas Science Experiments

Introducing children to chemistry can be a fun and exciting learning experience. Here are some easy and safe chemistry experiments that you can do with your preschoolers this December:

13. Candy Cane Oobleck

Oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid that is both a solid and a liquid. Making candy cane oobleck is a fun way to introduce your preschoolers to the concept of non-Newtonian fluids and chemical reactions. To make candy cane oobleck, mix cornstarch, water, and crushed candy canes. The texture and the sweet peppermint smell its awesome.

14. Peppermint Oobleck

Another fun oobleck recipe to try with your preschoolers is peppermint oobleck. Mix cornstarch, water, and peppermint extract to create a fun and fragrant sensory experience. They’ll love the way the oobleck feels and smells.

15. Christmas Lava Lamp

A lava lamp is a classic science experiment that your preschoolers will love. To make a Christmas lava lamp, fill a clear bottle with water and vegetable oil. Add a few drops of food coloring and some glitter. Then, add an Alka-Seltzer tablet and watch as the chemical reaction creates a mesmerizing lava lamp effect.

Physics Experiments for Preschoolers

Introducing physics to preschoolers can be a lot of fun and a great way to get them interested in science. Here are some simple physics experiments for preschoolers that you can try at home or in the classroom:

16. Sink or Float

One of the easiest physics experiments for preschoolers is the classic sink or float experiment. All you need is a container of water and various objects to test. Have your preschooler predict whether each object will sink or float, then test it out. This experiment is a great way to introduce the concept of buoyancy.

17. Magnetism

Preschoolers love magnets, and there are plenty of simple magnetism experiments you can try. For example, you can give your preschooler a magnet and various objects to test whether they are magnetic or not. You can also make a simple magnet maze by placing a magnet under a piece of paper and moving another magnet on top of the paper to guide a metal object through the maze.

18. Dancing Jingle Bells

Another fun physics experiment for preschoolers is the dancing jingle bells experiment. All you need is a container of carbonated water and some jingle bells. Drop the jingle bells into the water and watch them dance around. This experiment is a great way to introduce the concept of carbonation and how it affects objects in water.

Fun with Snow Science

Winter is the perfect time to explore science with your preschooler, and what better way to do that than with snow? Here are some fun snow science activities that you and your little one can enjoy together:

19. Snow Painting

Mix food coloring with water and put it in a spray bottle. Then, head outside and let your child use the spray bottle to paint the snow. This is a fun way to explore color mixing and make beautiful snow art.

20. Snow Volcano

Build a small snowman and then create a volcano shape around it using snow. Mix baking soda and vinegar together in a cup and pour it over the snow volcano to create a fun eruption. This experiment is a great way to teach your child about chemical reactions.

21. Ice Ornaments

Fill small containers with water and add food coloring or small objects like leaves or berries. Then, place a string in the container and put it outside to freeze. Once the water is frozen, remove the ice from the container and hang it up outside. This is a fun way to explore freezing and melting.

22. Snowball Science

 Help your child build a snowball and then weigh it on a kitchen scale. Then, bring the snowball inside and let it melt. Weigh the water that is left over and compare it to the weight of the snowball. This is a great way to teach your child about the properties of water and to explore measurement.

Math and Engineering in December Science Activities

Blending math and engineering into December science tasks offers a fun and instructive experience for preschoolers. Counting, measuring, and building activities not only foster key skills but also provide tactile learning.

For a math-centric exercise, let kids count and categorize festive items like candy canes or ornaments. This enhances counting abilities and introduces sorting principles. Another activity could involve measuring holiday decorations, like comparing a Christmas tree’s height to a wreath’s width.

Introduce engineering by setting up stem activities. Kids can design festive structures using popsicle sticks or marshmallows and toothpicks, promoting problem-solving and fundamental engineering understanding. Here are more ideas:

23. Snowflake Symmetry

Have children study real or craft snowflakes to identify lines of symmetry. Using paper or craft sticks, let kids recreate these snowflakes, emphasizing balance and symmetry.

24. Gift Box Geometry

Use empty gift boxes to discuss shapes, sizes, and volume. Measure the dimensions and discuss which box can hold more or less. Then, challenge children to design a new gift box using cardstock, considering strength and stability.

25. Candy Cane Count

Use candy canes for counting exercises. Group them in sets of twos, fives, or tens to introduce skip counting. Construct shapes or letters using candy canes, discussing which structures are more stable and why.

26. Ornament Sorting

Sort ornaments by color, size, or type. Create a graph or chart showcasing the results. Design a unique ornament holder or stand using everyday materials.

27. Snowman Measurements

Build snowmen of varying sizes (if snow is available, or use white craft balls or clay). Measure height, and circumference, and discuss order by size. Consider which parts should be heavier/lighter or bigger/smaller to make the snowman stable.

28. Gingerbread House Blueprints

Plan out a gingerbread house on paper, measuring and drawing its dimensions. Calculate area and perimeter. Build the gingerbread house, thinking about load-bearing walls, roof angles, and overall stability.

29. Holiday Catapult

Use a mini catapult to launch small objects (like pom-poms). Measure distances and angles for launching. Build the catapult using popsicle sticks, rubber bands, and a spoon. Discuss the principles of tension and leverage.

Other Simple Christmas Science activities 

Discover even more December Science Activities for Preschoolers

30. Santa’s Milk and Cookies Experiment

What happens when you mix milk and cookies? With this experiment, your little ones can observe how the milk changes color and texture when cookies are added. Simply pour a small amount of milk into a shallow dish, add a cookie, and watch the magic happen!

31. Reindeer Food Science

Do your kids love leaving out food for Santa’s reindeer? Turn it into a science experiment by observing how different types of food affect the reindeer’s digestion. Try leaving out carrots, oats, and apples, and see which one disappears first!

32. Christmas Tree Slime

Slime is always a hit with kids, and this Christmas tree slime is no exception! Mix together green glitter glue, liquid starch, and small Christmas tree ornaments to create a slimy, sparkly, holiday-themed concoction.

33. Grow Your Own Christmas Tree

Want to teach your kids about plant growth? Try growing your own Christmas tree! You can purchase a grow-your-own Christmas tree kit or make your own by cutting a sponge into the shape of a tree and adding water and fertilizer.

34. Christmas Book Science

Combine reading and science with this fun experiment. Choose a Christmas book with a science theme, such as “The Science of Christmas” by Robin Koontz, and perform the experiments described in the book. Your little ones will love learning about the science behind their favorite holiday traditions!

Edible Science Experiments

Preschoolers love exploring science with their senses, and what better way to do that than with edible experiments? Here are a few ideas to try with your little ones:

35. Dissolving Candy Canes

Fill a jar with warm water and drop in a few candy canes. Watch as they dissolve and create a colorful peppermint water. You can even add some food coloring to make it even more vibrant. Ask your preschooler what they notice happening to the candy canes and the water.

36. Peppermint Water Science

Use the peppermint water from the previous experiment to explore density. Fill a few jars with peppermint water and add different amounts of sugar or salt to each jar. Watch as the sugar or salt sinks or floats depending on its density. You can also add different objects, like grapes or raisins, to see if they sink or float.

37. Candy Cane Science

Crush up some candy canes and use them to make peppermint playdough or slime. Mix together equal parts of cornstarch and water, then add in the crushed candy canes. Knead the mixture until it becomes a dough or slime consistency. Ask your preschoolers what they notice happening to the candy canes as they mix them with the other ingredients.

38. Christmas Coloring Pages

Coloring pages is a great way to keep little hands busy while also reinforcing science concepts. You can find free printable coloring pages that feature Christmas themes such as snowflakes, reindeer, and Christmas trees. Encourage your preschoolers to use different colors and talk about the science behind the colors they choose.

39. Christmas Science Worksheets

There are a variety of Christmas science worksheets available online that cover topics such as the water cycle, the five senses, and the properties of matter. These worksheets are a great way to reinforce science concepts and help preschoolers develop their critical thinking skills.

40. Christmas Word Search Puzzles

Word search puzzles are a fun way to reinforce literacy skills while also incorporating Christmas themes. You can find free printable Christmas word search puzzles that feature words related to science topics such as weather, animals, and the environment.

Last Thoughts

Great job! You’ve got a collection of December science activities ready for your preschoolers. Whether it’s dissolving candy canes or crafting snowflake ornaments, these experiments will captivate and introduce them to the wonders of science. Always supervise, encourage curiosity, and relate the activities to winter and holiday themes. Feel free to tweak as per your child’s interests, and most importantly, enjoy these scientific adventures together!