I’ve been incorporating making into my classroom in the past few years. Some of my biggest challenges and one of the things I spent the most time on was sourcing different needed materials and supplies. Knowing what to get, what was the best buy, what works well with students – all things that took some trial and error. I don’t claim to be the expert on these things, and things are constantly changing, but here are a few products that worked well for me and links to them.
General All-Around Great Vendors to Source Supplies
- Kidder (great for design & build stuff – gears, pulleys, motors, tools, etc.)
- B&B (great for Lego Robotics kits, etc.)
- Sunwind (great solar powered project kits)
Consumables
- Hot glue sticks – 5lb bulk box
- Popsicle sticks – 1000 count box
- Perler beads: authentic ones from Amazon or knockoffs from Ikea
- Polyester stuffing (as fill for sewing projects like pillows, stuffed creatures)
- Origami Paper – 100 sheets
Resources
- Stylus for Sketchnoting
- Snap Circuits
- OSMO Genius Kit
- MaKey MaKey Invention Kit
- Sphero (goes on sale pretty frequently, so watch & wait)
Organization/Setup
- Raskog supply organizing cart
- Short lightning charging cables for iPads (better at a charging station than long cables all tangled)
- HDMI cables (2 packs have better pricing than individually – various lengths)
Books
- Sewing School: 21 Projects Kids Will Love to Make
- Pixel Craft
- Lego Mindstorms EV3 Idea Book
- Lego Crazy Action Contraptions
Furniture
- Peel Creative Zone – warehouse with used furniture, free for Peel employees (& delivered right to your school!) – you never know what you might find – if you’re from a different board, ask around to see if you have something similar. Paint an ugly old table with whiteboard paint to make it look fresh and new again!
- Hokki Stools
- Fatboy Junior bean bag chair/pillow (be warned – they will flatten out over time and you will have to refill them – keep that ongoing cost in mind)
- Fatboy Avenue Ottoman – these are super lightweight but sturdy, not as comfy as a bean bag but lower ongoing maintenance, easy to rearrange flexibly on the fly – combine several for modular seating
- Global Citi 3 Seater Sofa
2 Comments
Kristen Garvin · April 25, 2018 at 2:53 pm
Hi Erica,
Thanks for sharing your resources. Did you use your own money, or was there a budget for your classroom furniture? Do you have to have your Principal’s permission to transform your classroom? Thanks!
Erica Armstrong · April 25, 2018 at 6:23 pm
Hi Kristen!
I’ve done this twice now. The first time I had a budget for furniture (see 2015 Classroom Tour). The second time, I did not have a budget for furniture (see 2016 classroom tour) but did not spend much of my own money either – much of it came from Creative Zone for free, or I was able to find unused stuff hiding in storage rooms or asked colleagues if they would trade me furniture. Some of it was stuff I had at home that I was ready to part with or family members were getting rid of from their homes (once you know you want to transform your space – your eyes and ears are constantly on the lookout!). I did spend a little bit on new stuff at Ikea – some $7 stools, some cushions, the smaller carpet, the supply cart and the bins on it that I used to organize the school supplies… I can’t remember but I’m estimating I spent around $300.
Another spot I have sometimes hit upon great finds is https://www.govdeals.ca/ – right after the Panam Games, for example, they sold off everything!! It was all used for just a couple months and so I got some practically brand new things for next to nothing.
The first time around, because my principal approved the budget necessary to buy the furniture – that was “permission” I guess 🙂 The second time around, because I wasn’t asking for any money – I just went ahead and did it, setting up my classroom in August just like anyone would 🙂 She was aware, though – and seeing was believing – she loved it and was super supportive of it once she saw it in action.
In both cases, I did have a budget for supplies – consumables, resources – and was careful to spend those very differently in order to meet the needs of a transformed space. For example, I didn’t get duotangs or notebooks for every subject but probably spent a lot more on creative supplies than others did.