Winter Break Activities to Keep Kids Engaged
December 27, 2020 Leave a Comment
Are the kiddos in your life on winter break from school this week? Keep them engaged and having fun with these activities!
From interactive games, crafts, recipes, and engaging videos — PBS Wisconsin has a variety of resources for all PreK-12 learners! Explore a curated list of activities below.
PBS KIDS
Children can watch their favorite PBS KIDS characters anytime and anywhere on the PBS Wisconsin 24/7 KIDS channel (PBS Wisconsin-4), online or on the free PBS KIDS Video app! They can then play games with the same characters with the free PBS KIDS Games app. Do you prefer a more structured approach to finding activities? Print the Daily Activity Calendar and complete the PBS KIDS activity for the day!
Jo Wilder and the Capitol Case
In this interactive game, kids will engage in critical thinking and historical inquiry. As the game plot unfolds, players come across primary source materials and use the same process as real historians to solve mysteries about artifacts from Wisconsin’s history and use evidence to prove their case. Recommended for children in grades 3-5.
Cook Up Some Edible Slime
Explore the properties of different ingredients and how they can transform while creating tasty — and safe — edible slime.
Bake Gingerbread Letters
It’s time to take the ABCs to the k-i-t-c-h-e-n! Make gingerbread cookies in the shape of the alphabet with this simply delicious activity. Feeling creative? Make shapes, characters or designs of your own choosing! Look around your home for things to use to cut out or use as inspiration for the cookies.
Craft a Pine Cone Rabbit
Just like Nature Cat, become a Backyard Explorer Extraordinaire! In this activity, create a woodland creature — like Daisy the Bunny — out of a material easily found in nature: a pine cone.
Explore Gravity With Marble Runs
Bring the excitement of an amusement park into your home by building a marble roller coaster. The motion of marbles as they roll down ramps is a great way to learn about the pushes and pulls that cause objects to move. In this activity, children will create different tracks for a marble as they experiment with the forces of friction and gravity!
It’s Okay to be Smart
Older youth will learn the scientific answer to questions such as “Why are we ticklish?” and “Why is ice so slippery?” with PBS Digital Studios’ series of short videos called It’s Okay to be Smart. Does your child have their own question they’d like answered? Encourage them to write a question, research the answer, and make a short video about their findings to share with others!
PBS Kids Jo Wilder and the Capitol Case Crafts for Kids Crafts It's Okay to be Smart Kids Activities