Perfect for end-of-term lessons and Christmas STEM clubs!

Bring the magic of the North Pole into your science classroom with this set of four fully resourced Christmas-themed practical activities. Each activity includes a story-based scene-setter, clear instructions, a structured student worksheet and complete teacher notes. Everything is ready to print and teach - no extra planning needed!
Designed to develop core scientific enquiry skills in Upper Key Stage 2 (Years 5-6) and Lower Key Stage 3 (Years 7-8), these activities support concepts such as dissolving, mixtures, density, chromatography, evaporation and particle behaviour, all wrapped in imaginative festive stories to keep learners engaged right up to the holidays.

What’s included (for each of the 4 activities)
Scene Setting Story Card (suggested print A5)
Instruction Card (suggested print A5)
Student Worksheet (suggested print A4)
Teacher Notes (suggested print A4)

Activities included

1. Candy Cane Dissolving Diagnostics
   Investigate which liquids dissolve a candy cane fastest, helping the Elf Candy Engineers perfect their flavour-changing designs.
2. Snow-Orange Rescue Challenge
   A magical buoyancy and density puzzle involving a peeled orange that must be retrieved without spilling the water.
3. Mrs Claus’ Crystal Creations
   Grow sparkling festive crystals while learning about saturation, evaporation and particle arrangement.
4. Naughty List Chromatography Investigation
   Use chromatography to discover which elf altered the Naughty and Nice List!

Each activity can be completed in 20-40 minutes.

Why students will love this resource
Festive, story-driven investigations bring Science to life.
Highly interactive and hands-on.
Encourages curiosity, creativity and problem-solving.
Great for group work and independent inquiry.

Why teachers will love it too
Fully prepared and ready to print just grab the equipment listed and go.
Clear methods + simple equipment = easy to run even in a busy end-of-term week.
Strong curriculum links to dissolving, mixtures, particles, chromatography, density, and scientific enquiry skills.
Differentiated by structure: all students can succeed, but tasks allow challenge and depth.
Teacher notes provide all the science explanations you need.
Flexible: use as a one-off, a carousel, part of a science advent, or a festive STEM day.

Curriculum Links
Working Scientifically: variables, fair testing, observation, recording results, drawing conclusions
Particles and their behaviour
Solubility and dissolving
Mixtures and separation techniques (chromatography)
Density and floating/sinking
Crystal formation and evaporation
Scientific communication and literacy