Children’s University Australia
Winter Challenge Activities
Each activity in this booklet is worth half an hour in your passport – complete as many as you can and
return them to your schools CUA coordinator!
Activity 1: Winter Writing
This winter I will…
My favourite things about winter are…
My least favourite things about winter are…
Activity 2: Winter Crossword
Across
Down
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
1.
2.
A famous song is called "Winter _______"
People sit by this to warm up
You need these on an ice rink
Only found in some parts of Australia
People often catch this during winter
One of the coldest places on Earth is the
North ______
7.
The colour of grass in winter
8.
A house made out of ice
3.
4.
5.
6.
A sport that is on TV during winter
Hot _________ is a popular cold-weather
drink
Wear this to keep warm
These keep your hands warm
The season that follows winter
Keeps your neck warm
Activity 3: Will it be cold this week?
When someone asks you about winter, one of the first things that pops into your head might be how cold
it is! When determining how ‘cold’ it has been each winter, scientists look at the average temperature
over a period rather than just one day.
See if you can compare the average temperatures from two different weeks by filling in the table below.
You can get the temperature by watching the news each night, looking online or listening to the weather
report on the radio!
Week 1
Date
Temperature
Week 2
Date
Highest Temperature:
Highest Temperature:
Lowest Temperature:
Lowest Temperature
Average Temperature:
Average Temperature:
Temperature
The average temperature of the week, add all of the recorded temperatures from the week, and divide that number by 7. You may
need a calculator to help you.
Activity 4: Winter Word Wall
Think you have a good vocabulary? Write down at least 15 words that you associate with the winter
months.
For an extra challenge, draw a picture to go with each word!
Activity 5: Snowflake Origami
Origami is the art of paper folding which can be used to create some amazing pieces of art – including
snowflakes! Follow the instructions below to create your own unique snowflake!
1. Start out with a square piece of paper. You may need to cut a regular piece to turn it
into a square. Try not to use thick or heavy paper as it may be difficult to fold and cut.
2. Fold the square diagonally in half.
3. Fold the resulting triangle along the middle to come up with a smaller triangle.
4. The most crucial and perhaps the trickiest step in making a paper snowflake is dividing
the triangle into three equal sections. The most accurate way to do this is to use a
protractor to divide the angle at the triangle's apex (the corner opposite the longest
side) into three sections, each with a 30-degree angle. If you don't have a protractor,
you can estimate the size of the sections as you do Steps 5 and 6.
5. Once you've marked out the three equal sections, fold the left section towards the
front.
6. Similarly fold the right section towards the front.
7. Flip the entire shape over so that the side with the horizontal edge is facing front.
8. Cut along the horizontal edge so that you come up with a wedge.
9. While keeping the wedge folded, cut out random shapes out of the edges.
10. Carefully unfold the paper to reveal your paper snowflake. Like real snowflakes, your
paper snowflake has a 6-point or 6-sided symmetry.
Take a photo of your snowflake and glue it below, or bring your snowflake in as evidence!
Activity 6: It’s the coldest month of the year!
All of winter is cold, but there is always one month that locals know is usually the coldest within that city.
Even if cities are in the same hemisphere, the month may be different depending on their position on
Earth.
Use online research tools to find out what the coldest month of the year is for the following cities:
New York Beijing Montreal Tokyo Berlin Moscow Santiago Cairo Amman -
Activity 7: Jigsaw Puzzle
Jigsaw puzzles are a great way to improve your problem solving abilities. Colour in the image on the next
page, then cut out the pieces on the next page and re-arrange them below.
For a bigger challenge, colour in the image after you have re-arranged the pictures!
Activity 8: Polar Bear Comprehension
The polar bear is the largest carnivore on earth and its natural habitat is the Artic Circle. The temperature
in the Arctic ranges from 0°C to -50°C, yet the polar bear has special features which help it maintain an
internal temperature of 37°C. Some of the features which help polar bears survive in these conditions are
their thick fur, black skin (under the fur) and very small ears to stop heat from escaping their bodies.
Polar bears can grow to weigh over 600kgs and stand over 3m tall! Because of their size and strength
they are at the very top of the Artic food chain – making them an ‘apex predator’. Polar Bears feed almost
exclusively on ringed seals and bearded seals. They are also known to eat walrus, beluga whale and
bowhead whale carcasses, birds' eggs, and (rarely) vegetation. Polar bears travel great distances in
search of prey.
From the age of four, female polar bears are able to start giving birth. A female can give birth to either
one or two cubs at a time, and the cubs are born both blind and deaf. Before she gives birth, a female
digs a deep ‘den’ to offer extra protection to the cubs from the harsh environment around them. After
birth, the cubs continue to live with their mother until they are over two years old so that she can teach
them the skills they need to survive in the artic.
Questions
Where do polar bears live?
Name two features of polar bears that help them survive in cold conditions
Polar bears are an ‘apex predator’ – what does this mean?
What sort of things do you think the young polar bears learn from their mother?
Polar bears eat penguins – true or false?
Activity 9: Winter, Hibernis, Dōngjì?
Winter occurs all around the world and so every language has its own word to describe that period of the
year. Use your research skills to learn how to say ‘winter’ in the following languages:
Italian French –
Spanish –
Vietnamese –
Zulu –
German –
Filippino –
Latin –
Croatian –
Japanese –
Activity 10: Cotton Ball Polar Bear
Create your own polar bear face by following the instructions below! Don’t forget to bring in a photo!
Supplies:
Cardboard/paper
Cotton Balls
Glue
Googly Eyes
Pom-Pom
Marker
Prep Work:
Trace a large circle onto a piece of cardboard/paper
Then trace 2 smaller circles on top for the ears (you can use a cup or something similar)
Cut out the shapes as one large piece
Method
Step 1) Glue over the cut-out shape. Make sure you have enough so that you can cover the shape in
cotton
Step 2) Stick the cotton balls onto the cut-out shape. Make sure that you cannot see the paper/cardboard
underneath.
Step 3) Glue on the googly eyes and the pom-pom for the nose. If you are missing these pieces, you can
simply draw the eyes and nose on.
Step 4) With a marker, draw a polar bear smile onto the cotton balls. It won't be perfect, but anything will
do.