Maker Kits and STEAM Labs

When I started rejuvenating our circulating toy collection in 2015, I heard about another library that was doing maker kits, not technology, but actually creating things for younger kids. They had things like make your own playdough, etc. I adapted this idea and created maker kits for my own library. I started with a few kits that had an instructional book or two, some basic tools, and consumables that the kids could use. They turned out to be very possible and I clean, refurbish, and add to them each year. 

When I'm creating kits I think of several factors. I try to pick things that encourage kids to experiment with different kinds of projects, skills, and science. I look for subjects that require only a few, simple, and inexpensive tools so that if kids are interested they have a chance of continuing the projects on their own. I also look for things that won't need a lot of additional materials or ingredients supplied by the kids' families and where the consumables won't break the library budget! I also try to build kits from things I already have in our craft and maker supplies, to get the most use out of the materials.

Not every kit is going to be a winner. This is just a fact of life. I tried (twice) for a kit with a microscope and it just broke too easily. I couldn't keep repairing it (and wasn't sure how to do so anyways). I ended up purchasing a more expensive microscope for in-house use only, which also didn't last. I've had kits lost and stolen and I will always lament the loss of my very first beading kit, as I'd put a lot of our beading materials into it and spent a lot of time organizing the beads in little jars and... sigh. In general, most people are very good about tidying the kits, returning them to the library, and even putting a few donations in themselves. At one point I circulated a Wii, but it was stolen and I've never replaced it. The most popular kits have been the sewing and crafting ones, with things like perler beads and a rainbow loom.

Original location of STEAM labs/maker space

In the Beforetimes, I had what I called STEAM labs in the children's and teen area. They included items like perler beads, a rainbow loom, magnatiles, spirograph, board games, and marble runs. During the pandemic, once we moved past the "quarantine everything" phase, I made all of these circulating, since we were not encouraging people to hang out in the library. This proved very popular and although I have a lot of toys in the children's area and board games available, I never went back to STEAM labs in the YA and school-age areas. One reason was that we had reorganized the youth areas, creating a larger space for the children's play area but extending materials into the shelving areas where we had stored the STEAM lab. Another reason was that our staff schedules and responsibilities had changed and we no longer had time to monitor and keep organized these areas. A third reason was that we did not see the return of large numbers of middle schoolers, who were the primary users of these materials.

I am currently in the process, with the help of my associate who has been in charge of the maker kits for the past year or so, of updating all the accompanying materials in order that another associate can take over the organization and purchasing of this collection.

Pinterest of circulating toys and maker kits

Maker Kits, instructions and contents

Signage, instructions, and inventory