MARK YOUR CALENDARS for the 2023 WinterKids Winter Games:
January 9 – February 3, 2023
This year’s theme is “My Wild Winter,” and we’re excited to have schools across Maine join us for four weeks of fun, active outdoor learning opportunities.
Once again, the WinterKids Winter Games is bringing a little healthy competition to elementary schools across Maine. The four-week-long program, which spans from January 9th to February 3rd, features fun, active, and educational activities that get students moving and learning outside!
Schools can choose to apply to be one of the 16 schools in the Competitive Track, vying for a top prize of $5,000 cash, or participate in the flexible Play-Along Track. Either way, over 10,000 kids will be getting outdoors and active throughout the month of January!
6th Annual Winter Games Participation Tracks:
16 Schools across Maine are competing for cash and prizes (top prize is $5,000!)
Requires full-school participation
Each school is outfitted with a WinterKids Learn Outside Guide, a backpack filled with outdoor safety essentials, courtesy of our sponsor, Kittery Trading Post, and toolkits with our PLAYBook and weekly incentives for all participating students.
Access to our private Winter Games Facebook group.
Opportunities to win cash prizes from Central Maine Power Company!
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED…SCHOOLS TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON!
Classes can participate on their own or with other classes in the same school.
Registered classes are outfitted with our Winter Games PLAYBook and weekly incentives for all participating students (up to 10,000 children).
Access to our private Winter Games Facebook group.
Opportunities to win weekly prizes from WinterKids!
REGISTRATION OPENS DECEMBER 1!
Our Winter Games PLAYBook Guides the Way!
Our easy-to-follow “My Wild Winter” Winter Games PLAYBook will guide your students through four weeks of fun outdoor learning challenges, with weekly incentives for all participating students (included with all toolkits).
Week 1
FOCUS: Outdoor Physical Activity
INCENTIVE: Journal
Week 2
FOCUS: Nutrition
INCENTIVE: Smoothie Cup
Week 3
FOCUS: Family Engagement
INCENTIVE: Pedometer
Week 4
FOCUS: Winter Carnival
INCENTIVE: Recycled Disc Flyers
“Our students are much more aware of the fun they can have in these long winter months and it’s been wonderful to hear the positive feedback from our parents. It certainly made January fly right by!“
-Nancy Stover, Prescott Memorial School, Washington ME
“The activities gave us new, fresh ways to get the kids engaged outside. Students enjoyed the inquiry, and structure, yet freedom in the way they were able to carry out the activities. It also gave us a great chance to work together as a school, team, and community. “
-Karen Thurston, Andover Elementary
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
Win or lose, this has been a wonderful experience for our staff and our community.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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!
It has been inspirational to watch our community unite around a common purpose of healthy, active kids.
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!!
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.
School Nurse / Dayton Consolidated School
Winter Games 2022 News & Updates
Between January 17-February 11, 2022, over 12,000 students, teachers, and families participated in 4 weeks of “Olympic Games” themed WinterKids outdoor learning challenges!
The 5th annual WinterKids Winter Games wrapped up in February with 22 schools competing statewide to win a total of $50,000 for their schools! This year’s 4-week series of challenges […]
This year, we expanded the WinterKids Winter Games to make it more accessible to more students, teachers, and families with our new Play-Along track! The result? Over 7,000 participants across […]
For week 4 of the WinterKids Winter Games (Winter Carnival Week), we asked our schools to submit a highlight reel, showcasing the very best of their Winter Games experience. Congratulations […]
For week 3 of the WinterKids Winter Games (Family Engagement Week, sponsored by Subway & Aroma Joe’s), we asked our schools to submit their favorite photo of the week. Congratulations […]
For week 2 of the WinterKids Winter Games (Nutrition Week, sponsored by Backyard Farms), we asked our schools to submit a Meme about the Winter Games. Congratulations to West Bath […]
MEDIA COVERAGE
October 11, 2022
Applications open for 6th annual WinterKids Winter Games
via Village Soup
Read More
October 9, 2022
WinterKids Winter Games seeks applications for ’23 program
via CentralMaine.com
Read More
February 15, 2022
WinterKids gives Maine children a shot at the Winter Games
via News Center Maine
Read More
February 12, 2022
Three guests visit Union Elementary School for WinterKids Winter Games
via Village Soup
Read More
February 11, 2022
Schools across Maine wrap up the fifth annual Winter Kids Winter Games
via News Center Maine
Read More
February 8, 2022
Students at Woodland Consolidated School are going for the gold in the fifth annual WinterKids Winter Games
via The County
Read More
February 2, 2022
Jonesport school going for the gold in this year’s ‘Winter Kids’ winter games
via WABI 5
Read More
THE WINTER GAMES ARE MADE POSSIBLE THANKS TO GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM:
Presented by:
Weekly Sponsors:
