The Best Winter Science Experiments

Winter is a great time of year to try some science at home. There are lots of fantastic ice and snow themed experiments that don’t require any special materials and are brilliant fun as well as educational. I’ve pulled together a collection of what we think are the best winter science experiments for kids including a free checklist you can download at the bottom of the post.

I also have lots of Winter STEM Challenges you might like to try.

My FREE winter science eBook is a great place to start with easy to follow instructions for five winter science investigations.

The Best Winter Science Experiments

Snow Volcano

First up is a snow volcano. Volcanos are always great fun and if you can manage one outside they are almost mess free and the lava looks brilliant against the white snow. Try making different colours of lava using food colouring and experiment to find the best lava recipe!

Ice and Salt Investigation

Melting ice is always fun. Try making an ice excavation for younger children, paint on ice, or set up an ice and salt experiment for older kids.

Frozen Bubble

It needs to be extremely cold to make a frozen bubble, but if you do get a cold day this is definitely worth a go. Fireflies and Mudpies shows you how its done.

Frost on a Can

We love this ice and salt investigation, and it’s even more fun if you turn the can into a frosty snowman!

Polar Animals

Find out how polar bears and penguins stay warm in extreme temperatures using lard!

Snowman Catapult

Lolly stick catapults are easy to make and lead to lots of investigative opportunities. Make different size catapults, catapult different materials and investigate to see how far different objects fly. I made this catapult snowman themed, but you can change the theme for any topic or time of year.

Ice Decorations

Ice decorations are lovely to hang off a tree in winter. Fill them with nature items or even small plastic toys.

Pretend Snow

Fake snow is great for all kinds of sensory play and activities. I made three different types, so have a go and choose your favourite.

Lift Ice with String

Freeze some water, put the ice into a bowl and pour a little water over the top. Place string on the surface of the ice and sprinkle with salt. Leave for a few minutes and then gently try to lift the string. How many ice cubes can you lift?

The best winter science experiment checklist!

Download our winter science experiment checklist and try them all!

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