New K-5 Makerspace

[Nate Gordon]

Friends, In the fall of '25, Bullis will open a new Lower School building, including a dedicated K-5 Makerspace. This room will be the regular classroom for our Design (coding and engineering) classes, but we also envision it as a resource for all LS teachers and students. We are now where I need to start putting together a proposal for hardware for the room. 

Many of you know that I have an incredible resource already down the hallway in Matt Zigler, and we have been discussing this for over a year now. In addition to this, we wanted to get the input of this community for both items and specific brands/makes. 

 At the top of my list is a laser cutter (we have already discussed venting with the builders), primarily for cutting cardboard as well as particle board or wood. I also hope to get a vinyl cutter, a pair of 3-D printers, a table saw, and perhaps some sewing machines. 

 Please let me know if you have any recommendations for specifics or thoughts on items that you have found valuable in elementary school making!

Thanks,

Nate

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Nate Gordon Lower School Technology Coordinator & Design Teacher nate_...@bullis.org 301-299-8500 x422	Bullis School 10601 Falls Road Potomac, MD 20854 www.bullis.org
CARING — CHALLENGING — COMMUNITY

[Castle Kim]

One tool I have found easy to learn with high reward for the user is having a heat press. For K-5, I'd recommend having close supervision on using this, but in combination with a vinyl cutter you can cut hear transfer vinyl. With the cut pattern you can heat press the patterns on to different fabric objects with the heat press (pencil pouch, t shirts, and tote bags). I was first skeptical on having this tool in my previous Makerspace, however, I quickly learns how much fun and rewarding it was for the students. 

Another tool/item I'd recommend having are cardboard construction tools and screws. There is a company called Makedo that you can get the tool kits for cardboard construction. This would be an amazing addition for the younger students with your cardboard resources and making. I also imagine that you can 3D print the screws, so you don't run out of them or can easily replacement as students use them up. 

Hope that helps and happy to talk more. 

Castle 

[Rob van Nood]

I would add in ZipSnips to Castle’s cardboard construction tools.  They make cutting carboard so much easier.

Rob

 

Rob van Nood 
Educational Technology Specialist
Catlin Gabel School
8825 SW Barnes Rd
Portland, OR 97225

Office: 503-297-1894 x5520
vann...@catlin.edu
catlin.edu

Nate

Bullis School 10601 Falls Road Potomac, MD 20854 www.bullis.org

CARING — CHALLENGING — COMMUNITY

 

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[Katie Ree]

We really like the CANARY cardboard cutters and MakeDo Scru (I always get the ones that hold 4-6 layers of cardboard), Makedo SCRU-Driver, and Makedo FOLD-Roller.

[Nate Gordon]

Thank you all for your suggestions! I do have most of those smaller hand tools - am a big fan of Makedo and definitely will add some rollers. What I’m mostly looking for now, one year ahead, are “big ticket” items. Heat press is definitely being added to my list. 

Thanks

Nate

* * * * *

Nate Gordon Lower School Technology Coordinator & Design Teacher nate_...@bullis.org 301-299-8500 x422

Bullis School 10601 Falls Road Potomac, MD 20854 www.bullis.org

CARING — CHALLENGING — COMMUNITY

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[Jesse D Robinson]

Hi Nate,

I am the Director for an upperschool makerspace in Pittsburgh, PA.   For the K-5 realm, i would suggest:

• A Cricut (rather than a vinyl cutter).   We have both and the vinyl cutter is gathering dust whereas the Cricut is always being used.
• A glowforge lasercutter.   We have an Epilog Fusion Pro, but I think K-5 students might appreciate the Glowforge interface.  If you are looking for something more robust then take a look at the Epilog Mini 18.
• For 3D Printers I cannot recommend the Bambu Labs X1C and the Bambu A1 minis highly enough.  They are amazing, speedy, work horses and cheap to fix if they break.
• The SawStop tablesaw is a no-brainer.
• We use the Brother ST371HD as our sewing machines.  We own two and they are still going strong.

Hope this helps, and feel free to reach out directly with any questions.

Jesse

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[Reid Bingham]

I haven't used this new 'kid safe cardboard table saw' but it does look pretty cool and is based off a DIY concept I've seen around the internet: https://itsinventable.com/

If you get it, Id love to hear about your experience with it!

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/k-12-fablabs/CAKnLQLKJ0Q6wujfZZ2wS7rkOMPAtqPTwBMKmss10Efm5nMTdPw%40mail.gmail.com.

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Reid Bingham

973.906.6614

reidb...@gmail.com

[Marci klein]

we offer kits with 500 assorted pre-cut cardboard shapes (along with the 3duxdesign connectors). If anyone want to test them out, LMK and i can send you a discount or just use "luckydux" coupon code :) 

www.3duxdesign.com

[Jonathan Bijur]

I'm a big fan of basic (but robust) woodworking for grades 3-5. 12V drills, handsaws, clamps, in addition to hammers, screwdrivers, and other basic hand tools. We aim for a kit of a drill/driver pair, eight clamps, and a handsaw per two students, which gets up to $2,000-3,000 per makerspace. In our community youth makerspaces, we also have a small drill press, jig saw, 10" circular saw, 10" bandsaw, and 10" chopsaw, but are able to staff that program to have a dedicated Facilitator for one-on-one support for youth at those tools. I wouldn't recommend plug-in power tools or 18V power saws (circ, jig) in elementary school without close supervision.

+1 on Glowforge for ease of use for this age level

+1 for sewing machines, though they seem to break more than any other tools in our makerspaces. Juki has been a good brand for us.

+1 on Canary Cutters and Makedo scrus. Don't bother printing your own Makedo scrus, they are pretty cheap as a semi-disposable material on par with other fasteners, and far cheaper than your time and filament. Printing a Makedo scru bit, on the other hand, is awesome for your 12V drills (https://know.make.do/products/3d-printed-scru-bit)

Don't scrimp on tinkering and play apparatus, particularly for K-2. Build a Wind Tube! (https://www.exploratorium.edu/tinkering/projects/wind-tubes). A Marble Run wall! An outdoor play set of ramps and balls!

Jonathan Markowitz Bijur
Executive Director

Rediscover Center | Los Angeles, CA

310-393-3636 | www.rediscovercenter.org | @RediscoverCtr

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