So you’ve always wondered if it’s possible to run STEM on a budget. You’ve thought about doing some STEM activities or setting up a Makerspace but you don’t have the budget? You realise that these kinds of activities use up so many consumables that it can get really expensive. How can you possibly do STEM on a budget?
What if I told you that you could still run a great STEM program with budget friendly supplies! It’s true because I did it!
In my first year as a STEM specialist teacher my Principal asked me to research, design and develop a whole STEM program for the entire school. The budget I had was $500. Now that is not much at all. There are lots of ways you can obtain materials for free or for very cheap.
Here’s what I did with my STEM budget
I Asked Parents
I sent a note to parents and asked them to send in supplies. We included things like cereal boxes, plastic bottles, lids and newspapers. I find that cardboard boxes are fantastic. Grab your FREE copy of the STEM supplies parent letter here –>
Parents might work at a warehouse that can provide some amazing off cuts or scrap materials for resources. You’ll be surprised what you can get if you just ask.
Reverse Art Supplies
We have a thing here in the area that is called the reverse art supplies. We have a yearly membership. For $80 a year we can go and get 10 garbage bags full of materials. They source all the off cuts and unusable supplies from industries and sort it into different bins, it’s different each time you go there from wood and cardboard to rubber and ribbons. It’s a treasure trove of STEM goodness. This is our major source of supplies are are beyond the typical household consumables. If you’ve got one of those in your local area send them an email for pricing. It’s a hoarding teachers dream shop!
I Sourced From Local Industry
If you have an industrial area nearby approach them and ask for any off cuts and scraps, they will often donate them to local schools.
I Used Activities That Required Minimal Supplies
I made sure that we used activities that required basic and plentiful supplies. When we start the year or term in STEM we always run some rotational activities with ALL the grades, which can use a lot of supplies. So I have become crafty in choosing activities that don’t use our prime or expensive materials.
How about just using paper for your STEM activities?
Everybody has scrap paper or newspapers lying around in their classroom. You can turn paper into all sorts of things. You could use it to test the strength different types of paper. The trusty old team building tower activities. You could use it to test which shapes are stronger. Compare shapes with those that real buildings use. Which shapes are stronger? We use STEM paper task cards all the time in my classroom.
STEM doesn’t have to be all about robotics and coding or designing elaborate metal and wooden structures. We often use very easy to obtain and free things in my STEM classroom. Here’s a FREE paper challenge for your class.
Your STEM Homework
Complete one STEM activity using just paper and tape as your supplies. Comment below with your results (we love photos).