Free Santa's Stuck Book Companion-Build a Chimney for Santa STEM Activity

12/14/2023

Free Santa's Stuck Book Companion-Build a Chimney for Santa STEM Activity

Unlock Preschool Wonder with Our Free Santa's Stuck Book Companion and Build a Chimney for Santa STEM Activity! Elevate the magic of the holiday season for your preschooler with our enchanting Santa's Stuck Book Companion – a delightful STEM activity that brings the story to life! Download our printable kit for free and watch as your preschoolers embark on a creative journey to build a chimney for Santa.

Before you begin this activity

The book Santa's Stuck by Rhonda Gowler Greene is a fun story about Santa getting stuck in a chimney!
Buy your own copy of Santa's Stuck or borrow from your library to read aloud to your preschoolers before this activity.

Our book companion supports your read aloud with a list of vocabulary words to discuss, a suggested literacy focus, and questions to ask before, during, and after the story.

After reading the story preschoolers can complete their own book review using the included printable worksheet. Encourage preschoolers to draw their favorite part of their book, indicate if they liked the book and how it made them feel.

Research and discuss what your students already know about chimney's and fireplaces. Inside your resource you will find posters to support your research. Some important things to note: A Chimney is outside, and a Fireplace is inside.

Teacher Tip: During this project, some students may express worry that Santa won’t be able to deliver gifts if they don’t have a chimney. It’s a good time to reassure your students that Santa is magical , and has other clever ways of delivering gifts.

The objective of this building challenge is to: build a chimney and fireplace with openings large enough for Santa and his sack of toys to fit through without getting stuck.

It's Design Time:

Let's Build!

It's time to support your students creativity! Your students can use the included design forms to describe the materials they plan to use, and draw their planned design. Assist younger children by being their scribe as needed. *Teacher Tip: Consider laminating these design forms, and re-using them with dry erase markers to save paper.

Test and Modify!

After your students have completed their design forms, it's time to start building, so they can test and improve their designs.

Your students can build their chimney's and fireplaces using any building materials you have on hand! Support your students learning by asking them questions:
"Why did you choose to use XYZ materials to build with?" Once they are satisfied with their structure, they can draw a picture of their design and move onto the testing phase.

After they complete their structures, your students can test their chimney and fireplace to make sure the included Santa figure can fit inside (and get out). Encourage your students to answer each of the design questions on their forms, and adjust/modify their structures as needed.

You can also ask: "What would make it easier for Santa to fit inside the chimney/get out of the fireplace?" ,"What else can you try?"

Download this activity for free in our shop!