There’s a chill in the air, and winter is just around the corner. What better way to celebrate the new season than by completing a winter coding activity? Our list below of ten winter coding activities is the perfect way to improve your coding skills while getting ready for the winter months ahead. From beginner projects working with Scratch and Minecraft to more advanced projects using Javascript and Python, coders of all ages and proficiencies will be sure to find a fun and engaging project below. Check out award-winning live online free coding classes for kids too!
Discover Fun Winter Coding Activities
In this section, you'll discover fun winter coding activities, sorted into two categories based on difficulty. Let’s get coding!
Beginner Winter Coding Activities
These beginner winter projects, focused on Scratch and Minecraft, are perfect activities for first and second graders, as well as beginner coders. If you’re not sure where to start, feel free to work through these projects before moving onto the more advanced projects in the next section!
1. Build Your Own Snowman
In this fun Scratch-based project, you will work to create a program that allows you to customize a snowman’s outfit. The helpful Youtube tutorial will walk you through each step of this fun project!
Ages: 6-8
For help getting started with Scratch, join our live online classes, created by experts from Google, Stanford and MIT:
2. Minecraft Redstone Winter Projects
Redstone is the electricity of the Minecraft world, and you can use it to create unique and powerful inventions. In this tutorial video, you will learn how to use Redstone to make a Minecraft winter wonderland, complete with redstone-powered hockey goals and a redstone-powered snowball cannon!
Ages: 6-10
For expert guidance learning how to incorporate more advanced blocks such as redstone, pistons, and observer blocks to build holiday lights, automatic doors, and even flying machines inside Minecraft, join our Redstone Engineering class.
3. Minecraft Winter Modding
Modding is a great way to customize your Minecraft experience. Visual mods, such as Primal Winter, can change the way Minecraft looks by altering blocks, weather, and other aspects of the game. The Primal Winter modpack adds fog, snow, extra sounds, polar bears, and other additions to transform your Minecraft world into a complete winter experience. If you’re unsure of how to add modpacks to your Minecraft world, be sure to check out Create & Learn’s blog post on the best Minecraft Mods for Kids.
Ages: 7-10
For live expert guidance customizing your Minecraft games, join our online class:
4. Create Snow in Scratch!
Although it may seem simple to create snow in Scratch, it can actually be a bit tricky - you have to consider the slightly random way snow may fall from the sky, and how it might stick to the ground. Follow this tutorial to learn how to make a beautiful snowfall in Scratch!
Ages: 6-10
5. Scratch Winter Story
Scratch is a wonderful program to use for storytelling, and it is especially great for winter-themed stories! Follow the linked tutorial to learn how to make a story in Scratch, and then work to create a winter-themed story of your own! For inspiration, feel free to check out “My Winter Story” from Scratch user cvs-kcarley25. If you click the “See inside” button on the project, you will be able to see the code used to create the story, which may give you some ideas for your own winter story!
Ages: 6-10
Intermediate to Advanced Winter Coding Activities
If you have mastered the five basic projects above, take your coding skills to the next level with our intermediate and advanced projects below!
6. Python Winter Snowflakes
Python is a powerful programming language used for a variety of applications. In this tutorial, you will learn how to use Python to code beautiful, geometric winter snowflakes.
Ages: 9-15
For live expert guidance learning Python, join our online class:
7. Scratch Snowball Launcher
Although this is a Scratch project, it is definitely not for beginners! In this advanced Scratch project, you will use physics, costume changes, and conditionals to create a fun snowball-launching game. Follow the instructions in the guide to create this unique project.
Ages: 10-15
8. Create a Weather Graph with Python
In this project, you will create a Python program that charts temperature over time on a line graph. For an extra challenge, look up the historical weather in your hometown and use that data in your program. In theory, you should see the temperature going down as winter approaches!
Ages: 10-15
9. Create a Wintery 3D Scene in Blender
Blender is a graphics software used to create 3D scenes, models, and art. In this tutorial, you will learn how to use the program to create a scene in which a car drives through the snow. If you finish the guide, be sure to attempt the challenge at the end, “Launch the rocket”!
Ages: 10-15
10. Draw a Snowman with JavaScript
JavaScript is a robust coding language that is quite valuable to learn. In this tutorial, you will learn how to draw various shapes with the language to create and color a wintery snowman scene!
Ages: 8-15
For live expert guidance learning JavaScript, join our online class:
Join a Winter Coding Camp Online
If you want to take your programming abilities to the next level, there’s no better way to level up your coding than through Create & Learn's winter break camps. We offer over 35 different computer science camps, covering topics such as game development, beginner-friendly coding Scratch, and real-world language Python. These classes are designed by experts from renowned companies such as Google and Apple and are taught by experienced teachers. With no more than five students per class, every student receives the personalized attention they need to thrive.
Don’t Miss Hour of Code for Winter Coding
Hour of Code, created by Code.org, is a celebration of coding and is intended to show that anyone, with the right instruction, can learn to code in as little as one hour. If you wish to participate in your own hour of code this winter during computer science week, check out Create and Learn’s Hour of Code Minecraft Activities, and our Hour of Code Tutorial for self-guided activities, or join our fun live online Hour of Code events here.
Enjoy Winter Coding
We hope that this list has not only helped to get you a bit more excited for winter, but also has piqued your interest in coding and helped you discover a variety of activities to heighten your coding skills. There’s no better way to improve your coding skills than by completing these wintery activities. If you’re still in the winter spirit, be sure to check out these holiday coding activities. Thanks for reading, happy coding, and have a warm and safe winter!
Written by Matt Schofield, an educator and avid coder. After studying Spanish at the University of Pennsylvania, Matt began teaching English as a second language to elementary students in Baltimore. In addition to his full-time teaching position, Matt enjoys teaching computer science in the evenings and weekends with Create & Learn.