Ornaments-Go-Round Christmas Science STEM Activities

Help kids explore and learn while having fun this holiday season with this super cool spinning christmas tree experiment. In this christmas preschool science activities, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, and 3rd grade students will use a battery, magnet, and copper wire to make a motor to make free printable ornaments go around like a merry go round. This is a simple electronics project that will surely engage and impress students throughout the month of December.

spinning christmas tree experiment

This simple christmas science project is such a cool December science experiment for preschoolers, kindergartners, grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3 students. After decorating free ornament printable, children will build a simple motor with just 3 simple materials.  This is such a fun simple electronic projects that is sure to WOW your students while allowing them to learn and explore with a Christmas activity for kids.

You will be creating a homopolar motor with this project. Don’t worry, we will show you how to make a simple motor and it is not as hard as you may think! This just may be our favorite Christmas activity for kids we’ve done!

We have lots more science activities for kindergarten and christmas activities for kindergartners to choose from! Plus don’t miss free Christmas worksheets kindergarten, life cycle of a reindeer worksheets, free printable christmas math worksheets, and construction paper christmas cards

spinning christmas tree stem activity

All you need to complete this christmas themed science experiments are a few simple materials you may have laying around:

Supplies:

• Copper Wire (this is the one we used)
• Small round magnets (these are the ones we used)
• 3-in-1 pliers with cutter (we used these)
• AA batteries (you will need one for each spinning Christmas tree you want to create)
• ornaments printable
• tape

A quick note about safety. Please use common sense when using cutters and batteries as they can cause damage if not used and handled carefully. Also magnets are a known chocking hazard and should not be used by small children or any children without careful adult supervision.

christmas preschool science activities

Now to make your christmas science experiments preschool you will need to carefully snip off about 10 inches of copper wire. Now you are going to fold the wire in half and use your pliers to make a tight point. Now open up the sides to make a flat horizontal line. You just made the part the Christmas tree is going to spin on while sitting on top of the battery.

Leave about 2 inches on each side of the point and then fold the copper wire down 90 degrees. (you basically making a box).

At this point you need to get the right hight. So put 3-6 magnets on the bottom of the double a battery (the side that is flat). You will stand the batterup on top of the magnets and your copper wire box will sit on top and going around the battery.

TO make your final folds, you will want to fold it (again at a 90 angle) in to complete the box. You need the last side to be parallel to the magnets to complete the circuit. Not toching, but on the same horizon.

spinning christmas tree science project

If you haven’t already, scroll to the bottom of the post, under the terms of use, and click on the text link that says >> _____ <<. The pdf file will open in a new window for you to save the freebie and print the template. Have your child colour the ornaments with crayons, markers, and colored pencils.

In the set their are several sizes for your child to experiment with. You will want 4 ornaments your kid will color, cut out and tape onto the top right and left corner. Then turn over the copper wire box and use a rolled tape on two other ornmanets so you will see pretty ornaments as your merry go round science project spins.

stem christmas ornaments

See the box on top of your battery so that the middle “stand” is on the bump or plus of your battery. It should start spinning slowly at first and get faster and faster. If that doesn’t happen immediately try these trouble shooting ideas:

• use a different battery
• make sure it is basically balanced (good kindergarten math skill!)
• make sure the bottom ends are next to the magnets
• Try turning the magnets around (still at the bottom)

christmas stem

This easy christmas science experiments is sure to WOW and impress children of all ages as they learn a little about trial and error, how electronics works, make a fun STEM project for December, and have fun learning! If you are looking for another fun way to explore using your battery, magnets, and copper wire – try our Spinning Christmas Tree Christmas STEM Activities.

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