Harrison Elementary School students have a new advantage as they compete in Maine’s WinterKids games this year: pre-K through second grade students who transferred from Waterford Memorial School can participate for the first time.

When the two schools consolidated in September it meant all kids from the two towns are now able to take part. Program coordinator and Harrison educator Samantha Geer says as a result she is seeing a reinvigorated energy — with staff as well as students.

“We took a step back with our planning, to make sure our teachers new to WinterKids knew what to expect,” Geer told the Advertiser Democrat. “It’s not easy to fit all the WinterKids activities into an already packed class schedule.”

The older classes and their teachers are mentoring their fellow “rookies” to help learn the ropes, acting as book buddies and taking their lunch breaks together. Engaging with different grades at outdoor activities has created new opportunities for social and emotional learning.

Statewide, ceremonies for the WinterKids Winter Games opened Monday at 88 schools, with more than 10,000 kids taking part this year. The program runs for four weeks, with teachers daily tracking activities and lessons and submitting to WinterKids headquarters to be assigned points.

The school earning the most points receives a $5,000 prize to invest in outdoor educational supplies and equipment.

Last year Harrison placed sixth, earning $750 used to purchase kid-size snowshoes. Two years ago an eleventh place finish earned the school $500. Last month, Principal Margaret Emery told school district directors that having more students bringing a fresh energy should help Harrison elementary rank higher once all the points are tallied next month.

The new snowshoes have already been put into service during the 2026 Winter Games. Families are invited to a community night of sledding at the RADR Complex and school district administrators are expected to come ice skating with the kids. Closing ceremonies will be Feb. 6.

Harrison Village Library’s Youth Services Coordinator and local dance instructor Allison Taber was a special guest at Monday’s opening ceremonies, leading the entire school in learning stretches and breathing techniques.

“The WinterKids Winter Games theme this year is your heart,” Geer said. “The kids have been learning about heart rates — finding their resting pulse and then how exercise increases it.”

“To a kid, stretches can be a bit boring,” Tabor added. “A lesson I shared with them is how stretching works to make their bodies happier at the start and end of physical exercise. It includes breathing exercises, which help slow thoughts in their brains and calm their bodies.”

This was Tabor’s first time participating as a WinterKids leader but she’s watched it grow over the years. Her daughter — now a senior in high school — was a Harrison WinterKid when the program was still new.

“It has grown tremendously over the years,” she said. “There is bigger participation from the teachers. WinterKids is well known throughout our community, and I was honored to participate this year.”