Quiz template · Events
Winter trivia questions and answers
20 questions on snow, ice, the solstice, winter sports and animals in the cold, for a holiday party or a December team meeting.
Easy 20 questions 30 s each · about 16 min Checked against two sources
Use this one for the holiday party, the last team meeting of the year or a cold evening with friends. It stays clear of any single festival, so it works for everyone in the room. The questions move from snowflakes and the solstice to curling, reindeer and the coldest place on Earth. Twenty questions take about 16 minutes.
How to run it
- Open with it while people are still arriving. The first questions are easy, so late joiners can catch up without feeling lost.
- Read the explanations out loud. Half of them hold a fact that starts a conversation, such as why we see the northern lights.
- Question 20 asks for a wind speed in miles per hour. Use it as the tie-breaker if two teams finish level.
Questions and answers
1In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, falls in which month?Easy
- AOctober
- BNovember
- CDecember
- DJanuary
Reveal answer
C. December
The solstice falls on 21 or 22 December. It is the day with the fewest hours of daylight. After it, the days slowly get longer again.
2At what temperature does water freeze on the Fahrenheit scale?Easy
- A0 degrees
- B32 degrees
- C100 degrees
- D212 degrees
Reveal answer
B. 32 degrees
Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit and boils at 212. Fahrenheit is still the everyday scale in the United States. Most other countries use Celsius, where water freezes at 0.
3A snowflake almost always has how many arms or sides?Easy
- ASix
- BFour
- CEight
- DFive
Reveal answer
A. Six
Ice crystals grow in a six sided pattern because of how water molecules lock together when they freeze. Each arm grows in the same conditions, so the arms look alike.
4The deep winter sleep some animals use to save energy is called what?Easy
- AMigration
- BMoulting
- CCamouflage
- DHibernation
Reveal answer
D. Hibernation
A true hibernator slows its metabolism, its heart rate and its body temperature. Bats and ground squirrels do it. Bears are a looser case, because their body temperature stays fairly high.
5Downhill and slalom are races in which winter sport?Medium
- ACross-country skiing
- BAlpine skiing
- CSki jumping
- DSnowboarding
Reveal answer
B. Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing covers downhill, super-G, giant slalom and slalom. Downhill is the fastest, with the fewest turns. Slalom is the shortest course, with the quickest turns.
6Which continent is the coldest on Earth?Easy
- AAntarctica
- BEurope
- CAsia
- DNorth America
Reveal answer
A. Antarctica
Antarctica is the coldest, windiest and driest continent. Almost all of it is covered in ice. Only scientists and support staff stay there, on research stations.
7What is the name of the dome shaped shelter built from blocks of snow?Medium
- AYurt
- BTipi
- CIgloo
- DWigwam
Reveal answer
C. Igloo
Inuit people in Canada's Central Arctic and in Greenland built igloos as winter shelters. Snow traps air, so the inside stays far warmer than the air outside.
8True or false: in the Southern Hemisphere, winter falls in June, July and August.Medium
- ATrue
- BFalse
Reveal answer
A. True
The seasons are flipped south of the equator. Australians and South Africans have their winter in the middle of the year and their summer over Christmas.
9Which winter sport is played on ice with heavy granite stones and brooms?Easy
- ALuge
- BBiathlon
- CSkeleton
- DCurling
Reveal answer
D. Curling
Players slide stones towards a target called the house. Two team mates sweep the ice in front of the stone with brooms to change how far it goes and how much it curls. The sport began in Scotland.
10The northern lights are also known by which name?Medium
- AAurora australis
- BAurora borealis
- CZodiacal light
- DNoctilucent clouds
Reveal answer
B. Aurora borealis
Aurora australis is the southern version. Both happen when charged particles from the Sun hit gases high in the atmosphere and make them glow. Long dark winter nights are the best time to see them.
11What causes the seasons on Earth?Medium
- AThe tilt of Earth's axis
- BEarth moving closer to and further from the Sun
- CThe pull of the Moon
- DChanges in the Sun's heat
Reveal answer
A. The tilt of Earth's axis
Earth's axis is tilted by about 23.4 degrees. The half of the planet leaning away from the Sun gets less direct light and has winter. Earth is actually closest to the Sun in early January.
12In Disney's Frozen, what is the name of the talking snowman?Easy
- ASven
- BOlaf
- CKristoff
- DHans
Reveal answer
B. Olaf
Olaf first appeared in Frozen in 2013 and is voiced by Josh Gad. Sven is the reindeer, Kristoff the ice harvester and Hans the prince.
13Which Shakespeare play has the word winter in its title?Medium
- AThe Winter's Tale
- BTwelfth Night
- CA Midsummer Night's Dream
- DThe Tempest
Reveal answer
A. The Winter's Tale
The Winter's Tale is one of Shakespeare's late plays, written around 1610 and first printed in the 1623 First Folio. It has the famous stage direction: exit, pursued by a bear.
14True or false: reindeer are the only deer in which both males and females grow antlers.Hard
- ATrue
- BFalse
Reveal answer
A. True
Reindeer are the same species as the caribou of North America. Males and females both grow antlers, though the females' antlers are smaller.
15Which country hosts the Sapporo Snow Festival, famous for its huge snow and ice sculptures?Easy
- ACanada
- BNorway
- CChina
- DJapan
Reveal answer
D. Japan
The festival is held every February in Sapporo, on the northern island of Hokkaido. It began in 1950, when six high school students built snow statues in Odori Park.
5 more questions in the full pack. Play all 20 live, free.
Get all 20 questions, ready to play live - free for 100 playersQuestions about this template
Is this winter quiz tied to Christmas or another holiday?
No. It covers the season itself: snow, ice, the solstice, winter sports and animals in the cold. One question mentions a snowman from a Disney film. That makes it a safe pick for a mixed group.
How do we play it at a party?
Press Go live and show the PIN or QR code on the screen. Guests join from their phones, answer within the timer and see the leaderboard after each question. The free plan covers 100 players in a session.
Do guests need an app or an account?
No. They open the link or scan the code, type the PIN and a name, and play in the browser. Only the host needs a RiLiFi account.
Can I add questions about our own winter traditions?
Yes. Use this template to make a copy, then add questions about your team, your town or your family, change the points, and delete anything that does not fit.
Sources
Every answer shown here was checked against two sources, listed below. Links last checked 24 October 2026.
- Winter solstice - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- When is the winter solstice? The shortest day | Royal Observatory Greenwichrmg.co.uk
- Fahrenheit - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- NOAA's National Weather Service - Glossaryforecast.weather.gov
- Snowflake - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- How do snowflakes form? Get the science behind snow | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationnoaa.gov
- Hibernation - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- Hibernation: Nature’s Nap Time (U.S. National Park Service)nps.gov
- Alpine skiing - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- Alpine Skiing - Team Canadaolympic.ca
- Antarctica - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- Antarctic weather - Australian Antarctic Programantarctica.gov.au
- Igloo - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- DCHP-3 | igloodchp.arts.ubc.ca
- Winter - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- Weather in Australia - Tourism Australiaaustralia.com
- Curling - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- Korea 101: Hangul Crash Course - Curling - Team Canadaolympic.ca
- Aurora - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- Auroras - NASA Sciencescience.nasa.gov
- Season - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- What Causes the Seasons? | NASA Space Place - NASA Science for Kidsspaceplace.nasa.gov
- Olaf (Frozen) - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- Olaf - D23d23.com
- The Winter's Tale - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- The Winter’s Tale | Folger Shakespeare Libraryfolger.edu
- Reindeer - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- Eight points about antlers | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Servicefws.gov
- Sapporo Snow Festival - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- Sapporo Snow Festival official websitesnowfes.com
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