Supplies: Paper, masking tape, paper clips, scissors

1. Discuss the forces of flight: Lift, Weight, Thrust, and Drag. You’ll just want to provide a very basic understanding of these concepts.

2. Discuss how the forces of flight work on paper airplanes, such as how the large or heavy paper stock will have more weight, and how careful folding can result in less drag.

3. Provide books and templates to make a variety of paper airplanes, and use masking tape to mark a practice range to test them. Paper clips and tape can be used to experiment the effect of adding weight to different parts of the plane.

4. At the end of the program, have the participants compete for the farthest flight. I’ll give them three throws for their best-flying plane with the opportunity to make adjustments to the plane between throws.

With this new weekly feature, Ten Dollar Tuesdays, we will be tackling the budget question with programs you can run at your library for under $10. We’ll also address the interest and support questions by asking you to share your inexpensive STEM programs in the comments, and to let us know what kinds of feedback you’ve gotten when you’ve tried these or similar programs in your buildings!

Take It Apart

Cost: $0

Age range: tweens & teens

Group size: Up to 20, depending on materials

Staff amounts: 1

• Give kids an opportunity to explore how things work, how they’re put together, and what happens if they they take them apart.
• Ask for donations of broken appliances (no tube TVs or microwaves) and computers, supply tools, and let kids explore.
• Disassembling a PC is a great learning opportunity, and you don’t necessarily need to know a lot about computer hardware. I supplied printed diagrams for kids to match up the components, and I learned a lot from YouTube videos. You may need special screwdrivers for some of the screws on the computer case; our IT department was happy to let us borrow those, and a staff member even helped at the program
• Taking things apart can very exciting, so caution your tweens and teens not to get carried away and get scrapes or cuts on sharp parts
• Ask kids what similarities they saw, what surprised them, what parts they already knew about, and what they would like to learn more about
• After the program, you may be able to salvage some parts for a future craft program (another Ten Dollar Tuesday!), or check with your local recycling facility to see what they can accept.

Have you done a Take it Apart program? Share your experience with us!

Basics:

The four shapes.

• What are they? Tiggly Shapes are a set of four shapes designed to work with the iPad and certain apps.
• What’s in the Box? Tiggly Shapes.
• How Much? $29.95
• Age Range? Ages 2 – 6
• How Did We Acquire it? My library purchased for patron and program use. 

How we use them:

We bought Tiggly Shapes to use with the iPads we let patrons sign out while they are in the library. When we came across Tiggly Shapes we thought they would be a great addition to our iPads. Our space encourages lots of play, so having the shapes go with the iPads was a nice complement to our early literacy efforts. Patrons simply ask for the bag of Tiggly Shapes when they sign out an iPads. We have loaded the three apps that work with Tiggly to each iPad so the patrons can easily choose which app they like best.

Playing with Tiggly Draw

There are three apps to use with Tiggly Shapes: Tiggly Stamp, Tiggly Draw, and Tiggly Safari. They each work a little bit different, but have similar play styles. Tiggly Stamp uses the shape to make different pictures set against various backdrops. Tiggly Draw lets you use the shapes on the iPad to create pictures of whatever you’d like. Tiggly Safari is a little more interactive. It asks for certain shapes to be placed on the iPad, and makes different animals. Tiggly Safari is by far the most popular app kids use!

Tiggly can also easily be used in Storytimes. I’ve used it with toddlers (age 2-3). Tiggly is a great compliment for when you are exploring shape themes. The apps are easy to use, and you can let the kids use the Tiggly Shapes on the iPads. It is a great way to incorporate some interactive technology with the younger set.

Skills Needed:

You have to be able to put apps on iPads, and that is it.

Good Stuff:

I love Tiggly! Our patrons really love using them. Once they see how they work, kids like using them with the iPads. I like how they allow for more motor skill development.

Frustrations:

I do wish there were some classroom sets for Tiggly. While I love what they do, I can’t help but wish they had a few more options for educators.

Overall Rating:

Great fun for the younger set!

Robot Basics:

Both Heather and Sharon describe this well, check their posts here and here. But if you missed it – Makey Makey is a tool that turns everyday objects into a computer controller.

• Age Range? My program was for grades 4 and up.
• How Did We Acquire it? Through the ILEAD grant funds, and my library also purchased the Makey Makey for programming.

What I did:

I used the Makey Makey in a “Library Makers” program at our library. The goal of our Library Maker programs are to add more STEAM/Maker based offerings for a variety of age ranges. For this one, we registered for grades 4 and up. The session was designed to be an introductory session where kids could get their hands on the Makey Makey and see what they could do.

We had three kids attend, and I also invited their caregivers down to the program if they wanted to come. All of the caregivers came down for part or all of the program. I like to do this at certain events, I feel like it is a good advocacy strategy and also I like when caregivers can do something different with their kids. Playing with a Makey Makey is not something kids and parents do together every day.

I set up each Makey Makey with one of the library’s Chromebooks. Each participant got to use their own Makey Makey, so it was nice not to share. But if we had had more kids, we would have had to work in teams. The kids mostly experimented with the Makey Makey piano. One participant had used a Makey Makey before and he played tetris and showed the others how to do it as well.

For supplies to use with the Makey Makey I had potatoes, bananas, oranges, playdough, tin foil and some fun foam craft sheets I dug out of the craft supplies. I think this was a good variety of tools, but I would probably add more in future programs.

Overall, the kids really enjoyed the time to play and the caregivers also had fun too!

Skills Needed:

Makey Makey is approachable. You will need basic computer skills and an Internet connection.

Good Stuff

Everything was good at this program! Feedback was very positive and our library users are enjoying our new tech based programs.

Frustrations

None.

Ending Thoughts/Observations

Makey Makey is a great way to start to build more STEAM/Maker programs. I think it is a really good entry point for librarians.

Overall Rating

Great!

• What is it?

Sphero is a sturdy, buoyant, waterproof, hard shelled ball that changes color and responds to commands via a handheld device – a smartphone or a tablet. At the most basic, Sphero can be used as a game controller for a number of downloaded games. But there are more complex functions that teach programming as well. It’s very sturdy and waterproof which makes me much more comfortable about handing it to a rambunctious teen or extremely eager toddler.

• What’s in the Box?

Sphero: what’s in the box

There’s the Sphero itself, an inductive charging base and plug, holder, and best of all — two ramps with rubberized feet. Pencil here for scale.

• How Much?

Sphero 2.0 retails for $129.99. The original Sphero is available for $79.99. Either can be purchased at a discount in an educator 10 pack.

• Age Range?

Game play and the pre-coding apps are friendly with kids as young as Kindergarten but Sphero is fun and useful for pretty much any age.

• How Did We Acquire it?

Purchased with ILEAD funds.

Ideas for Use

Sphero can be used just like you’d use any other gaming platform at the library. It’s really so much fun to play with. But for someone who wants to dig deeper into the technology angle with a more active approach, I like the way Sphero allows for scaffolding skills.

Begin by showing users the basic Sphero app. This introduces the capabilities of Sphero, couched within an origin story and a fun game. Then it’s easy to move on to apps that allow users to code without knowing they’re coding. Something like Sphero Draw ‘n Drive has users draw pictures on their handheld device, and then Sphero will act out the drawing that was created, changing direction, speed, and color just like the artist did while drawing. Beyond that, you can move to Sphero MacroDraw or MacroLab which give allow you to add different action components together to build programs, then give you real-time feedback on the macros that you program.

Time Involved

Sphero needs some time to charge, then you’ll need to download the apps you intend to use, and get your bluetooth connection up and running. Plan at least an hour of playing around with it before you introduce it to kids so you’re comfortable with the basic controls.

One-time or Recurring Program

Plenty here to expand into a recurring program.

Extension Activities

Once your kids have mastered the basics, there are lots of educational projects you can embark on, and another app, orBasic for Sphero, that delves deeper into the coding element. You could also use this in a more hands-on Maker program by creating mazes, obstacle courses, and challenge courses for Sphero to compete in.

Skills You Need

You need to be able to connect a device to the bluetooth on your handheld device.

Other Tools You Need

A bluetooth enabled tablet, smartphone, or iPod for each Sphero.

Good Stuff

It is SO MUCH FUN. The fun is really a huge draw for getting users to engage with it. And it’s SO EASY to begin. There are no necessary skills, beyond basic hand-eye coordination, to start having fun with it. If you’re going to jump in an purchase an Educator pack, I think that would be a good, long-lasting value.

Frustrations

The Bluetooth connection on my Android device was pretty fussy. It was much smoother when used with Apple products. I don’t know if this is a function of the Sphero or of my Xoom, but it happened.

It’s a pricier prospect. It works best as a one device per person project, but you could fairly easily construct your event so that two people share one Sphero. But beyond that, each Sphero must have a dedicated handheld device to control it. If your library already has iPads, you’re set. If your community has a 1:1 tablet program in schools, that should work too. Otherwise, this may be a significant limiter.

Ending Thoughts/Observations

I really like this device and think that there are lots of opportunities for fun, education, and expansion.

Overall Rating:

Have a ball! –But proceed with caution (solely due to the cost and additional tablet constraints).

A simple robot that teaches coding and sequences for children as young as 3

• What’s in the Box?  the Bee-bot and a charging cord.We also ordered the sequential cards.
• How Much?   the website says $89.95 according to the website. The cards were another $24.95
• Age Range?  Ages 3 and up
• How Did We Acquire it?  Grant funds through ILEAD-USA
  

  How I used Bee-bots:

  I have used Bee-bot three different times.  I did some one-on-one time with a Kindergartner and her mother, with the Testers from this summer, and at the library’s renovation celebration. The first time, I taped a square on the carpet and my tester and I tried to get the Bee-bot in the box.  It was trial and error and we learned that Bee-bot doesn’t necessarily do right angles.  I also noted that she liked one sequence at a time, rather piling the commands on at a time.  When I showed it to theTesters they understood the concept right away. I attribute that to several things: they’re older (fifth grade through eighth grade) and they’ve been working with this sort of thing all summer. And, I don’t want to forget Robot Turtles.  It’s the same concept and having those same skills really helped.

For the library’s renovation celebration, I made a big flower. A really big flower…too big to laminate.  In hindsight, I’d rather have had it laminated than had it as big as it was.  I numbered a few petals and we gave each child who came to the STEM room a challenge, “from where it is now, can you get the Bee-bot to the number x?”  Some kids tried to pick it up and angle it. Some kids tried to do it one turn at a time.  Some kids tried to get it scooting faster.  I’d just back it up, or re-position it and work it through with them. I also had my testers volunteer that day and they were able to explain the idea when I was busy with other tasks.  It was a good day. I really like Bee-bots and think they’re a good fit for our library

Time Involved

Minimum, depending on whether you need to make huge flower or not. You could easily use Ellison dies on the ground. Get from one to the next.  Make a maze.

One-time or Recurring Program

Recurring. So many challenges.

Extension Activities

I didn’t find the activity cards very useful. One of my fellow ILEAD members discovered that one card length is the length of Bee-bot stride. It might give kids an understanding of how many times to press forward or backward. Also, they may come in handy for kids who like to plan.  I imagine, much like Robot Turtles, you could line up the cards and then program Bee-bot.  Winning is getting the robot where you wanted it the first time.  I’m not competitive like that…

Skills You Need

Understanding sequences. Remembering to clear the sequence when you want to start over

Other Tools You Need

whatever obstacles or challenges you choose to develop

Good Stuff

One young girl was so excited when she got Bee-bot to number 5 she yelled, “I did it!” Made my day.

Frustrations

Really young kids wanted to rush it along, I had to get her to put her hands on her hips to stop touching it after we pressed GO.

Ending Thoughts/Observations

This is a keeper

Overall Rating:

Sweeter than Honey.

• What is it? Squishy Circuits are a set that helps you explore circuits and electricity using dough.
• What’s in the Box? I used this set: http://squishycircuitsstore.com/kits.html
• How Much? $25.00 for one set, plus cost of supplies for dough.
• Age Range? Our program was for Grades 3 and up, but I think you could go as low as Kindergarten or 1st grade.
• How Did We Acquire it? My library purchased sets after I played with sets we acquired through the ILEADUSA grant funds.

What we did

I set up the Squishy Circuits as part of my library’s new “Library Makers” programs. We are focusing on different ways to incorporate the making movement and also STEAM initiatives. Additionally we are just hoping to try a lot of new programs. Our program was for grades 3 and up. We ended up with 3 kids, one in middle school and two third graders. All of our attendees were girls, which I thought was kind of great.

I set out the two squishy kits and the dough. I also printed out a bunch of the ideas for making circuits from the squishy circuits website: http://courseweb.stthomas.edu/apthomas/SquishyCircuits/

The kids just experimented with the kits. They had a very good time thinking creatively and it was an easy program to run.

Time Involved

It is pretty minimal. I just had to spend about a half hour making the dough and then another half hour playing with the circuits before the program.

One-time or Recurring Program

We set it up as a one-time program, but this could easily be repeated.

Skills Needed

Motor skills to work with the dough, the rest is easy.

Good Stuff

I really enjoyed running this program. I think there is a lot of value in programs with smaller numbers. You get to talk to the kids and see what they are thinking. Squishy circuits could be done with bigger groups, but some of the magic of this program was that it was a smaller group.

Frustrations

I had trouble with one of my doughs, it was overly sticky. But I think that was the bakers fault. Although the dough still worked for the circuit.

Ending Thoughts/Observations

Try Squishy Circuits, it really is very simple.

Overall Rating

Great, give it a go.

• What is it?

Cubelets are a modular robotics teaching tool and toy from the aptly named Modular Robotics. Color coded, cube shaped pieces attach to one another with magnets, enabling the user to quickly and easily build a variety of robots.

Cubelets KT06

• What’s in the Box?

The KT06 kit contains 2 rechargeable batteries, several “recipe” cards, a battery charging setup, and the following 6 cubes:

2 action cubes: drive and light

2 sensing cubes: brightness and distance

2 thinking cubes: power and passive

• How Much?

This kit retails for $159.95

• Age Range?

Cubelets are recommended for ages 4 and up. I had success engaging kids as young as four and as old as 8th grade, though the length of engagement varies.

• How Did We Acquire it?

We purchased it at full price with funds from our ILEAD USA grant. (Per their website, Modular Robotics does not offer discounts to educators or other groups.)

Ideas for Use

This set of Cubelets is a great tool for teaching the basic concepts of robotics to individuals or small groups. Specifically, this tool helps explain that a robot is a device that senses something and then responds to it in a pre-programmed way. It also demonstrates the specificity required in robotics: placement and orientation of the cubes matters, and the creation will act differently based on the arrangement of the pieces.

Time Involved

Charge up the batteries for a few hours and you’re good to go. There’s no additional prep time needed.

One-time or Recurring Program

While younger kids could have fun with Cubelets a number of times, the kit we purchased is limited in scope, so I wouldn’t count on engaging the same group with the same six cubes more that a few times. There’s little opportunity to build on the concepts presented without investing in more cubes.

That said, the cubes are extremely durable and nicely sized for small hands. In this way, they could be a standard introductory activity for any program that aims to build on these concepts. Also, they are just plain fun! Because they go together so quickly with such obvious visual results, they engage users young and old from the get-go. I took them to entice folks to visit the library’s table at the middle school registration night, and I had everyone from preschool aged siblings to “been there, done that” incoming 8th graders, to curious parents stopping by to make a Fraidy-Bot that runs away from you, or the inverse: a robot that follows your hand. There is a really appealing immediate gratification factor with Cubelets.

Extension Activities

This is a great tool to use as part of the explanatory process of a more complex robotics unit. There is a lot of potential for extension with the Cubelets themselves, but there are costs associated with them.

For an additional $14.95 we could purchase a brick adaptor, which would allow the Cubelets to be used with LEGO. For an additional $48.95 we could purchase a Bluetooth 2.0 cube, which would allow the Cubelets to interface with iOs or Android devices. For a lot more money, you could buy individual cubes that do all kinds of things, or an educator pack of multiple cubes to use in a larger group.

Skills You Need

None, really.

Other Tools You Need

A flathead screwdriver. I hear that newer versions of Cubelets include a redesigned battery compartment lid. In the version that I used, the screw holding the lid on was maddeningly shaped, small and shallow. I ended up needing to use a paint scraper because none of the screwdrivers in our amply stocked home toolchest were working and I feared stripping the screw.

Good Stuff

This is excellent for beginners or librarians who are leery of delving into robotics because it seems intimidating. There is nothing intimidating about Cubelets (now that they’ve fixed a poorly designed battery compartment) because nothing is permanent, nothing is fragile, everything you do is going to result in some action you can talk about, and the immediate gratification of the tool is really fun.

Frustrations

See above for my main frustration: the stupid battery compartment (which, as I said, has been remedied in newer releases).

Ultimately though, my frustration comes in the price. It’s a fairly pricy device with fairly limited implementation. Six cubes , which includes just one power cube, means that it’s really only a usable device for demonstration purposes or very small groups — I would say no more than two young kids or three older ones who can sit on their hands and be a little more patient while waiting their turn.  Additional cubes can be purchased, but it’s a pretty hefty investment for a teaching device in a library setting.

Ending Thoughts/Observations

I’m glad I had a chance to use the Cubelets. I think the kids and teens who got to play with them really enjoyed them too. The price, as I said, is high for a tool that you might hope to use on an ongoing basis. However, it’s a pretty reasonable investment if you work in a setting while you might want to repeatedly introduce basic robotics concepts to a wide age range. My teen program doesn’t really work this way — I have a smallish club type group. For these kids, Cubelets was really a one shot program. If you have the funds, it’s a wonderfully simple way to explore. If you have a medium to large group and limited funds, it’s not my top pick.

Overall Rating:

Results may vary

Robot Basics: Sphero 2.0

What is it? (from the website)

• What’s in the Box?

One Sphero 2.0 ball with base, 2 inclines, and ball holder.

• How Much?

129.99 (the app is free)

• Age Range?

Grades 1 and up.  I did the program with Middle School kids.

• How Did We Acquire it?

We purchased it using the ILEAD USA grant money.

Ideas for Use

Bring it out in the Library to whirl around. It will certainly get the kids’ attention.  All ages were interested in playing with it while I was on the reference desk.  The older kids liked to build obstacle courses for the Sphero and try to achieve some of the tricks by leveling up.

Time Involved

You need to download the app for your iPad before you begin.  Play around with it a little bit before giving it to kids.  It can be touchy, so you want to get a handle on the speed.

One-time or Recurring Program

We did a one-time program, however I could see it being used for another program focused only on Sphero.  The kids play together nicely with it, giving each other turns, creating obstacle courses and instructing each other on how to use the toy.

Extension Activities

According to the website and the Sphero packaging, you can use this product with video games and lots of other apps.  We did not go that far into programming with Sphero.

Skills You Need

You should know how to work an iPad and how to download apps. Other than that, it’s pretty easy to use.

Other Tools You Need

You’ll need the Sphero apps. There are over 30 apps available for the Sphero.

Good Stuff

This is easy enough for the kids to figure out.  They were thrilled at all the different capabilities of the Sphero.  They loved running the Sphero into their friends.

Frustrations

We didn’t have enough for anyone, and the kids were disappointed about that.

Ending Thoughts/Observations

I’d like to work with Sphero 2.0 more to see what other games and activities we could do with it.  The basics were entertaining and I can only imagine how much more fun there is to have with the other Sphero apps and games.

Overall Rating:

This is a good investment.  I would buy more.

• What is it?  Robot Turtles is a board game that teaches programming
• What’s in the Box?  game board, 2-d turtles (4), gems tiles (4), bugs tiles(4), game card decks (4), and three kinds of obstacle cards: ice walls, crates, and stone walls
• How much?  $24.95  Robot Turtles Website
• Age Range?  Ages four and up
• How we acquired it:  Robot Turtles and ThinkFun.com sent us a reviewing copy of the game

What’s the point?

The object of Robot Turtles is for each player to find their turtle’s gem.  It’s not about who gets their first, it’s about the journey. The player is selecting cards that will create the path the turtle takes to get to the gem.

Ideas for use:

• time involved: the most time consuming part of this game is reading the instructions and setting up the mazes. We had three or four rounds in 30 minutes
• extension activities:
• one-time or recurring program: I can see kids and families playing this game over and over.
• skills you need: basic understanding of right and left
• other tools you need:  vocal sounds, no kidding.  The instructions state implicitly that adults make noises while moving the turtle on the board.

Good stuff:

I played Robot Turtles with a few different groups. As soon as the box came in the mail, I played it with two librarian friends. Then I played it with a four year old (T), and two entering-first graders (J1 and J2) and their parents.  (J2 and T are sisters.) I then played Robot Turtles with J1’s 14 year old brother, IM.  IM has been introduced to Scratch. He’s familiar with programming and games.  He was just as interested in the game as the younger crowd, but in a different way.  We switched it up.  We played the game one card at a time.  We played the game by stringing the cards out and then following the sequences while the other person watched.  Then, we created the sequence while the other person played.  That’s where the good stuff happened.  I made mistakes, IM made mistakes.  But we were able to to talk it out.

We created complicated boards with obstacles.  Speaking of obstacles, the younger group was very interested in obstacles. They wanted to play with them as well.  They were very interested in playing Robot Turtles just like older kids would.  After I introduced the different cards (left, right, straight, and the laser), I shared the ice castle obstacle.  T’s mom asked how we would be able to get rid of that obstacle, and she pointed to the laser.  Intuitive.

The best of the good stuff: how do you know to turn right or left if you don’t have the developmental ability? The makers of Robot Turtle have that covered.  You’ll notice that Gold Turtle is surround by flowers: Blue flowers straight ahead, yellow flower on one side, and purple flower on the other.  The directional cards correspond to the flowers.  If you’re going left, pick a yellow card. Straight? Select the blue card.  Right, pick the purple card.

Let the record show, I didn’t notice this.  Someone playing did.  I can’t remember if a kid or a mom noticed, but it’s an excellent way to help get passed a developmental stage and still play the game.

More pictures:

Frustrations

The game requests that you make noises as the turtle moves through the game.  I failed miserably at it.  It’s something the kids should make their parents do.  It’s fun and another way to show direction if left makes one noise, right and straight others.  And listening to the laser zap something is always satisfying.

With the younger crowd, playing three games in a row, was too much.  They wanted to do other things at the library.

Ending Thoughts/Observations

I took this home to play with my husband. I call him Mr. IT. He’s a mainframe software developer with over 35 years experience.  His thoughts are here.

Rating:

Whiz Bang Whirl…this is a keeper!