Way back when our elementary STEM classes were known as Infotech and focused more on technology and tying it to literacy, Tinker Ball was one our most accessed sites. The Smithsonian Institute's Lemson Center for Invention and Innovation created Tinker Ball and the game where you stack everyday objects one might find lying around a garage is one of the longest-running student interactive sites still active.
Give Tinker Ball a go.
Like every year, I have tried to find items that keep our kids active both physically and mentally. Some of these toys will have to wait to go outside until spring in colder climates, but it will be worth the wait. I have also included at the end some all-stars that have appeared on previous lists that are worth a mention as they continue to stand out as some of the most fun and engaging materials I have in my classroom.
Another fun outdoor adventure item is this set of tree climbing holds (Amazon $39.99). They're just like the climbing holds that are bolted onto climbing walls, but they are threaded onto ratchet straps. Wrap the holds around the trunk of a tree and your kids will instantly have access to the branches. With the straps, they are portable and will not damage trees.
Here's an active toy that keeps kids out of the weather and closer to the ground but builds balance and core muscle strength. The Teeter Popper from Fat Brain Toys ($39.99) lets kids rock in a sitting or "surfing" position. The suction cups on the bottom not only provide much-needed stability, they deliver as the name implies a whole bunch of popping. The rocking and the sounds make this a great gift for children with sensory needs. When kids aren't teetering or popping, they can recline in it to watch TV or read. Teeter Popper was a 2014 American Specialty Toy Retailers Association (ASTRA) toy of the year award winner and comes in 3 available colors.
Although it happened over 45 years ago, the sinking of the majestic ore freighter Edmond Fitzgerald still mystifies researchers.
Enjoy this documentary about the largest ship ever lost on the Great Lakes.
There's something that has always fascinated me about the aesthetics of sports. From the uniform colors to the logos to how the helmets and facemasks are built to what is painted on the field or court, I have always been intrigued. Nothing though is more intriguing than exploring every nook and cranny of stadiums and Detroit's old Tiger Stadium had more nooks and crannies than most. It also held more great memories for me than most other stadiums, from my first visit with my grandpa in July of 1980 to sitting in the bleachers with buddies in college.
When I first started experimenting with my Glowforge laser cutter and engraver, an early project I created was a 2d cutout of Tiger Stadium's seating chart. From there the process really began to evolve as I started to create multiple levels and layers.
Apple's Keynote, on the surface a slide deck maker, really was pivotal in the process as my main design tool. Four years ago at Michigan's MACUL conference, I learned how to edit shapes in Keynote and that led me down one rabbit hole after the next due to the incredible flexibility this provides to the tool.
One of those rabbit holes involved me developing a way to create 3D laser-cut stadiums that I make with Keynote. I have a Glowforge that engraves and cuts 3mm sheets of maple into the shapes I create on the Mac. Each shape is a different layer of the stadium that I then stack and glue together.
Building Tiger Stadium in Keynote
Developing this process wasn't overnight and has taken lots of trial and error with new techniques for achieving the correct depth, perspective, and scale. The only thing Keynote won't do is export these shapes as vector graphics, which Glowforge requires for cutting. I still have to copy and paste them into vector software like Illustrator or Inkscape.
I realized I was on to something when I began to share pictures of my creations on social media (@stadium_fire) and people began to ask to buy custom-created stadiums. Over the course of the last two years, I designed and built close to 100 different stadiums. Everything from high school football fields to the English Premier League, and from that has evolved a thriving business on Etsy.
This summer I decided to tackle two big challenges I had been wanting to do since beginning to build these stadiums. #1 Build a historic set of models that traced the history of what would be known as Tiger Stadium in Detroit and #2 have my stadium art accepted for the big return of Grand Rapids' ArtPrize this fall.
I am proud to report I completed both goals and when ArtPrize opens tomorrow, "The Evolution of Michigan and Trumbull" will be on display at Flanagan's Irish Pub and feature six models from 1896 through 1999. The entire piece is 36" tall and 30" wide.
Through hours and hours of research, I found all kinds of extra pieces of information and details. One really cool one was the art deco batting Tiger that was an accent at the end of each row in the 1920s. With Keynote, I was able to recreate that Tiger and add it to the piece as an accent to the title section.
1920s seating accent re-created in Keynote
I also was able to re-create the early team offices and ticket booths from old photos with Keynote.
Rendering of 1930s Team Office and Ticket Booth
ArtPrize 2022 will feature over 700 artists competing for almost $500,000 in prizes and take over downtown Grand Rapids through October 2 as one of the world's largest free art shows. If you would like to support my ArtPrize bid, you can register for a free account and vote by adding my project to your favorites. Thanks.
The following links have great games for increasing how well you get around the keyboard.
It's that time of year again. Time to start sorting through the best bets for bringing holiday smiles to our kids while keeping their brains engaged. There's no shortage of choices this year, but it's important to start early because even in years with no supply chain issues, the hottest toys always end up in short supply.
If there is a common theme running through this year's list, it's all about creativity and building new things. You will also notice there are very few screens involved. I've built a very rewarding teaching career in the arena of educational technology but after the last two years, the last thing our kids need is more screen time. There's technology involved with a lot of these toys, but ultimately this year we are looking at stuff to help our kids move beyond anything virtual and start making real, cool stuff.
Woodworking is not only a fun hobby, but it gets kids creating in ways that develop all of the skills we are trying to build in stem. There's engineering involved with tackling a project and there are all of the different motor skills involved with applying the tools to wood.
This item is also sold under the PlayMat brand but appears to be the same product. They're in stock in mid-November so nab them quickly.
Jixelz - Free Form Puzzle Pieces - $4.95 to 16.95 - Fat Brain Toys is a company that has been a star on this list for years and this year they check in with a number of offerings. First up is Jixelz, a whole new take on jigsaw puzzle pieces. Instead of having to find the exact pieces to complete a puzzle once, kids take colored pieces and build out their own creations. The possibilities are seriously endless.
Each set of Jixelz is themed and comes with instructions to build pre-designed objects that end up looking like old-school pixelated graphics. There are all kinds of themed sets from festive Santa and Rudolf mini sets to the 1500 piece "Under the Sea" (pictured) and "Up In the Air".
Once kids follow the instructions and build a few designs, it's time to go free-form and build creatively. Jixelz is an amazingly simple idea that gives kids endless opportunities to create their own art. It makes you wonder why it took this long for someone to come up with it.
Off-brand Legos - 1000-1500 piece sets, $22.99-$29.99. - While looking to add more Lego bricks to our STEM repertoire this fall, I discovered that not only do quality, fully Lego-compatible bricks exist, they can be had on Amazon at a major discount compared to Lego-brand bricks. I remember being in elementary school and having well-intentioned relatives buy me Lego-like bricks but they never worked well together. These bricks are essentially identical minus the Lego name stamped on the studs.
The other key fact I learned from my students when I introduced these this year is that many kids who are nuts for Legos and have hundreds of dollars worth of them often struggle to free build with them. I had kindergarteners almost in tears because they didn't have instructions on how to build something. They'd just built a Millenium Falcon but had hardly ever just built for fun. The Star Wars and Harry Potter sets are a blast, but after kids build the thing on the box, hide those instructions.
Buying bundles of Legos that aren't themed gets kids creating freely and coming up with their own ideas beyond the instructions.
Fun Forts - 83 piece set - $33 - The blanket, of all things was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2011 because the joy of building forts has been a part of childhood for centuries. Power For Fun and Fun Forts bring architecture and engineering formally into the process with these easy to assemble frame kits that can then be draped with the hall of fame blankets of your choice.
There are two great aspects that stand out with this one. 1) All of your couch cushions will remain on your couch. 2) As families and friends begin to gather again, this toy gets kids playing together. It's heartbreaking to think how few opportunities kids have had to play and build together since the 2019 holiday season. That lack of socialization is showing up in the classroom as many kids struggle to work cooperatively as we resume more group activities that require them to work together.
Artie Max - $99.00 Drawing Robot - As we move into the gadget portion of the list, the only toy on this list that connects to a tablet is the Artie Max drawing robot. It might involve some screen time, but the big benefit of Artie is that it draws what the kids code. This is a toy that bridges the gap between creating something on a device and making something in real life.
My favorite aspect of Artie Max is that it is packed with potential and room for learning growth. It has very basic built-in activities for beginners, but as kids get deeper into coding, the robot supports 5 different coding languages and is capable of seriously high-end creations.
Botley The Coding Robot - $49.37 This 2019 Innovative Tech Toy of the Year is for the young coder (5-7) in your family. Botley is a screen-free robot that uses sequencing cards and other sensors. It is wonderful for building logical reasoning and problem-solving in kids. Also, check out Botley 2.0. It's a price jump at $73.99 but offers some new futures like being able to interact with other 2.0 robots in the room. Both models come with lots of accessories, games, and "hidden" features that kids will discover as they play.
Deluxe Eco Robots - $33.95 - Fat Brain Toys - While we are talking robots, let's up the age level. As I asked my 3rd and 4th graders to recommend toys for the list this year, this robotics kit from Elenco Electronics was a heavy vote-getter. One kit allows kids to make 14 different robot variations. Being able to create in so many ways is one plus, but kids love that these utilize solar so they're not as dependent on batteries.
Mega Cyborg Hand - $39.95 - Speaking of award winners, Mega Cyborg Hand is the 2021 STEM Toy of the Year. This offering is from another great, brain-engaging toy company, Thames and Kosmos. Assembling an oversized and wearable hydraulic hand carries lots of STEM benefits in itself. There is physics involved, but also some anatomy as it's designed after the mechanics of the human hand. A not-so-obvious benefit is the empathy kids develop for people with disabilities that have to rely on prosthetics like artificial hands. There is a ton of potential for creative play that comes with this project too.
Thames and Kosmos Arcade Maker Lab Candy Claw Machine - $37.99 - Having your own arcade claw game would be fun in itself but what's even more fun, and what makes this a great STEM toy is that kids actually build the machine themselves. The game comes with candy that has loops attached for the claw to grab. It also contains looped pouches that kids can fill with their own prizes.
Battat Roadster and other vehicles - Ages 3-6, $17.00 - Here's one specifically for the younger engineers this holiday season. These all disassemble with a battery-powered driver, requiring kids to choose the right screw head or socket. Like with free-building Legos, the real fun and creativity starts when users start "Frankenstein-ing" vehicles back together and swap parts across toys because the screws and bolts are all compatible. These are available online, but check your local Target as well. That is where I first found them.
Snap Circuits - Various Kits - $21-$105 - Elenco continues to grow their line of Snap Circuits toys that use principles of electronics in hundreds of fun projects. Projects vary from building transistor radios to codeable games and a new kit that teaches how to wire a smart home. As the offerings from Elenco has grown, so has the popularity of these kits.
Gooey, smelly, and sticky stuff - Back in the 70s and 80s, playing with a chemistry set literally meant kids had the potential to actually blow something up which was pretty much the essence of being a kid in the 70s and 80s. Today's chemistry sets are a whole lot safer and actually a whole lot more productive. All we were doing was mixing random powders and seeing if they'd ignite. Now, chemistry sets make everything from bath bombs to gummi worms. Check out all of these fun items to concoct! 
Ooze Labs Soap - $29.95 - While we're talking about chemistry in the bathroom, check out this Thames and Kosmos kit for its "Ooze Labs" line of toys. The company describes its product this way, "Real science and pretend play come together in this activity-filled kit that can be used alone or as an extension of the Ooze Labs Chemistry Station (a Parents’ Choice Silver Honor winner!). As you mold different glycerin soap shapes, you learn about the chemical properties of soap that help it pick up and wash away dirt. While you’re concocting bath bombs, you learn about how acids and bases combine to form fizzing reactions, and what a pH level is. Expand your cosmetics knowledge with an overview of the biology of skin care and other science related to soap and bath products. All materials and chemicals are non-toxic." It sounds like a good way to get kids cleaning up and in the bath tub.
Molds of clouds, unicorns, and rainbows add to the joy.
Slimey Stocking Stuffers -
At only $4.99 to $7.99 each, Thames and Kosmos lets you wrap up the little gifts with their "Ooze Labs" family of slimes and magic sand. These might actually be more fun to give to a child of one of your really up tight relatives. Watch your sister-in-law with the museum quality house squirm as your giddy nephew opens up a tube of glow-in-the-dark slime that potentially get everywhere. Check out Amazon for all of the creepy options.
And finally...by the time the presents are all unwrapped and we are rapidly approaching that "all out of fun" limit, here's a cozy place for your little ones...or you to find a little respite and some "me time". The Sky Nook - Hammock Swing - $39.95 is a great retreat where kids can escape the sensory overload that the season brings with it. We know that children who struggle with sensory processing greatly benefit from a space where they can do some nesting. Truth be told, a little nesting is healthful for all of us. This one is from Fat Brain Toys and is designed for 3 to 8 year olds. Check Amazon though for other hammock chairs to fit all members of your family.
Since first seeing a Glowforge 3D laser printer demonstrated on its Kickstarter page, I knew that if this device actually became a reality, it could play multiple roles in my elementary STEM classroom. At just under $2500, I also knew it would take some type of minor miracle to fund one and get it into the hands of my students. Having attended multiple METS Idea Slams in the past, I figured it was about time I step up from the audience to see if a minor miracle might be in the cards. All I wanted to do was share from the heart all of the ways I see an intuitive laser cutter and engraver transforming the maker space. I laid out how my kids try to prototype, but we don’t have the tools to create truly meaningful items and I pitched that with Glowforge, entrepreneurial lessons could also be included as kids fundraise off of the things we make...and my spiel worked. Like I had just won the Stanley Cup, I hoisted that big fake check above my head, so excited about how my students would soon be creating with this amazing device. Then they shut the world down.
As we all attempted to make some semblance of whatever teaching last spring was, I remained buoyed by the excitement of winning the Idea Slam and through REMC’s help, my Glowforge arrived in early May. I did some Zoom demos for students and started to find ways the device could still be part of virtual STEM. One of the last units I taught was on design thinking and I hosted a contest for students in grades 2, 3, and 4 to design a commemorative wooden coin to mark the completion of the 2019-2020 school year in STEM. From the kids’ instant buy-in you would have thought we were designing the next dollar bill. Of all of the activities, I taught during quarantine, this one by far generated the most excitement. In the end Autumn, a third-grader had the winning design and on the last day of virtual learning, kids who stopped by the school were presented with her token. When I asked students this fall what their favorite virtual activity was, the design contest ranked amongst the favorites. Even during the three-month shutdown, Glowforge helped me bring joy to learning.
The start of the 2020-2021 school year in Hamilton, Michigan began with students separated into cohort pods. My STEM room became a make-shift second-grade classroom and all of the materials like Legos and Sphero robots, that typically elicit bounties of joy were all stashed away. STEM time was reduced by 10 minutes per class period and instead of building towers with timber planks and skyscrapers out of cardboard, everything became screen-based. Because I was bouncing to eight different classrooms per day, the Glowforge remained at home. I was relieved to be back teaching face-to-face, but I was exhausted and I was struggling mightily to find any joy in anything we were doing.
Wrapping up 2020 and the holiday season was some epic gingerbread house making. We discovered one day in class that Glowforge will even cut graham crackers with incredible precision. The classroom might smell like the Keebler elves forgot to take the cookies out of the oven and burnt down their tree, but it’s all worth bringing joy back to STEM class. Thanks Glowforge...and thank you METS Idea Slam for helping to fund this adventure.
As teachers tackle moving instruction from face-to-face learning to virtual learning, the curriculum needs to be converted to a digital learning environment that utilizes an intentional pedagogy for delivering instruction online. According to Modern Teacher, a strong digital learning environment is organized, engaging, creative and rigorous, supportive, as well as collaborative and connected. By using HyperDocs and the included guided template as the foundation for your new digital learning environment, you will be giving students a digital experience that includes each of those aspects and sets them up with a high-percentage shot at being a successful virtual learner.
The founders of HyperDocs Lisa Highfill, Sarah Landis, and Kelly Hilton describe the concept this way, “HyperDocs, a transformative, interactive Google Doc replacing the worksheet method of delivering instruction, is the ultimate change agent in the blended learning classroom. With strong educational philosophies built into each one, HyperDocs have the potential to shift the way you instruct with technology. They are created by teachers and given to students to engage, educate, and inspire learning. It’s not about teaching technology, it’s about using technology to TEACH.”
When teachers create a digital learning environment that involves using one pedagogical framework that can house unlimited amounts of content, crucial consistency can be achieved.
Consistency in how teachers present materials and how students and their families access materials
Consistency in a manageable set of digital tools in which teachers and students can continue to develop mastery
Consistency in elements of lesson construction
Consistency in expectations for student completion of work
By adopting a pedagogical structure that can house a lesson and be adaptable to any content across any grade level, HyperDocs makes it easy for teachers to build and easy for students to access and navigate. When one method is used repeatedly, teachers get better at designing because they are doing more reps with the same technique. Kids get better at executing the tasks as well due to more reps with the same technique. As the legendary Bruce Lee said, “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”
What may seem like a simple doc with links is really a detailed progression of delivering digital instruction. Many HyperDocs follow this basic format that takes students through six steps of a lesson. Google Education Innovator Brian Briggs explains each:
Engage: Hook your students, get them engaged, and activate prior knowledge. You might use a fun video, interactive website, or audio recording.
Explore: Link resources, such as videos or articles, for students to explore more information.
Explain: Clarify the learning objective for your students. This is where you could teach a whole group lesson with direct instruction, or add additional resources for students to explore.
Apply: What do you want students to create to demonstrate their learning? Give instructions for the assignment.
Share: Provide a way for students to share their work and receive feedback.
Reflect: Pause for reflection (whole class, think-pair-share, etc.) or link them to a digital way to share their thoughts.
