What better time than Christmas and the Holidays to mix science, creativity, and fun with learning? That's just what these extraordinary science teachers have done! Check out these six Christmas science experiments that junior high and high school teachers love. From making ornaments and a "Chemistree" to exploring the science of snow and growing polar bears, these classroom-tested, holiday-themed science activities are proven to engage your students while bringing cheer to your science classroom this winter. Are you ready to get festive with science this December? Continue reading to learn more about Christmas science experiments you can do now with your junior high and high school students.
Get Festive with Science Winter Holiday Stations
Ana says, "The holiday season is the perfect time to bring a little extra excitement into the science classroom, and these Science Winter Holiday Stations, from Science Is Real, are a great way to do just that.
With six interactive and festive stations, students get hands-on experience exploring topics like biology, chemistry, and earth science while staying engaged with holiday-themed activities. From debating the environmental impact of real vs. artificial Christmas trees to creating snowflakes and exploring diffusion with mystery scents, these stations make learning fun, meaningful, and festive!
Each station focuses on a different science concept, encouraging critical thinking and problem-solving through activities that combine reading, experiments, and reflection. For example, students simulate how polar bears stay warm in icy water, graph daylight hours to understand the winter solstice, and identify symbiotic relationships in holiday-themed scenarios like mistletoe and trees.
These activities are not only engaging but also provide opportunities for students to practice essential skills like graphing, CER writing, and analyzing data.
These holiday stations provide a memorable and cheerful way to end the semester, leaving students excited about science and ready to enjoy the season. Head on over to Science Is Real to check them out!
Create Milk Plastic Ornaments and Add Sustainability to Christmas Science Experiments
Jessica from Science of Curiosity makes biodegradable milk plastic ornaments with her students. In this fun Christmas science activity, students add heat and vinegar to whole milk, causing it to curdle.
The objective is to show how heat and acid work to denature proteins, forming a solid mass - a type of biodegradable plastic! Students then get to color and mold their milk plastic into ornaments that can hang on the classroom Christmas tree!
The materials are simple: whole milk, vinegar, a glass beaker, a hot plate, a thermometer, cheesecloth, and optional items like food coloring and cookie cutters.
The procedure begins by heating 1 cup of whole milk in a beaker until it reaches a warm temperature (50-60°C). Once heated, 4 tablespoons of white vinegar are gradually added while swirling, causing the milk to curdle and separate into curds and whey. The mixture is then strained to remove the liquid whey, leaving behind the curds.
Students gather the curds, adding food coloring (and glitter if you are brave!). They can mold the plastic or press into small cookie cutters. The milk plastic needs to dry for at least 48 hours to harden before putting on the classroom tree!
Download the free resource at Science of Curiosity, with full instructions and a lab question sheet for this activity!
Grow Polar Bears this Holiday Season
Emma from Emma the Teachie tells the truth when she says, "The holidays wouldn't be complete without the imagery of sweater-wearing penguins, ice-skating polar bears, and red-nosed reindeer!" That's why she likes to link osmosis with polar bears, by "growing a polar bear".
Yes, it's a little tenuous, but we have to do what we can to make osmosis more interesting! And if there are leftover gummy bears, we know what will happen to those…!
For this holiday science activity, students will be placing their gummy bears in two different solutions - distilled water, and salt water. First, have students measure the mass and length of two gummy bears. Record this in a table. Then, have the students place their gummy bears in each cup and leave them overnight. During the next class period, have students remove their bears, pat them dry with paper towels, and remeasure the mass and length. They can draw a graph of their results.
Discuss what has happened - in which solution did the "polar bear" grow? Why? Students love seeing the results, and are amazed at how the gummy bears are practically transparent! Do you want to know more about this lab? Emma shares details on this and other winter science lessons over on her blog.
Combine Classroom Decor with Christmas Science Experiments
You can also make a class "Chemistree" with element ornaments! Michelle from Secondary Sparks mixes a little classroom decor with the periodic table by creating a class "Chemistree!"
Whether you decide to get your own classroom Christmas tree, create a festive bulletin board or just decorate the hallway, these element ornaments are something Michelle's students have loved making for years!
First, each student picks an element ornament. There is one ornament template for most of the elements on the periodic table so it's rare that two students have the same element. Then, students will research their element. They will identify its state of matter, whether it's a metal, nonmetal or metalloid and its uses in everyday life. After they research, they decorate!
Once the students complete the ornament, you can laminate them, hole punch them and add some holiday-themed string or ribbon to make it an ornament. The best part is watching them put it on the tree! Even the 8th graders get so excited to add theirs!
Want to do this activity with your students? Grab the element ornaments freebie activity here!
Explore Snowflakes as a Christmas Science Activity
Laney from Laney Lee Science suggests getting kids excited about winter science with a fascinating look at snowflakes! This activity dives into how snowflakes form, their intricate structures, and the different types that exist.
Through a guided reading, kids learn that snowflakes start with tiny ice crystals in clouds, growing into beautiful, symmetrical shapes as they attract more water vapor. The conditions in the atmosphere, like temperature and humidity, affect their final form, creating a variety of shapes—from delicate dendrites to sturdy columns and thin plates. To help reinforce what they've learned, kids can complete a matching activity at the end. This hands-on task includes matching snowflake types and structures to their descriptions or images, encouraging them to recall details from the reading.
It's a fun and interactive way to check for understanding, making science memorable and accessible. Kids will love learning about how these unique snowflakes come to be, especially when they can apply their new knowledge in a creative way. It's a wonderful holiday-themed science lesson that brings the wonder of winter indoors!
Get the activity from Laney Science here.
Christmas Science Experiments for Any Lesson Plan
Finally, for junior high and high school science teachers, one fun and engaging activity to add to your lesson plan is to have students design and make Christmas tree ornaments that model the scientific concepts they're currently studying. Whether you're teaching anatomy, biology, chemistry, environmental science, or physical science, you can combine your lesson with this hands-on, festive activity, making the Christmas season a little more educational—and a lot more fun! Simply develop and use a model. But, make that model a Christmas ornament! Check out the ideas for Christmas tree ornament models below:
Anatomy
Shrinky Dink skeletons with bones labeled
Parts of the brain illustrations with labels
Flow through the heart models using Sharpies and Gel pens
Biology
DNA double helix models using recycled materials
Food chain models with Dollar Tree toys
Cell models using plastic fillable ornaments
Chemistry
Borax crystal snowflake models
Atomic models using craft supplies
Lewis structures with tiles and toothpicks
Environmental Science
Reduce, reuse, and recycle tiny poster model
Globe ornaments using styrofoam spheres
Terrestrial and aquatic biomes models
Physical Science
Newton's laws labeled diagrams
Periodic table tiles using construction papers and craft supplies
Free-body diagrams models
We could go on and on forever with Christmas science experiment ideas! But, we want you to share yours. What are your favorite science holiday activities?
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