These Christmas STEM activities for 5th grade are sure to engage even the most reluctant 5th grader and spark a love of science!
If you are a 5th grade teacher, elementary STEM teacher or parent/caregiver of a 5th grader, try these super fun holiday STEM activities aimed at a 5th-grade level.
And best of all, many of these activities 5th graders can do alone!
If you like these holiday STEAM activities, you’ll also want to check out all our Christmas STEM activities, Christmas science experiments, and Christmas Chemistry experiments!
We even have a list of Christmas science you can do in jars!
Christmas STEM Activities for 5th Grade
We’ll get to the Christmas STEM activities for 5th grade in a bit, but first, read about why it’s important to do STEM activities in 5th grade, and make sure you have all the supplies you need for your STEM projects!
The Benefits of Christmas Experiments in Elementary
Elementary school is the ideal time to establish a firm love of science and STEM in children before the focus is placed so much on tests and performance.
Science, in general, should not have “right” or “wrong” answers, but the way that our testing system is set up, we do have that format for science lessons in older grades.
But kids are more likely to see the benefit of a more structured science style if they have been introduced to the fun and interesting side of STEM as young kids.
Kids introduced to hands-on science are much more likely to like science as they get older and earn STEM-related degrees.
Learning to think like a scientist is also something that kids can take with them in any career, and is one of the most important parts of STEM education.
The benefits of a firm understanding of science from the early years cannot be overstated!
Supplies for Christmas STEM Challenges for 5th Grade
Shop the list below to make sure you have everything you need for your 2nd grade holiday STEM activities!
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The Mason Jar Scientist: 30 Jarring STEAM-Based ProjectsBall Regular Mouth Mason Jars with Lids and Bands, 16-Ounces (4-Pack)Crisco Pure Vegetable Oil, 32 OunceBarbasol Soothing Aloe Thick & Rich Shaving Cream 10 Oz (2 Pack)Alka-Seltzer PFY BXAS50 80659297 Antacid and Pain Relief Medicine, Two-Pack (Pack of 50)Kadaon 10X Handheld Magnifier Antique Mahogany Handle Magnifier Reading Magnifying Glass for Reading Book, Inspection, Coins, Insects, Rocks, Map, Crossword PuzzleBORAX 20 Mule Team Laundry Booster, Powder, 4 PoundsFine Ground Celtic Sea Salt – (1) 16 Ounce Resealable Bag of Nutritious, Classic Sea Salt, Great for Cooking, Baking, Pickling, Finishing and More, Pantry-Friendly, Gluten-FreeMcCormick Assorted Food Color, 1 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)Food Coloring – 12 Color Vibrant Cake Food Coloring Set for Baking, Decorating, Fondant and Cooking – Upgraded Liquid Concentrated Icing Food Color Dye for Slime Making, DIY Crafts – .25 fl. oz. Each30% Pure Vinegar – Home&Garden (1 Gallon)Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda, 5 lbArgo Corn Starch 16 oz. Box (Pack of 4)
Christmas STEM Activities for Fifth Grade
Click on your favorite STEM activity below to get the full directions for that activity.
Christmas Science Experiments for 5th Grade
5th graders love science, and the holiday season is a fun time to add in a bit of holiday flair to science class!
Make your own Bubble Christmas lights and explore the science of chemical reactions.
5th graders will have fun doing this Salt Crystal Candy Cane Science Experiment!
Make gingerbread ornaments and learn about the science behind baking and cooking during the holiday season.
Watch the video below to learn how to make fizzing snowflakes!
Learn about crystal formation when you make borax snowflakes.
5th Grade Christmas Technology Activities
5th graders are able to start learning about technology and applying technology to STEM activities. These holiday ones are extra fun!
5th graders can learn about how plastic is formed when they make this Santa Slime Recipe.
Static elctricity is everywhere! Learn about it and electricity production with this Easy Static Electricity Experiment with a Balloon.
5th graders can learn how computers talk when they make Binary Christmas ornaments.
This Laminar Science Experiment is a fun twist on the classic laminar science activity!
Fifth Grade Christmas Engineering Activities
Christmas engineering activities are super fun in 5th grade. There are so many ways to explore building and learning with these holiday STEM activities.
Build a 3D Christmas tree!
5th graders will enjoy this Santa’s Sleigh STEM Challenge.
Learn about the design process when your 5th graders complete the Christmas hat engineering challenge.
Learn about paper manuracturing and design printing in the Design Your Own Wrapping Paper activity.
5th graders will love this twist on a classic: Don’t Break the Presents Egg Drop Challenge!
Christmas Math Activities for Fifth Grade
Math isn’t everyone’s favorite, but these Christmas and holiday math challenges are fun for even the most reluctant math learner!
Calculate How Many Kids Can Santa Visit!
These Holiday math task cards are a fun way for 5th graders to explore holiday-themed math alone.
Ratios are more fun when they are Christmas cookie ratios.
5th graders are not too young to learn about money! Try this fun Christmas budgeting challenge.
Christmas STEM Activities by Grade
Christmas STEM Activities for Preschool
Christmas STEM Activities for Kindergarten
Christmas STEM Activities for 1st Grade
Christmas STEM Activities for 2nd Grade
Christmas STEM Activities for 3rd Grade