WinterKids Winter Games Yeti and Creatures with logo

The 2024 WinterKids Winter Games Have Wrapped Up!

January 8 – February 2, 2024

Our unique annual academic challenge encourages outdoor physical activity, teamwork, and a passion for learning outdoors in winter.

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    Four weeks of fun, outdoor learning challenges for elementary students!
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    16 Maine elementary schools competed in our 2024 Competitive Track winning cash and prizes for their schools! CLICK HERE FOR RESULTS.
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    ANY Elementary can participate at their own pace as part of our non-competitive Play-Along Track! CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR FREE MATERIALS!

WinterKids Winter Games Participation Tracks Explained:

Competitive Track Label
  • 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.

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  • 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.

Winter Games Map Legend 1
Winter Games Playbook FY24 Preview 2

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.

Weekly Marker 1R

January 8-12, 2024
Sponsored by Wyman’s

FOCUS: Outdoor Physical Activity
INCENTIVE: Magnifying Glass

Magnifier Winter Games FY24
Weekly Marker 2R

January 16-19, 2024
Sponsored by Backyard Farms

FOCUS: Nutrition
INCENTIVE: Reusable Utensils Kit

Cutlery Set Backyard Farms Winter Games FY24
Weekly Marker 3R

January 22-January 26, 2024
Sponsored by Aroma Joe’s

FOCUS: Family Engagement
INCENTIVE: Flashlight

Flashlights Aroma Joes Winter Games FY24
Week 4 Arrow Winter Games

January 29-February 2, 2024

FOCUS: Winter Carnival
INCENTIVE: Jump Rope

Jump Rope Winter Games FY24
Competitive Track Header

COMPETITIVE TRACK ZONE

Top 3 Winning Schools

Medal Gold

GOLD MEDAL WINNERS:
$5,000
Williams-Cone School

Topsham, Maine (Sagadahoc County)

GOLD MEDAL Williams Cone Elementary Topsham ME WinterKids Winter Games FY24
Medal Silver

SILVER MEDAL WINNERS:
$3,000
Rangeley Lakes Regional School

Rangeley, Maine (Franklin County)

SILVER MEDAL Rangeley Lakes Regional School Rangeley ME WinterKids Winter Games FY24
Medal Bronze

BRONZE MEDAL WINNERS:
$1,500
West Bath School

West Bath, Maine (Sagadahoc County)

BRONZE MEDAL West Bath School West Bath ME WinterKids Winter Games FY24
Competitive Track Label

Final 2024 Competitive Track Leaderboard

PlaceSchoolWeek 1Week 2Week 3Week 4TOTAL SCORE
1Williams-Cone School2524242598
2Rangeley Lakes Regional School2424232495
3West Bath School2424232495
4Friendship Village School2424232495
5Woodland Consolidated School2424232495
6East Range II School2323232493
7Ella P. Burr School2421232492
8Sylvio J. Gilbert School2323232291
9Harrison Elementary2424182288
10Miller Elementary2023231985
11Hall-Dale Elementary2222212085
12Patricia A. Duran School2322211884
13Moscow Elementary2221211781
14Academy Hill School1914151563
15Shapleigh School914121449
16North Haven Community School181812 48
Competitive Track Label

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 Wrap Up ft

Outdoor Physical Activity Week
Sponsored by Wyman’s

Week 2 Wrap Up ft

Nutrition Week
Sponsored by Backyard Farms

Week 3 Wrap Up ft

Family Engagement Week
Sponsored by Aroma Joe’s

Week 4 Wrap Up ft

Winter Carnival Week

Moment of the Week

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:

Miller School Week 2 MOW WinterKids Winter Games FY24

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:

Williams Cone School

Although our judges had to pick a single winner, ALL of these family night lights photos are winners in our book!

WEEK 4 MOMENT OF THE WEEK

1ST PLACE: WILLIAMS-CONE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

The school earning first place in our week 4 Moment of the Week is Williams-Cone Elementary in Topsham with this highlight reel:

Competitive Track Label

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

Meagan Berube
Bill Bourassa

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care

Bill Bourassa Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Winter Games FY24 Judge
Crystal Brown

Aroma Joe’s

Crystal Brown
Colleen Craig

Wyman’s

Colleen Craig Wymans Winter Games FY24 Judge
Melissa Dudley

WEX

Melissa Dudley
Andrea Hallett

MMG Insurance

Andrea Hallett
Maureen Littlefield

Zachau Construction

Maureen Littlefield Zachau Winter Games FY24 Judge
Alyssa McQuade

Agren

Alyssa McQuade Agren Winter Games FY24 Judge
Jon Morrill

Kittery Trading Post

Jon Morrill
Jamie St. Pierre

Central Maine Power

Jamie St Pierre Central Maine Power Winter Games FY24 Judge
Sue Till

Hannaford Snack Pals

Sue Till
Bill Yeo

L.L.Bean

Bill Yeo
Competitive Track Label

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:

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    October 1-23, 2023 – Competitive Track Application Window
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    November 10, 2023 – Competitive Track Schools Announced
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    Early December, 2023 – Winter Games toolkits delivered to Competitive Track schools
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    January 8-12, 2024 – Winter Games Week 1 (focused on outdoor physical activity)
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    January 16-19, 2024 – Winter Games Week 2 (focused on nutrition)
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    January 22-26, 2024 – Winter Games Week 3 (focused on family engagement)
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    January 29-February 2, 2024 – Winter Games Week 4 (focused on Winter Carnival)

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

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    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.
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    In early December, schools will have the opportunity to participate in a pre-competition orientation webinar.
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    Between January 8 and February 2, 2024, schools can accrue up to 25 points per week based on a rubric of challenges.
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    One school per week will receive one bonus point for the winning Wild Card Wednesday submission, as judged by an independent panel of WinterKids sponsors.
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    Any schools tied for first place at the end of the competition will submit a “snow principal” likeness – judged by an independent panel of WinterKids sponsors.

Schools that compete in the Competitive Track can expect the following:

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    4 weeks of outdoor competition for the entire student body and faculty (extra points for non-teaching staff)
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    A comprehensive PLAYBook and weekly rubrics to guide your team to success

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    Community involvement to support your school

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    Parent & family engagement, the likes of which you may not have seen before

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    January will fly by when engaged in this fun, friendly competition

Eligibility and selection process for the Competitive Track is as follows:

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    Any public elementary school in Maine can apply EXCEPT for previous WinterKids Winter Games GOLD Medal Winners.
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    All schools selected for the 2024 WinterKids Winter Games are at the discretion of WinterKids
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    One school per county will be selected to compete in the 2024 WinterKids Winter Games

Preference will be given to schools with:

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    50% or greater Free and Reduced Lunch
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    The least access to community resources and supports
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    Adherence to the instructions outlined on our application.
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    Proposals that include the improvement of students’ health and the school environment.
Play Along Track Header

PLAY ALONG TRACK ZONE

Play Along Track Label

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 Along Track Label

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.

Contact Information - Step 1 of 3
If you're not sure whether someone else has applied for your school, please contact Marion Doyle (mdoyle@winterkids.org) to confirm.
How will your school participate? Please select one of the following:
Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, all Maine schools quality to receive full toolkits for the Winter Games at no cost!
Play Along Track Label

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:

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    December 1, 2023 – Play-Along Track registration opens for all Maine Schools (Free of charge)
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    Late December, 2023 – Play-Along Track registration opens for states outside of Maine for a per-student cost of $8.50 (Half-price deal! Receive all incentives while supplies last for just $4.25 per student) plus free shipping!
  • Snowflake - MINION YELLOW
    January 8-12, 2024 – Winter Games Week 1 (focused on outdoor physical activity)
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    January 16-19, 2024 – Winter Games Week 2 (focused on nutrition)
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    January 22-26, 2024 – Winter Games Week 3 (focused on family engagement)
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    January 29-February 2, 2024 – Winter Games Week 4 (focused on Winter Carnival)
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.
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Hillary Hoyt
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.
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Christine Bertinet
Principal / Waterboro Elementary School
Win or lose, this has been a wonderful experience for our staff and our community.
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Ben Tripp
Principal / Ash Point Community School
Of course we want to win! But I feel like we've already won... It's an immediate result. You can see the difference in the kids."
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Crystal DaGraca
Principal / Swan's Island School
Ok, first and foremost, this is the COOLEST program.  The amount of thought that has gone into it is incredible.
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Sam Person
PE Teacher / Waterboro Elementary School
I am SO thankful for the impact this Winter Kids competition has on our kids. In this short time, the changes in attitudes, physical activity, even the helpfulness of students was very heart-warming.
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School Nurse
Piscataquis Community Elementary School
Because of this competition, my family is now rethinking our snack choices and making healthier ones, our kids and community have formed a wonderful bond coming together for one goal, and you managed to get a Mom, who hates winter and the cold, outside embracing the beauty of Maine having fun with her kids.
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Dayton Consolidated School Mom
How do you combine a community, school, home, nutrition, exercise, team, kids, parents, teachers, school spirit, awareness, and fun? Participate in WinterKids Winter Games!! Seriously had no idea how amazing this would be and what our community was capable of! The support and Camaraderie is incredible. What a positive experience this has been for our kids and all the parents too!
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Christina Barber
It has been inspirational to watch our community unite around a common purpose of healthy, active kids.
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Sarah Maxwell
Assistant Principal / Waldo T. Skillen School
Let's just say several parents told me their students were sleeping better at night and at school we've had much less behavior issues this week! Two very big positives for WinterKids Winter Games challenge week #2!!
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C. Ellis
Principal / Miles Lane Elementary
This was truly an inspiration to the kids, staff and families to embrace the winters here in Maine, more than they already have.
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C. Agreste
School Nurse / Dayton Consolidated School

Recent Winter Games News & Updates

Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medal Winning Schools announced in the 7th Annual WinterKids Winter Games

The 7th annual WinterKids Winter Games wrapped up this February with 16 schools competing statewide to win a total of $17,750 for their schools! The Winter Games is a 4-week series of challenges in outdoor physical activity, nutrition, family engagement, and winter carnival. All Competitive Track schools received a cash prize based on how they finished.

2024 WinterKids Winter Games Photos, Results, and More!

Between January 8-February 2, 2024, over 10,000+ students, teachers, and families participated in the 7th Annual WinterKids Winter Games by completing four weeks of WinterKids outdoor learning challenges!

2024 WinterKids Winter Games Week 4 Wrap Up (Winter Carnival Week)

The final week of the WinterKids Winter Games culminated with the 16 schools holding their Closing Ceremonies!

2024 WinterKids Winter Games Week 3 Wrap Up (Family Engagement Week)

Students in both our Competitive Track and our non-competitive Play-Along Track did an incredible job for Week 3, participating in the following daily challenges, as guided by this year’s PLAYBook, “The Little Things” edition.

2024 WinterKids Winter Games Week 2 Wrap Up (Nutrition Week)

Week 2 of the WinterKids Winter Games carried on the excitement, with Maine students celebrating nutrition as the topic of the week’s competition. Most schools had snow to aid their fun as they learned and moved outdoors, competing for the $5,000 cash prize.

2024 WinterKids Winter Games Week 1 Wrap Up (OUTDOOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WEEK)

The 7th Annual WinterKids Winter Games are in full swing, with schools embracing the outdoors and learning the importance of “The Little Things” in this four-week competition.

MEDIA COVERAGE

January 18, 2024

In Harrison, January is for WinterKids

via SunJournal
Read More
February 23, 2023

WinterKids names Winter Games winners

via CentralMaine.com
Read More
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