We are finally in full swing with gifted classes and the after-school Maker Club. As I’ve mentioned, we are participating in the Global Cardboard Challenge. I thought I would share with you some great supplies that you may want to purchase if you have money to invest (particularly grant money).
With a grant we received this year, I bought a huge supply of Classroom Kits from Makedo. These pieces are great for inspiring imaginative cardboard projects. My favorite pieces in our sets are the hinges, but the hole puncher tools are invaluable, too. I do not currently see the Classroom Kit available (it appears to be sold out), but I do see a “Make Anything Kit” that has new, interesting tools like “scrus” and a “scrudriver.” One caveat if you are planning to buy from this company is to check with your school about rules for purchasing. The company is in Australia, and does not accept purchase orders (but they do accept checks and credit cards.) There are some products from them on Amazon, but the Classroom Kits are not yet available through that route.
Speaking of Amazon, get thee to their site to get this great deal on a 5-pack of Klever Kutters (you can purchase these other places, but this is the best deal I’ve found). Last year, my students really enjoyed using the safety saws that came with the Makedo kit. Even when I offered to use my box cutters to help them, many students turned me away because they loved the independence the saws gave them. However, they can take an awfully long time to cut a flap off of a box. So, this year I ordered a bunch of Klever Kutters (thanks to several of my GT co-workers who saw them mentioned at a conference). I LOVE these tools. They are super safe (even safer than scissors in my opinion), and give the students a lot more autonomy while creating. I still use the box cutters for cutting shapes that need to be more exact out of the boxes, but I have to do a lot less running around with the kids supplied with Klever Kutters.
With our grant money, we are also receiving some Classroom Kits from Little Bits, and I’m hoping some of my students who already have Little Bits experience from last year will find ways to incorporate them into their Cardboard Creations (make things buzz or light up or something even more fantastic!). By the way, if you buy anything from Little Bits, be sure to sign up for the Educator Discount (and they do take Purchase Orders, so call their Customer Service number for information on how to go about doing that). Little Bits has added all kinds of new things since the end of last school year, so be sure to check out their site if you haven’t visited for awhile.
Don’t have any money to buy these awesome supplies? Check out the Global Cardboard Challenge Make-a-Movie-Trailer Contest; the winners will receive either a Makedo Set or a Little Bits set!
