Downhill Skiing Winter Games STEM Challenge 2026 Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd

Perfect for the Winter Olympics 2026.

Bring the excitement of the Winter Games into your classroom with this Skiing Winter Games STEM challenge for Kindergarten, 1st Grade, and 2nd Grade.

In this hands-on skiing STEM activity for K–2, students build a skier on popsicle-stick skis and test how different surfaces affect how far the skier slides.

Perfect for January/February STEM lessons, Winter Olympics units, or primary science centers, this low-prep challenge introduces friction, motion, and the engineering design process in a kid-friendly way.

What Students Do

• Learn skiing vocabulary like slopes, poles, downhill, and friction using illustrated vocabulary cards.
• Read or discuss “How Skiing Works” to see how skiers use skis, balance, and turns to move down snowy hills.
• Engineer a skiing racer by attaching a skier printable to popsicle-stick skis.
• Test their skier on three different surfaces—wax paper, regular paper, and foil—to see which has the least friction and lets the skier slide farthest.
• Record data on a simple chart, make predictions, and answer reflection questions about what they noticed.
• Extend learning with the “What Is Skiing?” informational text, multiple-choice comprehension questions, and “What I Know About Skiing” writing pages.

What’s Included

• Teacher instructions with materials list, ramp setup, and testing directions, plus tips for productive STEM struggle and redesign.
• Color and blackline Engineering Design Process posters with guiding questions (Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Test, Improve, Share).
• Makerspace consumables list to help stock your STEM area with simple classroom and recycled materials.
• Illustrated vocabulary cards and “How Skiing Works” posters in color and blackline.
• Skier printables for attaching to skis, the Test Your Skier recording sheet, and differentiated “What I Know About Skiing” writing templates.
• Global Journey of Winter Games pages that show where the Games have been held around the world, connecting STEM to real-world events.

Why Teachers Love It

• High-interest Winter Games STEM challenge designed specifically for primary students.
• Uses simple, low-cost materials and is easy to run in whole-group lessons, small groups, or STEM centers.
• Integrates science (friction & motion), engineering, reading, and writing in one engaging activity.
• Encourages curiosity, collaboration, and perseverance as students test, compare, and explain their skiing results.