Resourcing a Junior Makerspace

 

Throughout my blog I have spoken about materials available in our space to stimulate making in the Makerspace. Sometimes the making and creating comes from literature, other times from KLA’s and many times from challenges and interests of the students. We provide a wide range of craft materials as well as technology.

I thought I’d explain what we have available, the suppliers I have found to be very helpful and inspirational sites and people.

Low Tech
A variety of equipment and stationery: scissors, craft knives, rulers, pens, pencils, crayons, compases, paper, card, cardboard boxes, wool, string, wire, paste, cotton, cotton buds, threads, needles, buttons, wool, paper cups, plastic bottles, tubes, sticks, paddle pop sticks, felt, ballooons, rubber bands, aluminium foil, tooth picks, straws, blu tac, play dough, plasticine, air dry clay, duct tape, masking tape, marbles, ping pong balls, paint, and what ever is needed by the students for projects……….

 

…..any house hold materials which can be recycled or upcycled can be used.

Medium Tech
Copper tape, electric paint, foil, selection of batteries, conductive threads, LED’s, wire, motors, vibration motors, conductive and non-conductive dough, alligator clips, hot glue gun, pliers, hammers, nails, screw drivers, screws, split pins, bull dog clips, metal press studs, neopixels, lilypads

 

High Tech
iPads, computers, tablets, visualisers, easy speak microphones, drones, droids and robots, 3D printer, 3D doodle pens, YX plotter with laser engraver, soldering iron, iron, sewing machine, computer building kits.
Resourcing our makerspace started with low tech materials and ideas, over time we have incorporated and acquired more advanced technology.

 

Equipment

‘Making’ Apps

There are many wonderful Apps for creating, designing and making on the iPads…..without any mess!!!!

LEGO

This is a must for all Makerspaces. It is a construction toy of interlocking plastic blocks. It allows students to design and build endless projects as it is so versatile. LEGO walls, tables or corners are an invitation for children to create.

GoldieBlox

Great construction pieces to introduce girls to engineering….also love the History….created by Debbie Sterling to “disrupt the pink aisle” with a toy that would introduce girls to the joy of engineering at a young age. There are Apps, videos, animations, books, commercial and education kits.

Melting Beads

2016 will be remembered as our ‘Melting Beads Year’…girls couldn’t get enough! Every opportunity the beads came out and creations were made and left for a dedicated team of Yr 6 girls to melt!

Robots, Droids and Drones

 

We have a selection of robots, drone snad droids which the girls can program or free flight: LEGO WeDo, NXT Mindstorm and EV3’s. Bee Bot, Probot, Dash, BB8, Gyrobot, Parrot Minidrones and Phantom Drone with camera. We also have some fun remote control toys like our R2-D2! Great for directional language with our little ones!

Electric Blocks

Electronic blocks press together to create projects with sound, movement and light.

 

 

 

 

 

LittleBits

Colour coded electronic blocks which snap together with magnets for inventing and prototyping. More details here and here.Selections of commercially produced science and building kits. These can be purchased in stores like Kmart. Great for ideas and stimulus to start curious minds thinking!

 

Makey Makey

Makey Makey is an invention kit for the 21st century. It can turn everyday objects into touchpads and combine them with the internet. It’s a simple Invention Kit for Beginners and Experts doing art, engineering, and everything inbetween.

3D Printer & 3D Doodle Pen

Cocoon 3D printer and 3D doodle pen. Students design models and artifacts using Tinkercad software which can then be loaded onto the printer.

Arduino

Arduino is is an open-source electronics microcontroller platform which controls the physical world with sensors. Boards are able to read inputs…….a finger on a button and turn into an output…activating a motor. We are hoping to work more with ours this year.

XY Plotter Robot

XY Plotter Robot Kit is a drawing robot that can move a pen or other instrument to draw digital artwork on flat surface. It can also be developed into a laser engraver by adding the Laser Engraver Upgrade Pack.

This is our ‘new’ makerspace toy, with the engraver attachment, and we are looking forward to learning and creating with it!

 

 

 

 

Piper Computer Kits

Looking forward to our girls building a computer, creating electronics and learning computer programming skills with Piper Computer Kit.

 

 

Books

A must…..I have written a post here about a number of books I have found useful.

 

Suppliers

Jaycar Electronics (Australia)

Bare Conductive (UK)

Adafruits Australia …..I use to use USA site but now it’s available in Australia

Chibitronics (USA)

Edtech.com (Australia)

SparkFun (USA)

Little Bird Electronics (Australia)

Modern Teaching Aids (Australia)

Aldi, Kmart,  Toy stores, art/craft shops

Piper (USA)

Inspiring people and sites to follow:

Anne Weaver, Laura Fleming, Diana Rendina, Colleen Graves

Makerspace.com, Maker Ed, Instructables, TinkerLab

Pinterest….this is my board and there are many Makerspace boards to follow

Teachers Pay Teachers

A delightful reader has recommended this site , thank you Sydney. There are certainly some great projects for us to try.

I hope these resources are useful and, of course, we are adding to them all the time……