December is the perfect month to sprinkle a bit of science magic into your classroom. From melting snowflakes to launching reindeer rockets, these 12 free Christmas science experiments for primary schools are quick, safe, low-cost, and use everyday materials you probably already have.

Teachers can run them as festive starters, STEM rotations, or as part of a whole-school Science Morning. Parents can try them at home too!

And if your school or PTA wants to make Christmas science even more exciting, the Science Gadget Shop is an easy way to bring hands-on investigations into your classrooms while raising up to £600 profit.👉 www.popcorneducation.co.uk/science-gadget-shop.

🎁 The 12 Days of Christmas science experiments for primary schools...

Each activity includes:

✔ What you’ll need

✔ How to do it

✔ The science behind it

✔ UK curriculum links (EYFS–KS2)

🎅 Day 1 – Melting Snow Challenge

Science: States of Matter

You’ll Need:

• Ice cubes

• Salt, sugar, warm water, foil, fabric, paper towels

How to Do It: Give each group an ice cube. Challenge them to melt it as fast as possible using the materials provided.Ask them to test one variable at a time (e.g., salt only, warm water only).

The Science: Salt lowers the freezing point of water, making ice melt faster. Warm water transfers heat more quickly. Some materials insulate; others conduct heat.

Curriculum Link: KS2 – Solids, liquids, gases; reversible changes; fair testing.

🦌 Day 2 – Reindeer Rocket Launchers

Science: Forces & Air Pressure

You’ll Need:

• Balloon

• Straw

• String

• Tape

• Reindeer picture to stick on the balloon

How to Do It: Thread a long piece of string through a straw and tie both ends to chairs.Blow up a balloon (don’t tie it), tape it to the straw, and let go.The “reindeer” races along the string!

The Science: Air escaping backwards pushes the balloon forwards — Newton’s Third Law.

Curriculum Link: KS2 – Forces, push/pull, air resistance.

✨ Day 3 – Static Tinsel Magic

Science: Electricity (Static)

You’ll Need:

• Balloon

• Tinsel

• Small pieces of tissue paper

How to Do It: Blow up a balloon and rub it on your jumper.Hold it near tinsel or tissue pieces — they leap up to meet it!

The Science: Rubbing creates static charge. Opposites attract, so the charged balloon pulls light materials towards it.

Curriculum Link: KS2 – Electricity; Y1 materials.

💡 Day 4 – Christmas Light Circuits

Science: Electricity

You’ll Need:

• Battery

• Bulb or LED

• Wires with crocodile clips

• Paper to draw the “light display”

How to Do It: Children design a Christmas picture (tree, star, sleigh) then add a real working bulb to the drawing.Connect the battery → wire → bulb → wire → battery to complete the circuit.

The Science: Electricity flows in a complete loop. No loop = no light.

Curriculum Link: KS2 – Simple series circuits; brightness and voltage.

❄️ Day 5 – Build a Snowstorm in a Jar

Science: Density & Immiscible Liquids

You’ll Need:

• Jar

• Baby oil

• White paint + water mixture

• Glitter

How to Do It: Fill jar mostly with baby oil. Mix white paint with water and pour in slowly.The heavier water sinks, creating a swirling “snowstorm.”

The Science: Oil and water don’t mix because of different densities.

Curriculum Link: KS2 – Properties of materials.

🍭 Day 6 – Dissolving Candy Cane Investigation

Science: Dissolving & Solubility

You’ll Need:

• Candy canes

• Cups

• Hot water, cold water, vinegar, oil

How to Do It: Place identical candy canes into cups with different liquids.Predict → observe → record → compare.

The Science: Sugar dissolves more quickly in warm water. Oil does not dissolve sugar.

Curriculum Link: KS2 – Solutions; reversible changes; fair testing.

🎄 Day 7 – Growing Salt Crystal Snowflakes

Science: Crystals & Evaporation

You’ll Need:

• Pipe cleaners

• Salt

• Hot water

• Jars

• String

How to Do It: Shape pipe cleaners into a snowflake.Mix hot water with lots of salt until no more dissolves.Suspend snowflake and leave overnight.

The Science: As water evaporates, salt forms crystals on the snowflake.

Curriculum Link: KS2 – States of matter; evaporation.

🕯 Day 8 – Shadow Santa Silhouettes

Science: Light & Shadow

You’ll Need:

• Torch

• Card cut-outs

• White wall

How to Do It: Shine a torch at Santa/reindeer cut-outs.Move torch nearer/further to explore shadow size.

The Science: Shadows form when light is blocked; distance affects shadow size.

Curriculum Link: KS2 – Light; opaque and translucent materials.

📦 Day 9 – Present Parachutes

Science: Air Resistance

You’ll Need:

• Tissue paper/napkins

• Thread

• Small gift boxes or cubes

• Tape

How to Do It: Create a parachute and attach it to the “present.”Drop from height and compare falls.

The Science: More surface area = greater air resistance = slower fall.

Curriculum Link: KS2 – Forces; gravity and air resistance.

🧊 Day 10 – Frosty Window Patterns

Science: Ice Crystals

You’ll Need:

• Epsom salts

• Hot water

• Dark paper

How to Do It: Dissolve salts in hot water; paint onto dark paper.When dry, crystals form frost-like patterns.

The Science: As water evaporates, crystals form in angular patterns.

Curriculum Link: KS2 – Changes of state; evaporation.

🍪 Day 11 – Gingerbread Chemistry

Science: Irreversible Changes

You’ll Need:

• Gingerbread dough (shop-bought or homemade)

• Oven

How to Do It: Discuss prediction: Will the dough return to normal after baking?Bake, observe, compare.

The Science: Heat causes irreversible chemical changes — the dough can’t become dough again.

Curriculum Link: KS2 – Irreversible changes; baking.

🎁 Day 12 – Build a Santa Sleigh That Can Hold the Most Weight

Science: Engineering & Structure

You’ll Need:

• Card

• Tape

• Paper straws

• Lolly sticks

• Coins for weights

How to Do It: Challenge pupils to design a sleigh that can carry the most coins without collapsing.

The Science: Stronger structures use triangles, load-bearing beams, and well-distributed weight.

Curriculum Link: KS2 – DT structures; engineering; forces.

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