KiwiCo Panda Crate
KiwiCo Panda Crate
$$
Great hands-on exploration from birth through 2 years old. The Panda Crate evolves as children age, maximizing each stage of development, with steps at 0-2 months, 3-6 months, 7-12 months, 13-18 months, and 19-24 months.
HATCHBOX PLA 3D Printer Filament (1.75mm)
HATCHBOX PLA 3D Printer Filament (1.75mm)
$
This 3D printer filament is reliable (meaning it doesn’t break or snap off mid-print), at a reasonable price point.
ANYCUBIC 3D Printer
ANYCUBIC 3D Printer
$$$
There are a lot of 3D printers on the market now. This one strikes a good balance between features and cost. It’s easy to set-up out of the box for beginners, but also has high print quality for more advanced users. Key features include: a sturdy frame; a filament sensor; a reliable print surface; and a super easy set-up. The only downside is it can be a little noisier than more expensive models (similar to a microwave for context).
KiwiCo Tinker Crate
KiwiCo Tinker Crate
$$
This subscription box has high-quality engineering projects, that are both fun and educational. Kids are able to enjoy building the project, and then play with their creation, but every box has an underlying engineering or scientific principle it demonstrates. The boxes come with easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions, as well as supporting educational material.
MakerBot Thingiverse Education
MakerBot Thingiverse Education
FREE
Thingiverse has free, mostly crowdsourced, designs for 3D printers. There is also an education section, with lessons you can filter by grade and subject. The link above takes you to K-6 Engineering lessons. We’ve found that once students realize they can create right away, they will be motivated to start tweaking and customizing designs.
Smithsonian Science Education Center
Smithsonian Science Education Center
FREE
This is a free game geared towards Kindergarten through 2nd grade. It teaches engineering design principles.
TinkerCad
TinkerCad
FREE
Tinkercad is a free, easy-to-use app for 3D design and electronics. It’s designed for beginners. There are free lesson plans to design 3D builds and electronic circuits. Everything students design digitally can be simulated within the platform. Creations using this software can be exported to be 3D printed or cut on a laser as well.