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Two Fun Candy Cane Hands-on Science Winter Experiments

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I have two fun candy cane hands-on winter experiments today. Be sure you grab more ideas for winter fun on my page winter season unit study.

Candy canes are plentiful right now and did you know that they make for a tasty, easy, and inexpensive item for science experiments? 

Your kids will love tasting and exploring the world of science with these two simple hands on science experiments in honor of National Candy Cane Day on December 26. 

Two Fun Candy Cane Hands-on Science Winter Experiments

These experiments are a great way to introduce all sorts of scientific terms like hypothesis and bonds.

You can encourage them to make educated guesses (hypothesis) document results, make observations, and learn about how experiments work in general.

Don’t forget to save some to munch on while you learn about them.

Cool Candy Cane Facts

  • They were first made in 1670 but didn’t make their way to American until 1847.
  • Candy canes were once white, no one is sure when the red stripe was added but looking at images prior 1900, they were always white.
  • The world’s largest candy cane was 63 feet tall and was created in 2011.
  • Candy canes have no fat or cholesterol.
  • Two billion candy canes are made each year.
  • The hooks were created by hand until 1921 when a machine was invented to do it.
  • The original candy cane flavor was originally used as a medicine for indigestion and nausea and then the oil was also used to help cover up the flavor of more unpleasant medicinal concoctions.

Furthermore, add some other hands-on candy cane activities.

Candy Cane Hands-on Activities

  • Before you begin investigating watch How Candy Canes Are Made on YouTube.
  • Here is another fun experiment you can do with candy canes Fizzing Candy Canes.
  • Make some Candy Cane Paint to add some art.
  • Use candy canes as counters and manipulatives for math, measure the length, grab various sizes and let your younger child arrange them in size order.

More Winter Unit Study Resources

Look at these other winter unit study resources.

Now, let’s have some candy cane fun.

For these two winter science activities, you’ll want to grab the supplies below.

Two Candy Cane Science Activities

Here are all the supplies you will need to gather so that you can complete both experiments:

Two Fun Candy Cane Hands-on Science Winter Experiments
  • Mini Candy Canes
  • Clear bowls or cups
  • 3-5 liquids-water, sprite, milk, vinegar, etc
  • Baking sheet
  • Parchment paper
  • paper/pen

Now, let’s make this first one which is bending candy canes.

1. Bending Candy Canes Science Activity

For the first experiment we are first going to let your child attempt to bend a candy cane fresh out of the package, it just breaks right? Ask them why they think that is? How were candy makers able to bend it in the first place?

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Spread out several candy canes on parchment lined sheet.

Two Fun Candy Cane Hands-on Science Winter Experiments

Bake for 7-10 minutes. Start checking at 7 minutes because you want to pull them out before they begin to distort and melt.

Two Fun Candy Cane Hands-on Science Winter Experiments

Immediately remove parchment paper from pan and place on a flat surface away from the hot pan.

Your child can immediately pick them up and begin bending them into shapes.

Two Fun Candy Cane Hands-on Science Winter Experiments

You can make letters, shapes like hearts or knots, or even a cute little candy can make like this one.

Two Fun Candy Cane Hands-on Science Winter Experiments

You’re just a couple of minutes the candy cane will harden again into its new shape.

You can repeat the process in the oven with candy canes after they’ve hardened or with fresh ones to continue experimenting with what you can do.

2. Melting Candy Canes

Now we are going to test and see which liquid melts candy canes the fastest.

So, you will want to check this one often. We put ours in the bowls and forgot for about 45 minutes and came back to this.

Two Fun Candy Cane Hands-on Science Winter Experiments

First, choose your liquids, I would suggest no less than 3 to get a good reading and probably not more than 6 to keep it manageable.

Whatever number you choose to test, place that many clear bowls or cups on a surface where they will not be disturbed. Add a mini candy cane to each.

Two Fun Candy Cane Hands-on Science Winter Experiments

Measure exact amounts of each of the liquids and pour over the candy cane.

This is a good time to explain that when conduction an experiment like this you want to keep everything the same except for the one variable that you are testing, in this case the type of liquid.

Two Fun Candy Cane Hands-on Science Winter Experiments

Write each of the liquids onto a small slip of paper and place it in front of each container to keep track.

Check after 5 minutes to see how much they have dissolved; these ones were noticeably smaller.

Two Fun Candy Cane Hands-on Science Winter Experiments

After the first 5 minutes you want to change to every minute or two because it seems to go so much faster after that.

At less than the 10-minute mark we had a clear winner when we came back, and the vinegar had completely dissolved it.

Two Fun Candy Cane Hands-on Science Winter Experiments

Be sure to have your child record their guesses (hypothesis), then list the types of liquids (variables), and finally their results.

Cardinal Birds in Winter and Birch Trees Easy Watercolor Kids Activity

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This easy cardinal birds in winter watercolor is a cute project. Be sure you grab more ideas for winter fun on my page winter season unit study.

And the watercolor painting of the cardinal birds in winter and fun birch trees makes a fun display to bring a pop of color.

In addition, you can create it as an art piece on its own or use it as part of a unit on winter birds or winter in general.

Cardinal Birds in Winter and Birch Trees Easy Watercolor Kids Activity

I have some great resources that will help you get started on your unit study.

Too, we are using two different kinds of paint on this cardinal project which are watercolor and acrylic

Also, you’ll learn a new technique to create a unique look to the bark of the birch trees.

But first look at these cardinal bird resources.

Cardinal Bird Hands-on Ideas

Next, add some fun books and resources about cardinals.

12 Northern Cardinal Bird Books and Resources For Children

Add a book or two to your unit study or to your learning day. Cardinals are fun to study anytime of the year.

Wild Bird Guide: Northern Cardinal

Packed with information, the writing is clear and direct and accessible to bird watchers at every level.

Backyard Birding for Kids

With bird facts, an identification guide, and how-to instructions, this is a perfect children’s introduction to bird-watching.

Albert

The morning begins like any other. Albert reaches out the window to check the weather. But from the moment a twig lands in the palm of his hand, life is never the same

Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World

One of my go tos for nature study.

Explore the anatomy of a jellyfish, the inside of a volcano, monarch butterfly migration, how sunsets work, and much more.

Rothman’s whimsical illustrations are paired with interactive activities that encourage curiosity and inspire you to look more closely at the

Toy Bird Figures Kids

Because children's thinking is more visualized, the intuitive demonstration of the model can better help children construct in the brain. This birds playset can help children get a more direct understanding of real birds world and stimulate their interest in exploring nature.

Why Evergreens Keep Their Leaves

One autumn evening, Little Redbird settled down for one last sleep before flying south for winter. As he slept, a strong gust of wind shook him from his cozy nest . . .

. . . Little Redbird hurts his wing and misses his chance to fly south for the winter. As he searches for a new home amongst the trees, he begins to realize that not all trees are fit for the winter cold. As more and more trees refuse him shelter, too preoccupied with their preparations for the frost, Little Redbird fears the worst. That is, until he comes across a friendly bunch of evergreens.

In the spirit of Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince, Why Evergreens Keep Their Leaves is a timeless story of kindness and why the fir, spruce, and juniper trees are evergreen all winter long. 

Backyard Birding Flashcards: 100 Common Birds

The Sibley Field Guide to Birds is now transformed into 100 easy-to-reference cards housed in one handsome pull-drawer gift box. Divided into one stack of 50 common Western and Eastern North American birds, and one stack of 50 common birds found across North America, each card features precise illustrations and text concerning habitat, behavior, and voice description necessary for easy identification.

Attracting & Feeding Cardinals

The vibrant red of the male Northern Cardinal is stunning any time of year—and nothing is more beautiful than the early spring duets of cardinals singing their hearts out. You love these beloved birds, and you want to see them visiting your backyard or garden. Professional naturalist and award-winning author Stan Tekiela teaches you all that you need to know about cardinals.

Cardinals (Backyard Bird Feeding Guides)

The vibrant red of the male Northern Cardinal is stunning any time of year. And nothing is more beautiful than the early spring duets of cardinals singing their hearts out.

Authentic Bird Sounds, Northern Cardinal, American Goldfinch, Chickadee

Kids and adults of all ages love these birds, and are captivated by their sounds. They also make great baby toys, and sensory toys for kids any age.

Includes 3 Realistically designed bird toys that produce authentic bird calls from the Cornell lab of ornithology archives of bird recordings.

The Burgess Bird Book for Children

The Burgess Bird Book for Children (1919) is a classic nature book by Thornton Burgess, who introduces young listeners to the subject of bird life by means of a series of interviews within a story. Peter Rabbit and Jenny Wren interview Slaty the Junco, Redwing the Blackbird, Melody the Wood Thrush, Spooky the Screech Owl, and many other common birds to learn about their appearance, their eating, mating and nesting habits, and their songs and calls. The text remains popular as an exceptional combination of information and entertainment.

Cardinals (Backyard Birds)

Whos that singing in the backyard? Its a cardinal! Find out where cardinals live, what they eat, and how to identify the birds and their eggs.

Cardinal Birds in Winter and Birch Trees Easy Watercolor Kids Activity

Furthermore, here are some cardinal facts.

Cardinal Facts

  • Northern Cardinals are mostly non migratory and stay in their habitat year round.
  • Their lifespan is about 3 years and the oldest recorded lived to be almost 16 years.
  • Cardinals are usually the first to visit backyard feeders in the morning and the last to visit at night.
  • Both male and female cardinals can sing unlike most other species of songbird. Male cardinals might sing up to 200 songs in just an hour.
  • Male cardinals are the bright red ones you see, females are a dull brown with just a bit of red on tail and wingtips.
  • Northern Cardinals are protected by the Migratory Bird Act, which means you can’t have one as a pet and it is illegal to kill them.
  • They get their red feathers from carotenoids in their food.
Cardinal Birds in Winter and Birch Trees Easy Watercolor Kids Activity

In addition, look at some more winters unit study ideas.

More Winter Unit Study Resources

Look at these other winter unit study resources.

Now, grab your art supplies and make this fun winter art project.

How to Make Cardinal Birds in Winter Watercolor

First, you will need:

  • Watercolor paper
  • Watercolors
  • Paintbrushes
  • Black acrylic paint
  • An old credit card
Cardinal Birds in Winter and Birch Trees Easy Watercolor Kids Activity

Next, here are the direction.

Use a watered down black or gray with a small paintbrush to outline a few general tree shapes and branches.

Cardinal Birds in Winter and Birch Trees Easy Watercolor Kids Activity

On as many branches as you would like, paint a red tear drop shape for your cardinals and add a little wedge at the base for a tail.

Cardinal Birds in Winter and Birch Trees Easy Watercolor Kids Activity

Fill in the blank spaces between the trees with various shades of blue; you don’t have to make it solid, whitespace looks great in watercolors.

Cardinal Birds in Winter and Birch Trees Easy Watercolor Kids Activity

Put a little black paint on a paper plate and tap the edge of a credit card into it, wipe off a little bit of excess.

Cardinal Birds in Winter and Birch Trees Easy Watercolor Kids Activity

Start on one side of the tree outline and set the edge of the card and then drag the card across the tree stopping halfway across.

This will give your bark the look of a birch tree. You can do this as much as you like up and down the tree.

Allow the black paint to dry fully.

Cardinal Birds in Winter and Birch Trees Easy Watercolor Kids Activity

Once paint is dry go back and add a little bit of black to the center of the bird’s face, black feet, and a bit of yellow for a beak.

When everything is dry your cardinals are ready to be displayed in a frame or as is.

What do you think? Ready to try this for a fun homeschool art, science, and hands-on lesson?

Cute and Simple Snowman Story Stones Winter Art Activities For Preschoolers

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Today, you’ll love these cute and simple snowman story stones for winter art activities for preschoolers. Grab my other ideas for a winter unit study.

I am all about learning through play as much as possible, especially when it comes to younger children.

Story stones are fantastic tools that can be used to teach your children so many early literacy skills and more.

Cute and Simple Snowman Story Stones Winter Art Activities For Preschoolers

They are inexpensive, easy to store and easy to use.

Too, they offer an open-ended learning experience that has many benefits for young budding readers.

First, in creating the story stones your child gets a chance to express themselves artistically.

In addition, they can work on fine motor skills and hand eye coordination.

Benefits of Storytelling Through Hands On

Then, in the storytelling there is so much that the story stones help build and improve.

For example, communication skills, language skills, listening, vocabulary, memorization, recall, imagination, creativity, and critical thinking.

Story stones also help children express their feelings, thoughts, and ideas.

These open-ended winter themed story stones are sure to spark some fun and interesting tales that will entertain both you and your little one for hours.

You can use these story stones in so many ways to change up the learning.

14 Ways to Use Your Snowman Story Stones Creatively

  • Have your child blindly draw 4 or 5 stones from a bag and tell a story using the prompts on the stone.
  • Ask your child to choose 3 stones for first, next, last and tell you about it.
  • Use the stones for young children to work on positional words. For example, put the hat ON the snowman and put the snowman NEXT to the tree.
  • Draw a simple winter scene on a large piece of construction paper and encourage your child to place some stones around the scene and tell you about it.
  • Place them in their small world or sensory bin play and let creativity take over.
  • Start a story with “once upon a time”, pull a stone and give a couple sentences, the next player pulls a stone and continues the story, repeat.
  • Use in co-op in small group settings, take turns telling a piece of a larger story.
  • Tell a story using the picture prompts, present some sticky situations to your child, like the sun coming out, and ask your child to finish the story with solutions.
  • Use the stones to sort living and nonliving items.
  • Show the pictures on your stone and have your child tell you the beginning letter, sound, how many syllables, etc.

  • In the reverse call out a letter and have your child find a stone that starts with the letter.
  • Choose one stone and ask your child to describe it.
  • Practice writing the words for the pictures on the stones on paper, a chalk or led board.
  • Have your child practice stacking the stones as high as they can to work on fine motor skills and they can tell a story about the objects as they stack as well.
Cute and Simple Snowman Story Stones Winter Art Activities For Preschoolers

Next, look at some more winter unit study activities.

More Winter Unit Study Resources

Look at these other winter unit study resources and more winter art activities for preschoolers.

Too, here are some fun ideas of what to paint on your stones.

Cute and Simple Snowman Story Stones Winter Art Activities For Preschoolers

Of course the best pictures are ones your little ones love, but here are some ideas too.

Winter Art Activities For Preschoolers Storytelling Stones Ideas

  • A frozen pond
  • Snowmen
  • Hats
  • Trees
  • The sun
  • Spring flowers.
  • Animals
  • Childs favorite items like football, doll, bike, etc..
  • Snowflakes
  • A road
  • Letters or numbers
  • Your child’s name

How to Make Snowman Story Stones

You will need:

  • I use acrylic paint /paint pens and sometimes both. Acrylic paint is easy to use, durable, and inexpensive. It is a great choice for this project.
  • Paintbrushes
  • Any matte clear sealing spray or you can brush on a couple coats of modge podge.
Cute and Simple Snowman Story Stones Winter Art Activities For Preschoolers

First, wash and dry your stones well to remove dust and dirt.

I got mine at a local landscape company but you can also find them on Amazon or at craft stores if not in your area.

Draw on your designs with a pencil until you are satisfied with them.

Cute and Simple Snowman Story Stones Winter Art Activities For Preschoolers

Then, use small paint brushes or paint pens to fill in your designs and allow them to dry completely and keep wet q tips on hand to tidy up your lines as needed.

Cute and Simple Snowman Story Stones Winter Art Activities For Preschoolers

You can also use a paint pen.

Cute and Simple Snowman Story Stones Winter Art Activities For Preschoolers

Or fabric paint, these have a great small tip for little hands but do come out thick.

Once the designs are dry spray well with a coat or two of clear sealer to preserve them or alternatively you can use paint on modge podge to seal.

Cute and Simple Snowman Story Stones Winter Art Activities For Preschoolers

Let dry according to directions on the can.

Store the story stones in a pretty basket on a low shelf to invite your curious creative little ones to use them.

Winter Craft Ideas How to Make Fun Pinecone Flowers

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If you’re looking for winter craft ideas for a winter season unit study, your kids will love these fun pinecone flowers.

These pinecone flowers are adorable and add a sweet touch to your table or bookshelf.

Creating an entire bouquet is a great way to fill a chilly fall or winter afternoon with your nature lover. 

Winter Craft Ideas How to Make Fun Pine Cone Flowers

I just love the mix of the natural and the handmade.

This activity can be done as a standalone or as part of a tree or pinecone unit study.

All you need to do is gather up some pinecones from the yard and a handful of small sturdy twigs and you are ready to get to creating a beautiful bouquet.

Favorite Nature Winter Craft Ideas

If you want to include this craft as part of a unit on pinecones or trees in general here are some of my favorite resources for nature study.

The Nature Anatomy book is always a goldmine of information.

There are plenty of pages on bark, leaves, pinecones, tree rings, etc.

Another great pinecone activity is this Easy and Fun PineCone Snowy Owl Winter Craft for Kindergarten.

  • This is a cute and well done Pinecone Unit Study that you can do.
  • Nature lovers should have a copy of Peterson First Guides Trees on hand. This is a great reference for home or to pack for nature walks.

Safari LTD Trees Toobs are great as a reference especially trees you might not see in person but they can also be used for dioramas and sensory bins.

Finally, explore this simple activity: Why Do Pinecones Open and Close While you have pinecones gather up.

Pinecone Facts

Winter Craft Ideas How to Make Fun Pine Cone Flowers

Also, here are a few pinecone facts.

  • The main purpose of a pinecone is to keep the tree’s seeds safe.
  • The inner bark can be sliced and fried, it is a good emergency food option.
  • Pinecones can stay on pine trees for more than 10 years before falling to the ground.
  • The large pinecones you see are the female pinecones.
  • Pinecones are the official Maine state flower.
  • Pine nuts can be used in coffee, jam, tea, and seasoning.
  • Pinecones are a natural barometer for predicting severe winters and forest fires. A pinecone on the forest ground is an indication of moisture and could mean a wildfire risk. The closed scales on a pinecone indicate damp conditions while open scales mean the forest floor is dry.
  • Pine, spruce, firs, cedars, larches, hemlocks, yews, etc. are all conifers and produce cones, but pinecones only come from pine trees.
  • The reason that pinecones close their scales is to protect the seeds from cold temperatures and the wind.

Other Winter Craft Ideas

Also, look at a few more craft ideas.

Now, look at how to make these fun pinecone flowers.

How to Make Pinecone Flowers

You will need:

  • Pinecones
  • Sticks
  • Craft paint
  • Paintbrushes
  • Toilet paper rolls
  • Pruning shears/cutters
  • Hot glue gun/sticks
Winter Craft Ideas How to Make Fun Pine Cone Flowers

Go on a nice leisurely nature walk and gather pinecones and twigs.

If you can’t find any in your area, they are easily found at craft stores in bags.

Clean the pinecones with soap and water to remove dirt, bugs and loose pieces.

Allow to dry completely. Use pruning shears or loppers to cut pinecones into about 3 pieces. Pull off loose leaves.

Winter Craft Ideas How to Make Fun Pine Cone Flowers

Cut empty toilet rolls into rings and use them to prop up your pinecones.

This will help them dry quicker from underneath.

Paint pinecones completely inside and out, top and bottom and allow them to dry. 

Repeat with a second coat to get nice coverage, allowing it to dry completely.

If you like, add dots of yellow paint to the center to create the center of the flower the pistil.

Once all the paint is completely dry choose a twig to fit with the size of your pinecone and attach it to the bottom with a generous amount of hot glue.

You will need to hold each one in place while the hot glue cools and hardens. Repeat for each flower.

Once all stems have been added you can arrange them in a simple jar or lay them on shelves to brighten up your home.

Fun Selfie Salt Dough Gingerbread Kids Activity for Long Winter Nights

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Today is National Gingerbread Cookie Day and your kids will love this fun selfie salt dough gingerbread kids activity. Add this fun craft to my winter season unit study.

If you are not a fan of edible gingerbread, I have a fun activity for you.

Turn these salt dough gingerbread men into a cute little 3D or even an entire family portrait.

Kids can recreate themselves, favorite book characters, historical figures, or any other person they like.

Fun Selfie Salt Dough Gingerbread Kids Activity for Long Winter Nights

This is a great way to spend a chilly winter afternoon and would be the perfect activity for an all about me unit, or to give to a kid that loves taking selfies a different outlet for that creativity.

Use paints, paint pens, and other craft items to create custom gingerbread men.

Great Gingerbread Facts

  • The term gingerbread is from the Latin term zingiber via an old French word-gingebra, meaning preserved ginger.
  • The first known recipe for gingerbread came from Greece in 2400 BC.
  • Nuremberg, Germany is known as the “Gingerbread Capital of the World”.
  • Ginger not only tastes good, but it also helps act as a preservative.
  • It is believed gingerbread was brought back by returning crusaders from the middle east where it was custom to bake spicy bread.
  • There are 2 dates for National Gingerbread day- June 5th and November 21st (the 21st is actually National Gingerbread Cookie Day.

  • Queen Elizabeth I of England is credited with the first gingerbread men.
  • Once, a doctor even wrote a prescription for gingerbread for the Swedish King Hans to cure his depression.
  • Ginger is a plant that is native to India and China. And is prized throughout the world for its culinary and medicinal uses.
  • Gingerbread itself is made from ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, anise and is sweetened with molasses or honey.
  • After Hansel and Gretel was published by the Brothers Grimm in the 19th century, gingerbread houses became very popular to make in Germany.

The world’s largest gingerbread house took 9 days to build, and was completed at the Mall of America in Minnesota in 2001.

It stood 67 feet tall and held 1,800 Hershey bars, 1,200 feet of Twizzlers, 100 pounds of tootsie rolls, 100 whirly pops and thousands of other pieces of candy. YUM!

Fun Selfie Salt Dough Gingerbread Kids Activity for Long Winter Nights

Next, look at these fun hands-on gingerbread activities.

Gingerbread Activities

Fun Selfie Salt Dough Gingerbread Kids Activity for Long Winter Nights

Bake up a Simple Gingerbread Recipe for Kids if you want to taste your creation.

More Winter Unit Study Resources

Additionally, look at these other winter unit study resources.

Further, look below at how to make this fun salt dough craft.

Fun Selfie Salt Dough Gingerbread Kids Activity for Long Winter Nights

How to Create a Selfie Salt Dough Gingerbread Men

First, here is the list of ingredients.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup fine salt
  • 1 cup of water
  • 2 Tablespoons cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • Gingerbread cutters
  • Craft paints or paint pens
  • paintbrushes

Next, preheat your oven to 200℉.

And combine all of the dry ingredients together. Mix well.

Fun Selfie Salt Dough Gingerbread Kids Activity for Long Winter Nights

Also, slowly add water until fully incorporated.

Fun Selfie Salt Dough Gingerbread Kids Activity for Long Winter Nights

You can add a little brown or tan paint at this point to create different skin tones if you want.

Roll the dough out onto a floured surface until it’s about ¼” thick.

Fun Selfie Salt Dough Gingerbread Kids Activity for Long Winter Nights

Cut dough into gingerbread shapes with a cutter, or other shapes if you wish.

Fun Selfie Salt Dough Gingerbread Kids Activity for Long Winter Nights

If you want to hang your gingerbread selfie man, use a straw to poke a hole through the top before baking, be sure not to do it too close to the edge so it will be sturdy.

Spray the baking sheet with some nonstick cooking spray.

Transfer cut outs to the baking sheet and spritz the top of the cut outs with nonstick spray as well to help retain some color.

Fun Selfie Salt Dough Gingerbread Kids Activity for Long Winter Nights

What’s more you can also use aluminum foil as a framework to bend the arms and hold them into place, make them sit up, and more.

Fun Selfie Salt Dough Gingerbread Kids Activity for Long Winter Nights

Then, put in a preheated oven and bake for 2 hours or until thoroughly dry. Time may vary based on the thickness of your dough.

Once your dough is baked, allow it to cool completely.

Furthermore, use craft paints to decorate your ginger people with hair, faces, clothes, and other details.

Lastly, allow paint to dry thoroughly before using your gingerbread for decorations, playing pieces for games, in sensory bins, or even to make your own jewelry!