This fun Rudolph Race Game is both an outrageously fun Christmas game for kids and a chance to sneak in Christmas STEM Activities! This easy-to-set-up Rudolph Races is a Christmas Activity for toddler, preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, and 6th grade students that teaches a little physics while having FUN! This Christmas science experiment is perfect for the whole family!
Rudolph Race Game
Kids love Rudolf! With his bright red nose and his under dog story he appeals to kids everywhere. What child doesn’t love the idea of saving Christmas? In this fun, hands-on balloon race activity we pit Rudolf against Rudolf in a race to save Christmas one again, but this time we are bringing in a little physics lesson. This Rudolph Race Game is such a fun way to sneak in some Christmas Science while having fun with zany Christmas Activities for preschoolers, kindergartners, grade 1, grade 2, grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, and grade 6 students.
This Simple Physics Activity, Rudolf Races is fun for parents, teachers, and homeschoolers alike! Use this as a Christmas activity, simple Christmas science project in your classroom, or as part of a week of Christmas learning in your homeschool.
Rudolph Races
To set up your own Rudolf Races you will need a few simple materials you probably already have laying around your house!
- Anchor points – we used chairs, but you could really use anything.
- String or twine (must be thin enough to slide easily through your straws)
- Straight straws (bendy ones won’t work!)
- Balloons
- Decorating supplies for Rudolf – including red pompoms, construction paper, googly eyes, glue (our glue refused to adhere to the balloons so we used tape), tape, etc.
- Tape
- Clips or clamps to keep the air in the balloon
Christmas STEM Activities
Start by setting up your race track. We set ours up between chairs, 2 for each track. Simply tie one end of the string to one chair, thread your straw onto the string, then tie off the other end on the other chair. Pull the chairs apart until the string is taut. Repeat for each track.
TIP! These balloons are going to go really fast. Aim for a long track. Ours was 8 feet long and it seemed way too short. The races were over, it seemed, before they even started. I would aim for 15 feet or longer if you have the space.
TIP 2! Make sure your string is level.
Next prepare your Rudolf balloons by decorating them. This is easiest to do while they are blown up with a clamp on the end to stop air escaping. We went with stickers for the eyes, red pompom for the nose and some construction paper antlers. They looked a little like an Angry Birds version of Rudolf, but the kids loved it!
Christmas Science Experiments
To race your Rudolfs attach the top of the balloon to the straw on the string with some tape. Carefully remove the clip or clamp, keeping the end pinched between your fingers.
Start the countdown… 3 – 2 – 1 RACE!
Let go of the balloons and watch as the Rudolfs race to the end!
Christmas Games for Kids
By the time the Rudolf balloon reaches the end of the string, he is a very sad looking little reindeer. My kids thought this part was hilarious! Trust me, your kids will love this simple physics experiment for kids!
Christmas Science
These balloon races are about understanding the principles of physics, and since this activity is aimed at preschoolers to elementary students we will keep the physics simple. This Rudolf Balloon Race is a simple action-reaction experiment.
When you blow up the balloon you are filling it up with air that is under pressure. When the air escapes from the balloon (when you let go of it) the escaping air exerts thrust or force on the balloon which propels it forward. The air escapes backward – the balloon races forward. Action – reaction.
Christmas Science Experiments for Kids
Looking for more fun Christmas science ideas? Check these out!
- Fizzy Ornaments Christmas Science Experiments
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- Magic Melting Peppermint Candy Christmas Science Experiment
- Fizzy Gingerbread Man Christmas Science Experiment
- Lots of Christmas Science Experiments Kids will love!
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- Ornaments-Go-Round Christmas Science Experiments
- Melting Christmas Tree Science Experiment for December
- Rudolph Christmas Science Experiments
- Christmas Magic Milk Experiment
- Gumdrops Ornaments Made with Christmas Science Experiment
- Gingerbread Puffy Paint Recipe
- Christmas Fluffy Slime Recipe
- Easy Candy Cane Science Experiment
- Simple Oil and Water Christmas Science Experiment
- Frost in a Can Winter Science Experiment
- Snow Volcano Science Experiment
Christmas Activities for Kids
- No-Stick Gingerbread Slime
- Gingerbread Puffy Paint Recipe
- 24 Amazing Christmas STEM Activities
- Christmas Puffy Paint
- How to Grow a Candy Cane Activity
- 155 Christmas Crafts & Activities
- Free Polar Express Worksheets for Kids
- 7 Best Christmas Books
- Christmas Science Experiments Kids will Love
- 31 Christmas Activities for Families
- Christmas Around the World
- 100 FREE Christmas Printables for Kids
- Rudolph Races – a fun science activity
- Christmas Tree Letter Find Worksheets
- Marbelized Melted Crayon Ornaments
Science for Kids
Looking for lots more fun, science experiments for kids? You’ve GOT to try some of these outrageously fun science experiments for kids! We have so many fun, creative and easy science experiments for elementary age children:
- 100 Amazing Food science experiments for kids – arranged by type of science
- Colorful Capillary action science experiment (also known as walking water)
- Amaze kids with these 12 Hands on Science experiments with batteries
- 24 Epic Solar system science projects to try this week
- Fun Water balloon science experiment that explores density
- 50 Fun Preschool science experiments the whole family will want to try
- Simple Galaxy science project
- Easy and Fun Dancing Raisins Experiment
- Learn about weather as you find how to make a weather vane
- Eye opening Eye science experiments
- Easy-to- make Air pressure science project
- Amazing POP rocks science experiment is one of our all-time favorite science experiments we like to do during the summer are
- Stunning Chromatography Flowers are so pretty you’ll forget it was as science project!
- How to Make a Lava Lamp – super easy and SO cool!
- 30 Simple machines science projects kids will want to try
- Easy, fascinating, and colorful project answering Why do Leaves Change Color Experiment
- Free Printable Animal Classifications for Kids Cootie Catchers
- 19 Edible science experiments – which delicious project will you try first?
- HUGE Free Solar System Unit (coloring pages, hands on science projects, worksheets, and more!)
- Pipe Cleaner Constellation Activity (As seen on Good Housekeeping!)
- Teach kids about conductivity with this fun squishy circuits projects
- Amazing, Heat Sensitive, Color Changing Slime
- Life Cycles for Kids (from penguin to sunflower and spider to turkey we have LOTS of life cycles to explore and learn about)
- EASY, Colorful Oil and Water Science Experiment
- Kids will be amazed as you change colors of white flowers with this Dying Flowers Science Experiment
- This super cool Lego Zipline is fun and simple to make
- Human Body Project
- Check out this super cool look INSIDE a Volcano Project
- Exploding Watermelon – science experiment that explores potential and kinetic energy with a big WOW moment!
- Memorable Life Size Skeletal system science project – includes free printable template
- Find LOTS more Easy Science Experiments for kids of all ages!
Beth, I am a preschool teacher with my grandson, a preschooler, living with me right now. I can’t wait to try the Rudolph balloon race with him and my children at school. (I have both virtual and in-class students).
THANK YOU!!!
Mary Ballard