Holidays Archives - Secondary Sparks https://secondarysparks.com/tag/holidays/ A Teaching Blog Thu, 06 Nov 2025 16:44:35 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://secondarysparks.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cropped-SubmarkLogo-Final-32x32.png Holidays Archives - Secondary Sparks https://secondarysparks.com/tag/holidays/ 32 32 189191481 Thanksgiving Science Activities Your Students Will Gobble Up https://secondarysparks.com/thanksgiving-science-activities-your-students-will-gobble-up/ https://secondarysparks.com/thanksgiving-science-activities-your-students-will-gobble-up/#respond Thu, 06 Nov 2025 16:44:35 +0000 https://secondarysparks.com/?p=6990 Thanksgiving science activities are a game-changer before break! These hands-on, low-prep activities keep students curious, calm, and learning right up to the holiday. Turn that pre-break energy into meaningful science exploration while hitting key standards in a fun, memorable way.

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Thanksgiving break is just around the corner and I can almost taste it! I’m sure you’re feeling it too. Students are buzzing about turkey, pie, a few days off, and maybe you’re dreaming of the same things…plus a little quiet in your classroom. 

Before everyone heads out the door, I like to squeeze in a few days of review with one of my favorite activities: stations. Thanksgiving science activities are a great way to let students explore key concepts through hands-on, festive activities. 

Keep reading  for creative Thanksgiving science activities that cover physical, life, and earth science so you can keep your students engaged, curious, and learning right until the break.

Turn pre-break chaos into curiosity

Skip the scramble for last-minute plans and give your students something meaningful and fun. These Thanksgiving Science Stations bring physical, life, and Earth science together with minimal prep and maximum engagement.

Grab your Thanksgiving Science Stations

Why Thanksgiving Science Activities are a game-changer before break

Thanksgiving science stations turn pre-break chaos into curiosity

The week before Thanksgiving can feel like herding turkeys. Everyone’s distracted and motivation is at an all time low. Thanksgiving science stations let you harness that excitement instead of fighting it. 

When students are investigating how heat transfers through pie crust or why pumpkins decompose, they’re having fun and learning meaningful science content.

Thanksgiving science activities for middle school

Get students learning by doing

Thanksgiving science stations give students something to touch, test, and explore. When students are active participants in their learning, they retain the content longer because they’re experiencing it instead of just reading about it. Plus, the excitement of hands-on discovery helps keep even the most distracted pre-break learners focused and engaged. It’s a win for them and a win for you.

Keep prep easy so you can focus on the fun

We’ve all been there. It’s Sunday night, your to-do list is a mile long, and the last thing you want to prep for the week is a project that needs twenty different materials and a glue gun. 

That’s where Thanksgiving science activities save the day. They’re quick to prep, easy to run, and use materials you already have on hand. 

Grab a few thermometers, cups, and maybe even a leftover pumpkin, and you’ll be  ready to go. It’s the kind of activity that makes the week before break feel manageable and even fun.

Hit multiple science standards in one fun day

Between labs, assessments, and classroom parties, time is limited this season. Thanksgiving science stations let you cover key topics from life, earth, and physical science all at once. You can review concepts you’ve already taught or preview ones that are coming up.

Explore these Thanksgiving science stations!

Here’s a peek inside my Thanksgiving Science Stations resource so you can see what your students will be up to and how much learning they’ll squeeze in before that first slice of pie.

Thanksgiving Physical Science Stations

If your students light up at the mention of food or football, these physical science Thanksgiving stations will be their jam (or should I say cranberry sauce?). These quick, hands-on activities help students connect abstract concepts to real-world moments they already love like cooking, eating, and cheering on their favorite team. 

Here’s what’s included in the physical science section:

  • Explore heat transfer with Thanksgiving foods! From roasting a turkey to crisping a pie crust, students can identify examples of conduction, convection, and radiation in action. These familiar food scenarios make an abstract concept feel real and delicious!
Thanksgiving stations for middle schoolers.
Get the Thanksgiving Stations
  • Test pumpkin spice in a solubility showdown. Students compare how fast pumpkin spice dissolves in hot versus cold water to explore how temperature affects solubility. Your classroom will smell amazing and students can get hands-on experience with variables, data collection, and observations.
  • Connect Newton’s Laws to football season. Because Thanksgiving isn’t complete without a little football! Students will apply Newton’s three laws of motion to the game from kickoff to tackles. It’s an easy way to make physics relatable and seasonal.

Thanksgiving Life Science Stations

Have you ever stopped to think about how much life science hides in your Thanksgiving meal? From turkeys and cranberries to the plants that make up your sides, there’s science in every bite! These life science Thanksgiving stations help students uncover these connections and see how living things rely on one another. 

Try these life science Thanksgiving science activities:

  • Investigate how turkeys survive and thrive. Students can explore turkey adaptions like how feathers, beaks, and feet help them survive in the wild and even how males show off to attract mates. Expect laughter and maybe even some strutting demonstrations. 
  • See how bees and cranberries depend on each other. In this symbiosis investigation, students learn about the mutualistic relationship between bees and cranberry plants and what happens if that balance is disrupted. It’s a perfect tie-in for ecosystems, pollination, and interdependence.
  • Zoom in on plant cells under the microscope. With this onion cell lab, students identify structures that make plant cells unique. It’s a simple, but effective refresher on microscope use and cell structure.

These stations help students appreciate how much life science shows up on their Thanksgiving table, and how every living thing, from turkeys to cranberries, has its own role to play in this holiday’s story.

Thanksgiving Earth and Space Science Stations

Thanksgiving might be all about what’s on the table, but Earth and Space Science helps students dig into what’s happening around it. From the changing seasons to the natural cycles that keep our planet in balance. These Thanksgiving-themed stations help students connect classroom concepts to the world outside their window.

Try these Earth and Space Science Thanksgiving activities:

Thanksgiving middle school science activities
Spice Up Your Science Class
  • Explore the decomposition of a pumpkin. What happens after the jack-o-lantern glow fades? Students observe how pumpkins decompose over time, analyzing the role of decomposers and how temperature and moisture speed up or slow down the process. 
  • Discover how Earth’s tilt and orbit shape the fall season. Shorter days, cooler weather, and colorful leaves all rely on the Earth’s tilt! Students can model the Earth-Moon-Sun system to see how Earth’s position causes seasonal changes and why the Northern Hemisphere gets that cozy autumn glow this time of year.
  • Trace Thanksgiving foods through the carbon cycle. From photosynthesis in corn to CO₂ released during cooking, students explore how Thanksgiving dinner connects to the carbon cycle. It’s a fun way to show how human activity and natural processes intertwine.

These stations help students notice how Earth and Space Science shows up all around them. In pumpkins on the porch, the colorful leaves outside, and even the journey of their Thanksgiving food from farm to table.

How to run Thanksgiving Science Stations

Imagine students moving from one station to the next, interactive notebooks in hand, eyes wide with discovery, while outside the leaves fall and the Thanksgiving countdown ticks away. That’s the magic of science stations in action.

With a little planning, you can channel all of this holiday excitement into a routine that’s organized, hands-on, and full of learning opportunities.

  • Set up 6–8 stations around the classroom.
    Mix up physical, life, and Earth/space science activities so students rotate through different types of investigations.
  • Give students 8–10 minutes at each station.
    That’s enough time for exploration without losing momentum, and just enough to make them feel accomplished and grateful for their own learning.
  • Provide a recording sheet.
    This keeps students accountable, helps them reflect on what they’re learning, and gives you a snapshot of who might need a little extra support.
  • Wrap up with a discussion or exit ticket. Take 5–10 minutes at the end to tie everything together. Students can share observations, ask questions, and connect what they learned back to bigger science concepts.

I’ve found that stations like these make learning interactive and memorable which is why I love using science stations in my middle school science classroom all year long.

Make This Thanksgiving a Season for Science

Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude and good food, but it can also be a time for curiosity and discovery. Thanksgiving science stations give your students a chance to explore, experiment, and connect what they’re learning in the classroom to the world around them, all while celebrating the season.

By turning the energy of pre-holiday excitement into hands-on learning, you’ll see students engaged, laughing, and maybe even strutting a little like a proud turkey after their discoveries. From the heat of the oven to the crunch of autumn leaves underfoot, science is everywhere, and these stations help middle school science students notice it.

Here’s to a classroom full of discoveries and a holiday season as sweet as your students’ favorite pie!

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]]> https://secondarysparks.com/thanksgiving-science-activities-your-students-will-gobble-up/feed/ 0 6990 Holiday Science Activities Your Middle School Students Will Love https://secondarysparks.com/holiday-science-activities-your-middle-school-students-will-love/ https://secondarysparks.com/holiday-science-activities-your-middle-school-students-will-love/#respond Thu, 06 Nov 2025 16:44:11 +0000 https://secondarysparks.com/?p=7031 Holiday science activities are the perfect way to keep your middle schoolers engaged when excitement is high and focus is fading. These hands-on, standards-based stations mix seasonal fun with meaningful learning, so your students can explore, experiment, and celebrate all at once.

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Holiday science activities are one of my favorite ways to keep students engaged when the energy in the classroom hits an all-time high. The holidays bring a special kind of buzz to middle school. Part excitement, part chaos, and a whole lot of sugar. 

I’ve been there. Standing at the front of the room, trying to talk about energy transfer while my students are literally buzzing with it. Between concerts, assemblies, and countdowns to break, keeping students focused can feel like a lost cause. 

But here’s the thing: you don’t have to choose between celebrating the season and sticking to your curriculum. With the right activities, you can channel all that holiday energy into meaningful learning. In fact, some of my favorite lessons of the year happen during the holiday season! 

Let’s dive into a few of my favorite holiday science activities that keep the learning merry and bright.

Holiday Science Activities for Every Season

Engage your middle schoolers with differentiated, standards-based holiday science activities from Halloween to Summer Break and everything in between.

Download the Holiday Science Activities Bundle

You can still celebrate the holidays even in your middle school science classroom!

I used to think holiday-themed lessons were just for elementary school. But then I tried a simple pumpkin experiment one October and my eighth graders were hooked. They were hypothesizing, collecting data, and arguing over variables all while surrounded by tiny pumpkins! 

It hit me that these holiday moments aren’t “fluff,” they’re a spark that keeps students engaged during one of the toughest times to teach.

Why bring the holidays into your science classroom?

  • Builds excitement and motivation when attention spans are short
  • Connects science concepts to real-world traditions and seasonal changes
  • Encourages spiral review across life, earth, and physical science
  • Adds creativity without sacrificing instructional time
Bring a Little Luck to Your Science Lessons

When learning feels festive, students are more likely to buy in,  and that’s the key to keeping momentum strong all the way to winter break.

3 ways to bring the holidays into your science classroom

1. Holiday Science Stations

One of my favorite ways to celebrate the season is through holiday science stations. These are hands-on, high-engagement activities that transform seasonal excitement into meaningful learning. Each set includes tasks across life, physical, and earth/space science, so students continually revisit big ideas while having fun.

Holiday science activities for Valentine's Day in middle school.
Download the Valentine's Stations

During Thanksgiving, my classroom smells faintly like pumpkin spice because we’re testing chemical reactions with baking soda and vinegar inside mini pumpkins. 

In December, we shift to exploring thermal energy with snow (or ice if you’re in Florida like me). 

By Valentine’s Day, we’re diving into heart rate experiments after a few jumping jacks.

Science stations work because they:

  • Keep students moving and thinking
  • Tie science concepts to familiar, festive contexts
  • Provide natural spiral review opportunities all year long

It’s the best of both worlds by being focused on academics and tying in seasonal fun. And trust me, once students experience a few rounds of holiday science stations, they’ll start asking what you’ve got planned for the next one!

2. Festive Science Ornament Activities

If you’re looking for something that feels fun, meaningful, and easy to prep during the busy holiday season, my science ornament activities check every box. They’re content-based, creative, and best of all they’re completely free!

One of my favorites is the Organ Ornaments set, which fits perfectly into a human body systems unit. I love watching my students color, cut, and proudly hang their “heart,” “lungs,” or “stomach” on our class tree all while explaining what each organ does and which body system it belongs to. 

It’s festive, yes, but it’s also a sneaky way to reinforce key science concepts right before break.

And if you’re teaching something different this time of year, there are more even more options to fit your content:

Whether you hang them around your classroom or let students take them home as keepsakes, these activities add just the right amount of seasonal spirit and your students will remember them long after the holidays are over.

Download the Ornament Freebie

3. Use Themed Agenda Slides

Sometimes you just need a simple way to bring in the holiday cheer without adding anything to your plate or your storage closet for 11 months of the year. Enter: holiday themed agenda slides.

These slides add just the right amount of seasonal cheer and serve a real purpose. Imagine a world where you hear “What are we doing today?!” a whole lot less. Students walk in, see the slide, and instantly know what’s ahead.

I include my warm-up question, daily objective, and reminders right on the slide, so everything’s in one spot. It keeps us organized and sets the tone for the day.

For Halloween, I use slides with little bubbling beakers and bats. 

In December, I switch to twinkle lights and snowflakes. 

It’s an instant mood boost for both me and my students. If you want your classroom to feel festive and functional this season, these slides are the perfect low-prep solution.

Transform Your Daily Routine with Editable Agenda Slides

Save your voice (and your sanity) with 300+ ready-to-use slides that keep students on track, reduce questions like “What are we doing today?”, and make your classroom run smoother than ever, no prep required!

Get Your Agenda Slides Now

Whether you go all in with science stations or just sprinkle in some themed activities, celebrating the holidays in your science classroom doesn’t have to mean losing instructional time. It’s all about balance, embracing the energy of the season, and turning it into learning. 

So grab your lab coat and your twinkling lights to make every holiday season one your students won’t forget!

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]]> https://secondarysparks.com/holiday-science-activities-your-middle-school-students-will-love/feed/ 0 7031 Christmas Science Activities for Your Middle School Class https://secondarysparks.com/christmas-science-activities/ https://secondarysparks.com/christmas-science-activities/#respond Mon, 30 Dec 2024 18:03:43 +0000 https://secondarysparks.com/?p=5543 The holiday rush doesn’t have to mean losing focus in the classroom. These Christmas science activities will bring a burst of festive fun and keep your middle schoolers learning. From creating "chemistree" ornaments to building marshmallow catapults, these hands-on lessons align perfectly with science standards.

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The weeks between Thanksgiving and Winter Break are always hectic—tests, grades, and plenty of holiday energy from students. However, that’s why I’ve curated some of the best Christmas science activities to make your classroom festive, fun, and aligned with your middle school science standards. These activities will keep the holiday spirit alive all while keeping your class engaged and learning.

1. Element Ornaments: Decorate Your Chemistree

I love getting this activity done early because it doubles as holiday decor for my classroom and my middle school students love them! 

Each student gets an ornament representing an element from the periodic table. Next , they research their element, color and cut out their ornament, and we laminate them to make them last longer.  I even have a Christmas tree in my classroom designated for this activity. We call it our “Chemistree,” get it?!

This activity makes your science classroom festive while reinforcing students’ understanding of the periodic table and element properties. 

2. Organ Ornaments

Similarly, take the same ornament concept and apply it to human anatomy to review body systems! This is a fun and festive addition to your Christmas science activities, helping students review human body systems while adding holiday décor to your classroom. Each ornament represents a different organ, and students research its function and identify the body system it belongs to.

How it works:

1️⃣ Each student picks an organ and designs their ornament.
2️⃣ They color, cut, and (if you’re feeling fancy) laminate it.
3️⃣ Add a ribbon, and suddenly, your classroom tree is full of personalized ornaments! 

The best part? Watching your students proudly place their ornaments on the tree. It’s one of those moments that reminds me why I love teaching (and makes me forget how loud middle schoolers can be). Alternatively, If you don’t want to use a tree, you can place these on a bulletin board. 

Free Organ Ornaments Activity

Need a festive activity for the holidays that still gets students learning about human body systems? This mini activity is perfect for your classroom bulletin boards or class Christmas tree!

Download Now!
Organ Ornaments for Middle School Science

3. Winter Science Stations

Looking for a way to review a TON of standards in one class period? These winter themed science stations are perfect! Each station is holiday themed and reviews at least one different standard.

Not sure where to start with science stations? Check out this helpful guide on 6 Reasons to Use Middle School Science Stations for tips and inspiration!

The 9 Winter and Christmas Science Stations included are:

  • 1. Ice Insulation – Students will explore how quickly ice melts using various insulators.
  • 2. Candy Cane Reactions – Students will explore the dissolving rate of candy canes with different temperatures of water.
  • 3. Holiday Light Interactions – Students will explore refraction and reflection using holiday lights, mirrors and water.
  • 4. Christmas Tree Life Cycle – Students will discuss how spruce trees contribute to ecology throughout their life cycle.
  • 5. Reindeer Adaptations – Students will explain adaptations that reindeers have.
  • 6. Tundra Food Web – Students will organize a tundra food web and identify producers and consumers.
  • 7. Winter Weather – Students will observe a weather map and answer questions about winter weather.
  • 8. Holiday Treat Layers of Earth – Students will identify types of holiday foods that could be used to represent different layers of Earth.
  • 9. Snow in the Water Cycle – Students will answer questions about snow within the water cycle.

*Each station should take students between 8-10 minutes to complete.*

The topic the stations cover are:

  • Heat transfer and insulation
  • Interactions of matter and heat-induced changes
  • Light waves (reflection and refraction)
  • Life cycles and ecology
  • Weather, Earth’s systems, and the water cycle
  • Food webs, producers, and consumers
  • Earth’s layers

As a result, these stations are a great way to keep students focused while embracing the holiday cheer. Download the Winter Science Stations here!

If you love these winter stations, make sure to also check out my Halloween Science Stations for spooky fall fun or the Valentine’s Day Stations to keep the love (of learning) alive in February!

4. Christmas Light Circuits

Try using mini holiday lights to build series and parallel circuits! Students can decorate a small paper tree by “lighting it up” with their circuits. This hands-on activity is festive and reinforces key electrical concepts.

5. Snowball Catapults

Using marshmallows as snowballs, challenge students to build catapults with craft sticks, rubber bands, and other materials. This activity is a great way to discuss potential and kinetic energy while getting students moving and creating.

6. Science Snow Globes

Have students design snow globes that illustrate scientific concepts like the water cycle or ecosystems. This craft allows for creativity while connecting back to science standards.

7. Crystal Ornaments with Borax

Teach crystallization with this engaging experiment, a perfect addition to your Christmas science activities! Students use pipe cleaners, borax, and mason jars to create beautiful crystal ornaments. It’s a multi-day process, but the results are always worth it.

Start by creating your borax solution and pouring it into the jar. Then, have students design the shape they want for their ornament using pipe cleaners. Once they’re finished, they’ll tie a string to the ornament, hang it over a popsicle stick, and let it dangle into the borax solution, ensuring it’s fully submerged. Let the ornaments sit overnight for the best crystallization results.

8. Holiday Slime Lab

If you’re braver than me, your students will love this lab! 

Make red and green slime while discussing polymers and non-Newtonian fluids. You can even have students discuss the changes in matter and physical properties such viscosity, mass, volume, density, texture, shape, and elasticity.

9. STEM Challenges

Have some fun with holiday themed STEM activities! These activities bring holiday cheer to your science classroom while keeping students engaged and learning. Pick your favorites and make this season merry and bright — and educational!

  • Santa’s Parachute: Design a parachute to safely deliver gifts using coffee filters, string, and small weights. Test which design lands most gently.
  • Elf Workshop Towers: Use marshmallows, candy, and toothpicks to build the tallest, most stable tower. Discuss engineering and stability.
  • Sled Acceleration: Build small sleds with weights (like jingle bells) to explore how mass impacts acceleration. Tie it into Newton’s second law.

Christmas Science Activities

These activities bring holiday cheer to your science classroom all while keeping students engaged and learning. Which one are you most excited to try?

Winter Science Stations

Get 8 easy Winter and Christmas science lab stations for middle school! Perfect for physical, life, and Earth/Space science.

Get the Stations
Winter Science Stations

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