This Year's Schedule:
October, 2025
October 1-19
Competitive Track Application Window Open
Sixteen Maine Elementary schools (one in each county) will be selected to compete for cash and prizes! Application window is open October 1 – October 19. This participation track requires full-school participation.
November, 2025
November 19
Play-Along Track Registration Opens
Registration for our Play-Along Track is open to all Maine classrooms beginning November 19. All registered students will receive free toolkits, while supplies last. Toolkits go quickly, so be sure you’re signed up for email updates to get a reminder when registration opens.
December, 2025
December 1-5
Competitive Track Toolkit Deliveries
Team WinterKids hits the road to deliver toolkits to all of our Competitive Track schools!
December 8
Play-Along Track toolkits begin shipping.
This Year's Theme:
This year’s theme is HEART – caring for it, and each other, both physically and emotionally. HEART health and following your HEART will guide our learning and adventures outside as we work our way through our classic weekly topics of PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, NUTRITION, FAMILY, and WINTER CARNIVAL, all guided along by this year’s PLAYBook.
WEEK 1: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
1/12-1/16
Incentive:
Stopwatch
Event:
Opening Ceremony
Moment of the Week:
Opening Ceremony Video
Week 1 is sponsored by:
WEEK 2: NUTRITION
1/19-1/23
Incentive:
Heart Pedometer
Event:
Community Lunch
Moment of the Week:
Talking HEART Meme
Week 2 is sponsored by:
WEEK 3: FAMILY
1/26-1/30
Incentive:
Flashlight
Event:
Family Night
Moment of the Week:
Shared HEART Photo
Week 3 is sponsored by:
WEEK 4: WINTER CARNIVAL
2/2-2/6
Incentive:
Beach Ball
Event:
Closing Ceremony
Moment of the Week:
Winter Carnival Highlight Video
Week 4 is sponsored by:
Which Participation Track is Right for Your Students?
Participation is FREE for all Maine schools!
 |
 |
|---|---|
| ALL participating schools win cash, up to $5,000 for 1st place. | No cash prizes. |
| Schools receive 4 weeks’ worth of outdoor learning activities, incentive items for each student to help execute those activities, and BONUS MATERIALS! | Schools receive 4 weeks’ worth of outdoor learning activities and incentive items for each student (while supplies last) to help execute those activities. |
| Great way to bring the school community together and improve morale during the shortest days of the year. | Great way to bring the school community together and improve morale during the shortest days of the year. |
| Free for the 16 Maine schools selected from applicants. | Free for all Maine schools. |
| Full school participation is required, adhering to a schedule, with competition scored using a rubric. | Can participate as a class or as a school, moving at your own pace without scoring or competition. |
Competitive Track Zone
Tips to Prepare Your School’s Roster Video
We can’t wait to learn more about your school community! You will be asked to include a “roster video” with your application. This helps us get to know the unique spirit of your students, staff, and campus.
We encourage you to submit your roster video with your school’s application today, but if you need more time, you can also send it directly to mdoyle@winterkids.org by October 31. For files larger than 5 MB, we recommend using WeTransfer, which allows you to send large files at no cost.
WHAT TO INCLUDE (30 seconds or less):
❉ Start with a warm welcome/introduction
❉ Show favorite outdoor spaces your students love.
❉ Highlight your students and teachers in action, learning, and having fun together.
❉ Show your excitement for the WinterKids Winter Games with a cheer, sign, or creative shout-out!
VIDEO TIPS:
❉ Record with your phone held horizontally (wide format) for best quality.
❉ In general: simple is great!
❉ Edit using a free tool like Canva or iMovie to keep it to 30 seconds.
❉ If you use music, please choose royalty-free or licensed tracks.
❉ Save your final video as an MP4 or similar video file type.
Apply now:
Apply to join the 2026 WinterKids Winter Games Competitive Track! Sixteen Maine elementary schools—one from each county—will be selected to celebrate outdoor play, movement, and community spirit while competing for prizes of up to $5,000.
About the WinterKids Winter Games Competitive Track:
The Winter Games Competitive Track provides an opportunity for schools to earn cash prizes (up to $5,000!) by engaging students, staff, faculty, and the community in healthy outdoor activities. Teams (schools) participate by earning points for completing activities outlined in our weekly rubrics.
It’s a commitment. It’s competitive. It’s community-building.
The whole school gets involved and fosters a love of winter by moving and learning outside during Maine’s BEST season.
How it works:
In early December, schools will receive a comprehensive toolkit with PLAYBooks and incentives for every registered student.
Throughout the four weeks of the Winter Games, schools can accrue up to 25 points per week based on a rubric of challenges.
One school per week will receive one bonus point for the winning Moment of the Week submission, as judged by an independent panel of WinterKids sponsors.
ALL Competitive Track schools will win cash and prizes regardless of where they rank in final results. Top cash prizes go to Gold, Silver, and Bronze medal-winning schools.
Schools that compete in the Competitive Track can expect the following:
- Four weeks of outdoor competition for the entire student body and faculty (extra points for non-teaching staff)
- A comprehensive PLAYBook and weekly rubrics to guide your team to success
- A pre-competition webinar for lead teachers to guide your team to success
- Community involvement to support your school
- Parent & family engagement, the likes of which you may not have seen before
- The four weeks will fly by when engaged in this fun, friendly competition!
The eligibility and selection process for the Competitive Track is as follows:
- Any public elementary school in Maine can apply, EXCEPT for previous WinterKids Winter Games GOLD Medal Winners.
- All schools selected for the WinterKids Winter Games Competitive Track are at the discretion of WinterKids.
- One school per county will be selected to compete in the 2026 WinterKids Winter Games.
Preference will be given to schools with:
- The least access to community resources and supports.
- Adherence to the instructions outlined on our application.
- Proposals that include the improvement of students’ health and the school environment.
Past Competitive Track Winners:
2025
🥇 Gold Medal: Rangeley Lakes Regional School | Rangeley, ME
🥈 Silver Medal: Lamoine Consolidated School | Lamoine, ME
🥉 Bronze Medal: Community Regional Charter School | Cornville, ME
2024
🥇 Williams-Cone School | Topsham, Maine (Sagadahoc County)
🥈 Rangeley Lakes Regional School | Rangeley, Maine (Franklin County)
🥉 West Bath School | West Bath, Maine (Sagadahoc County)
2023
🥇 Leroy H. Smith School | Winterport, Maine (Waldo County)
🥈 Williams-Cone School | Topsham, Maine (Sagadahoc County)
🥉 Rangeley Lakes Regional School | Rangeley, Maine (Franklin County)
2022
🥇 Jonesport Elementary | Jonesport, Maine (Washington County)
🥈 West Bath School | West Bath, Maine (Sagadahoc County)
🥉 Leroy H. Smith School | Winterport, Maine (Waldo County)
2021
Due to COVID, no medals awarded | fully remote edition of the Winter Games.
2020
🥇 Prescott Memorial School | Washington, Maine (Knox County)
🥈 Jonesport Elementary | Jonesport, Maine (Washington County)
🥉Dr. Levesque Elementary School | Frenchville, Maine (Aroostook County)
2019
🥇 Searsport Elementary School | Searsport, ME (Waldo County)
🥈 Ames Elementary School | Searsmont, ME (Waldo County)
🥉 Canal School | Westbrook, ME (Cumberland County)
2018
🥇 Dayton Consolidated School | Dayton, ME (York County)
🥈 Skillin School | South Portland, ME (Cumberland County)
🥉 Miles Lane School | Bucksport, ME (Hancock County)
Winter Games
This was truly an inspiration to the kids, staff and families to embrace the winters here in Maine, more than they already have.
School Nurse / Dayton Consolidated School
The community has been super excited, the whole school, there's been a different atmosphere and we're just really happy to be chosen to be part of this, this year.
Teacher / Leroy H. Smith School
Kudos to you and this organization for mapping out such a wonderful program for Maine schools. I have been blown away by every aspect of this initiative.
Principal / Waterboro Elementary School
