First Day Back from Winter Break Activities for K-5 STEM

First Day Back from Winter Break Activities for K-5 STEM

The first day back from winter break can be a lot—excited kids, big feelings, nonstop stories, and very little stamina for long instructions. If you teach STEM (or any special area), you may also see every class in the building that day, which makes planning even trickier.

That’s why I rely on this no-prep, whole-group winter STEM activity every single year with my K–5 STEM classes.

It’s hands-on, quick to explain, and gets every student involved—without worksheets, devices, or complicated setup.

The No-Prep First Day Back from Winter Break Activities

On the first day back, I project a set of winter-themed questions on the board.

Here’s how it works:

  • I read each question out loud

  • If the statement is true for the student, they grab the matching LEGO® brick

  • If it’s not true, they simply sit and wait for the next question

  • We repeat this for each question

That’s it. No directions overload. No worksheets. Just instant engagement.

How I Differentiate for K–5

One thing I love about this activity is how easy it is to differentiate without extra planning:

  • First set of questions: Perfect for all grade levels (K–5)

  • Second set of questions: Designed for grades 3–5

I run the activity whole-group with younger grades, then extend it with the older students. Everyone feels successful, and I don’t have to prep multiple lessons for the same day.

Why This Works So Well on the First Day Back

This activity checks so many boxes for January:

  • ✅ Low pressure – Students can participate without speaking

  • ✅ Hands-on – LEGO bricks keep hands busy and focused

  • ✅ Community-building – Kids naturally start talking about their break

  • ✅ All voices are included – Even quiet students can participate

  • ✅ No prep – Just project and go

It’s the perfect balance between easing students back into routines while still keeping things fun and meaningful.

Grab the Winter All About Me Brick Build

If you want to use this exact activity with your students, you can grab it from my TpT Shop, Naomi Meredith, HERE

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More About The Author, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is a K-5 STEM educator and business owner in Colorado supporting elementary teachers world-wide navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there. With over a decade of experience teaching, 5 years teaching elementary STEM, along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM Certificate, Naomi helps teachers world-wide to navigate best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She offers a variety of tools to help teachers feel successful teaching STEM to their elementary students through lesson plans, online courses, coaching and speaking events.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM, innovation and hands-on learning in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

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