January 8 – February 2, 2024
Our unique annual academic challenge encourages outdoor physical activity, teamwork, and a passion for learning outdoors in winter.
WinterKids Winter Games Participation Tracks Explained:
Full-school participation is required in completing daily activities throughout the Games.
Schools across Maine are selected to compete through an application process.
Each school is outfitted with the WinterKids Learn Outside Guide and toolkits with our PLAYBook and weekly incentives for all participating students.
Competing schools are scored based on how well they complete all of the daily activities.
All participating schools earn cash and prizes.
Classes can participate independently or with other classes in the same school, following the activities at their own pace.
Thanks to support from Maine businesses and foundations, toolkits containing the Winter Games PLAYBook and weekly incentives are FREE for registered classrooms in MAINE.
Schools outside of Maine can receive toolkits containing the Winter Games PLAYBook and weekly incentives for a per-student cost of
$8.50(Half-price deal! Receive all incentives while supplies last for just $4.25 per student!)The digital WinterGames PLAYBook and supplemental resources are always available for FREE.
Opportunities to win prizes through our Play Along Track photo contest.
Our Winter Games PLAYBook Guides the Way!
Our easy-to-follow Winter Games PLAYBook guides students through four weeks of fun outdoor learning challenges with weekly incentives for all students.*
This year’s theme, “Little Things,” encourages students to think about how small gestures can have very big impacts on our lives – through imagination, problem-solving skills, and resilience.
*Materials are available to registered Play-Along track participants while supplies last.
Take a peek inside:
January 8-12, 2024
Sponsored by Wyman’s
FOCUS: Outdoor Physical Activity
INCENTIVE: Magnifying Glass
January 16-19, 2024
Sponsored by Backyard Farms
FOCUS: Nutrition
INCENTIVE: Reusable Utensils Kit
January 22-January 26, 2024
Sponsored by Aroma Joe’s
FOCUS: Family Engagement
INCENTIVE: Flashlight
January 29-February 2, 2024
FOCUS: Winter Carnival
INCENTIVE: Jump Rope
COMPETITIVE TRACK ZONE
Top 3 Winning Schools
GOLD MEDAL WINNERS:
$5,000
Williams-Cone School
Topsham, Maine (Sagadahoc County)
SILVER MEDAL WINNERS:
$3,000
Rangeley Lakes Regional School
Rangeley, Maine (Franklin County)
BRONZE MEDAL WINNERS:
$1,500
West Bath School
West Bath, Maine (Sagadahoc County)
Final 2024 Competitive Track Leaderboard
Place | School | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | TOTAL SCORE |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Williams-Cone School | 25 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 98 |
2 | Rangeley Lakes Regional School | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 95 |
3 | West Bath School | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 95 |
4 | Friendship Village School | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 95 |
5 | Woodland Consolidated School | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 95 |
6 | East Range II School | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 93 |
7 | Ella P. Burr School | 24 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 92 |
8 | Sylvio J. Gilbert School | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 91 |
9 | Harrison Elementary | 24 | 24 | 18 | 22 | 88 |
10 | Miller Elementary | 20 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 85 |
11 | Hall-Dale Elementary | 22 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 85 |
12 | Patricia A. Duran School | 23 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 84 |
13 | Moscow Elementary | 22 | 21 | 21 | 17 | 81 |
14 | Academy Hill School | 19 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 63 |
15 | Shapleigh School | 9 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 49 |
16 | North Haven Community School | 18 | 18 | 12 | 48 |
Meet the Schools
Sixteen public elementary schools have been selected to participate in the 2024 WinterKids Winter Games Competitive Track! These schools will compete in four weeks of fun, active outdoor learning challenges to earn cash and prizes for their schools from January 8 – February 2, 2024.
WEEK 1 MOMENT OF THE WEEK
1ST PLACE: WILLIAMS-CONE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
The school earning first place is Williams-Cone School in Topsham with this human formation video.
HONORABLE MENTION: RANGELEY LAKES REGIONAL SCHOOL
Rangeley Lakes Regional School in Rangeley earned second place for their video.
WEEK 2 MOMENT OF THE WEEK
1ST PLACE: MILLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
The school earning first place in our week 2 Moment of the Week is Miller School in Waldoboro with this forced perspective photo:
Although our judges had to pick a single winner, ALL of these forced perspective photos are winners in our book!
WEEK 3 MOMENT OF THE WEEK
1ST PLACE: WILLIAMS-CONE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
The school earning first place in our week 3 Moment of the Week is Williams-Cone Elementary in Topsham with this family night lights photo:
Although our judges had to pick a single winner, ALL of these family night lights photos are winners in our book!
Meet the Judges
Meet the 2024 WinterKids Winter Games Judges Panel! Our Judges Panel is comprised of representatives from our sponsors. Each week, our judges will receive the Competitive Track schools’ Moment of the Week submissions anonymously to rank their favorites. Each weekly winner is chosen based on collective rank-choice voting.
Winners are announced the following Tuesday on WMTW Channel 8, then on Wednesday in the WinterKids Winter Games Facebook Group and on WinterKids’ website. In the event of a tie at the end of the Winter Games competition, the Winter Games Judges Panel will vote for their favorite Snow Principal likeness.
Good luck to all competitive schools!
Meagan Berube
Agren
Bill Bourassa
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
Crystal Brown
Aroma Joe’s
Colleen Craig
Wyman’s
Melissa Dudley
WEX
Andrea Hallett
MMG Insurance
Maureen Littlefield
Zachau Construction
Alyssa McQuade
Agren
Jon Morrill
Kittery Trading Post
Jamie St. Pierre
Central Maine Power
Sue Till
Hannaford Snack Pals
Bill Yeo
L.L.Bean
The Winter Games Competitive Track provides an opportunity for schools to earn cash prizes (up to $5000!) by engaging students, staff, faculty, and the community in healthy outdoor activity. 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.
The 2024 Competitive Track Schedule is as follows:
ADDITIONAL DETAILS:
Schools that compete in the Competitive Track can expect the following:
Eligibility and selection process for the Competitive Track is as follows:
Preference will be given to schools with:
PLAY ALONG TRACK ZONE
Check out this gallery of winter fun!
Our WinterKids Winter Games Play-Along Track participants shared these photos with us as entries into our Play-Along Track Photo contest between January 8-February 2, 2024 (official entry period).
GALLERY OF ENTRIES
Play the Winter Games with your classroom at your own pace!
Thanks to support from Maine businesses and foundations, toolkits containing the Winter Games PLAYBook and weekly incentives are FREE for registered classrooms in MAINE. (while supplies last).
Schools outside of Maine can receive toolkits containing the Winter Games PLAYBook and weekly incentives for a per-student cost of $4.25 per student (plus free shipping while supplies last).
All students – anywhere in the world – can play along FREE using our digital PLAYbook! Registration is required (no cost) to access digital materials.
Our Play-Along track was born during the pandemic as a way of reaching children even though they were not in school.
This non-competitive edition of the Games offers all the same fun activities and lessons without the structure of earning weekly points or meeting deadlines. Teams (classrooms, rec departments, individual students) can choose how to move, learn, and explore with this go-at-your-own pace track.
The 2024 Play Along Track Schedule is as follows: