The Winter Olympics are here, and that can only mean one thing in your classroom… it’s time for Dash to go for gold. 🥇
In this special collection of Winter Olympic–inspired Dash activities, students won’t just learn about the Games… they’ll engineer them. They’ll design courses, choreograph robot routines, build accessories, and solve real coding problems inspired by world-class athletes. Along the way, they’ll practice sequencing, loops, variables, problem-solving, and collaboration — all while cheering on their classroom “teams.”
Let the games begin! ❄️🤖🏔️
Opening Ceremony: Let the Parade Begin 🎉🌍
How will your students take part in the Games? Start by having each student (or small group) choose a country to represent. They can research their country’s flag, culture, and winter sports history. Then challenge them to redesign their country’s flag with custom artwork that Dash can carry during your classroom Opening Ceremony parade.
Attach student-created flags or decorations to Dash using building brick connectors, craft materials, or lightweight paper designs. Line up your “teams,” play some music, and have Dash robots parade through the classroom just like the athletes entering the stadium.
Use this Lesson Plan in our Cross Curricular Lesson Library that asks students to program Dash to carry the Olympic torch around a constructed stadium.
Next comes the lighting of the torch! Have students build an Olympic torch out of LEGO® bricks and connect it to Dash. Program Dash to travel across the room and “deliver” the torch to its final destination to officially kick off your classroom Winter Games.
Alpine Skiing: Code the Slalom ⛷️
Dash loves downhill speed! Transform your classroom into a snowy mountain by setting up a giant slalom course using cones, cups, or small flags. Use masking tape to mark a starting line and a finish line.
Students must program Dash to weave smoothly through the course, making wide and narrow turns just like real alpine skiers. Encourage them to adjust speed, turning angles, and timing to create the most “elegant” run.
You can turn it into a judged event by scoring:
- Accuracy (Did Dash make it through all the gates?)
- Style (Were the turns smooth and controlled?)
- Time (How fast did Dash finish?)
Edited: 3rd Graders participating in The Dash Robot Winter #Olympics Slalom Ski event! @WonderWorkshop More Info: https://t.co/iPkO1hWOIs @TpTdotcom pic.twitter.com/q6570GOapS
— Lindsey Bishop (@lbishop510) January 31, 2018
Biathlon: Ski and Shoot 🎯❄️
Ready for a two-part challenge? Convert your slalom course into a cross-country trail, then add targets to create a Dash-style biathlon.
After navigating the course, Dash must stop at a “shooting station” where students use the Launcher accessory to knock down cup targets. This activity blends movement coding with aiming and precision, just like the real biathlon sport.
Students will quickly discover they need both speed and control to succeed — going too fast might throw off their aim!
Figure Skating: Code the Choreography ⛸️🎶
Time for grace and creativity. Pair up two Dash robots and challenge students to create a synchronized skating routine.
Using curved paths, spins, and carefully timed movements, students can choreograph a performance set to music. They can even program Dash to play sounds as part of the routine.
Encourage students to think like choreographers:
- How do the robots move together?
- Where do they spin?
- Do they mirror each other or move in opposite directions?
This is a perfect activity for blending coding with the arts.
We are celebrating the Olympics in the library today! Working with gr4’s in @3kidzmum’s class @allistonunion to create “figure skating” routines with @WonderWorkshop’s Dash! #measurement #geometry #problemsolving #coding pic.twitter.com/kw7Ml5A34C
— Jess Longthorne (@LongthorneJess) February 9, 2018
Bobsledding: Speed Meets Precision 🛷💨
In bobsledding, athletes race down an icy track filled with tight turns. Recreate this by building a narrow, winding course using blocks, books, or classroom materials as “walls.”
Students must program Dash to zoom through the track without crashing. The challenge is to balance speed and control — too fast and Dash might bump into the walls, too slow and they won’t post a winning time.
Time each run and challenge students to improve their code to shave seconds off their performance.
Ice Hockey: Shoot and Score 🏒🥅
Turn Dash into a hockey star! Help students build an L-shaped “hockey stick” attachment using craft materials or LEGO pieces, and connect it to Dash.
Place a small object (like a checker or bottle cap) on the floor as the puck and set up a goal using a box or taped outline. Students program Dash to dribble, line up, and “shoot” the puck into the net.
For an extra challenge, create teams and have students code passing plays between multiple Dash robots.
Curling: Strategy on Ice 🧊🎯
Curling is all about precision and teamwork. Create a target on the floor using concentric circles made from tape or paper.
Students design a simple pushing attachment for Dash and take turns programming their robot to gently push “curling stones” (checkers or small discs) toward the target.
The goal? Get closer to the center than the other team — without knocking your own stones too far away. This activity is fantastic for teaching fine control and strategic thinking.
The Curling event at Dash Winter Olympics at @hillviewreads! @WonderWorkshop. #JEFCOED #redefiningready #morethanascore pic.twitter.com/12epNyB2eV
— Amanda C. Dykes (@amandacdykes) February 5, 2018
Speed Skating: Chase the Clock ⏱️⛸️
Speed skating is all about power, pacing, and perfect turns. Create an oval track on the floor using tape to mark lanes and curves.
Students must program Dash to complete multiple laps as quickly as possible without drifting out of bounds. This is a great opportunity to experiment with consistent motor speeds and smooth curved turns.
To add strategy, challenge students to:
- Run a steady “long track” pace
- Or code a short burst of speed for a “sprint” race
Have students time each run and refine their programs to improve lap consistency.
Exhibition Event: Snowball Toss ❄️🧺
Every Olympics has exciting new events! Introduce your own classroom exhibition sport: the Snowball Toss.
Using the Launcher accessory, students program Dash to toss soft “snowballs” (pom-poms or paper balls) into targets like cups, bins, or baskets placed at different distances.
Challenge students to adjust angle, distance, and power to hit harder shots — or invite them to invent their own brand-new Winter Dash sport!
Let the Coding Games Continue 🏅🤖❄️
The Winter Olympics may only come around every few years, but the creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving your students build during these Dash challenges will last all year long.
You can stretch these activities over a single exciting week or turn them into a full classroom “Dash Olympics” unit, complete with team names, scorecards, and a medal ceremony. However you run your Games, you’re giving students a hands-on way to connect global events with STEM learning in a way they’ll never forget.
We’d LOVE to see your classroom Olympians in action! 📸🎥
Share photos and videos of your students’ Dash Winter Games on social media and tag Wonder Workshop so we can celebrate and reshare your amazing ideas with the educator community.
Ready… set… code! ❄️🥇
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