Christmas STEAM: Build a cornstarch block Christmas tree

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Although I often associate Christmas with arts and crafts, I have been working to bring more STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) activities to our holiday routine.

The Christmas STEAM activity I’m sharing today incorporates both art and engineering in a fun activity that our whole family enjoyed as part of a family learning activity.

The challenge? To build a Christmas tree using cornstarch blocks.

This activity is simple. It reuses materials you may already have on hand. It stimulates critical thinking skills. And it promotes artistic thinking as well.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Note: For more Christmas STEAM activities your kids will love, see my Christmas Activities for Kids page.

To build a Christmas tree with cornstarch blocks, you will need the following materials:

Cornstarch blocks (I recommend saving any biodegradable packing peanuts you may receive. Alternatively, you can purchase Magic Nuudles or biodegradable packing peanuts online.)
A wet sponge (I recommend placing the damp sponge on a small tray with just a tiny bit of water in it.)

Show your children how to gently dab one end of a cornstarch block onto the sponge to get it wet. Now it will easily stick to another cornstarch block just by pressing them together.

If the cornstarch blocks get too wet, they will completely dissolve. Be sure to only get the blocks damp, not soaking wet.

Once we all had our supplies, we got started with the building phase of our project.

All four of us came up with a different design. Once we were all done we enjoyed looking at each other’s designs and discussing our inspiration.

What will your cornstarch block Christmas tree look like?

Looking for more Christmas ideas that incorporate Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM)? Then you’ll love STEAM Kids Christmas.This e-book includes 25 days of holiday projects that will wow the boredom right out of kids!