Elementary Library Makerspace Resources
created with the amazing and inspiring Colleen Graves!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means if you purchase an item after clicking the link, I will receive a small commission. See Disclosures & Disclaimers for more information.
BEST Resources for Elementary School Makerspaces
Makerspace Centers in 40 Minutes – Blog post by Mrs. J in the Library about offering makerspace and/or STEM activities on a fixed library schedule.
Circulating Maker Kits – Blog post by Mrs. J in the Library on different kits students can check out, including free MARC records.
Makerspaces.com Ultimate Makerspace Resource Guide – Plenty of activity ideas and links to more resources.
K-12 Fab Lab & Makerspaces Resource Website – Heavily skewed towards secondary, but still lots of great ideas & colleagues
Make It! @ Your Library – Website for public libraries, but has MANY low-tech, low-cost projects.
Maker Librarians to Follow
| Librarian Name / Twitter | Blog or Website | Library or School District |
|---|---|---|
| Nan Stifel | CHS Short Stacks | Concord Hill School, MD |
| Tracy Rice | Mason Makerspace LibGuide | Mason Elementary School in Leander ISD, TX |
| Donna Macdonald | Orchard School Library Makerspace | Orchard School, VT |
| Andy Plemmons | Expect the Miraculous | Barrow Elementary Media Center, GA |
| Nancy Jo Lambert | Reedy High School Library | Formerly ES, now Reedy HS Library in Frisco ISD, TX |
| Cynthia Alaniz | Librarian in Cute Shoes | Cottonwood Creek Elementary Library in Coppell ISD, TX |
| Heidi Neltner | Digital Learning in Progress | Johnson Elementary School, KY |
| Collette J. | Mrs. J in the Library (you are here) | Spring Ridge Elementary School in Wilson SD, PA |
| Shawna Ford | Continuously Learning in the Library (former blog) | Formerly at Curtis ES, now Future Ready Learning Coordinator |
| Diana Rendina | Renovated Learning | Tampa Preparatory School (secondary), FL |
| Gwyneth Jones | The Daring Librarian | Murray Hill Middle School, MD |
| Todd Burleson | ToddBurleson.com | The Skokie School (MS), IL |
| Molly Magro | Imagine Better Library | Eyer Middle School in East Penn SD, PA |
| Tina Berumen | New Tech High in Coppell ISD, TX |
FREE Resources!
 Learning to Code Makerspace Center (for Scratch™, ScratchJr.™ app, or Lightbot™ app) by Mrs. J in the Library
 Beginner Paper Circuits by Chibitronics
 Tinkering Fundamentals online courses about circuits, motion, and light from Exploratorium
 Instructables Projects like this balloon-powered car – You can even search for projects by material type on this website!
 Public Library as Makerspace in Duxbury, Massachusetts
 Stop Motion Animation for Beginners from Tinker Lab
Makerspace Centers & Products
Great Pinterest Boards
- Library Makerspaces from Cary White at Library Learners
- Makerspaces for Elementary Schools by Mrs. J in the Library
Also, check out Mrs. J in the Library’s project and material-specific Pinterest boards:
- Building – School Makerspace
- Coding – School Makerspace
- Paper Projects and Origami – School Makerspace
- Electricity and Circuits – School Makerspace
- Paper Circuits – School Makerspace
- Sewing and E-Textiles – School Makerspace
- No Space for a Makerspace – Circulating Maker Kits
Ready-Made Circulating Maker Kits & Materials
Articles for Professional Reading
- Creating a Makerspace in an Elementary School Library – Knowledge Quest
- Design Thinking projects for ES – Edutopia
- What does the Next Generation School Library Look like? – Mind Shift / KQED
- MAKE’ing More Diverse Makers – EdSurge (highlighting Dr. Leah Buechley’s excellent keynote speech, which is well worth a listen despite the strong language)
Other Maker Educators & Notable Influencers
| Educator Name / Twitter | Blog or Website |
|---|---|
| David Saunders, Director of Innovation at The Fenn School | DesignSaunders |
| Karly Moura, Technology & Computer Science Teacher | Teaching, Tech, and Twitter |
| Jess Malloy, STEM Coach at Plano ISD | STEMing Ahead |
| Carol, STEM Specialist | Teachers Are Terrific |
| Krissy Venosdale, Innovation Coordinator | KrissyVenosdale.com |
| Josh Burker, Author of The Invent to Learn Guide to Fun & The Invent to Learn Guide to More Fun | JoshBurker.com |
| Sylvia Martinez & Gary Stager, Authors of Invent to Learn | Invent to Learn website |
| AnnMarie Thomas, Author of Making Makers and Professor of Engineering at the University of St. Thomas | Squishy Circuits & AnnMarie-Thomas.com |
| Leah Buechley, Author of Sew Electric and Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of New Mexico | SewElectric.org & LeahBuechley.com |
| Kristin Fontichiaro, Associate Professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Information | Kristin Fontichiaro’s Blog – Active Learning |
More STEM Blogs & Homeschool Resources
- 100 Engineering Projects for Kids from The Home School Scientist
- 100 Super Fun STEM Resources for Kids from Raising Life-Long Learners
- Tinkerlab – Lots of great Science experiments and art activities.
- DIY.org – Paid subscription of projects for young students to do and share with the community, has badges for levels and achievements.
- Buggy and Buddy Science Activities – One of my favorite collections of STEM/STEAM activities for elementary students.
- 50 STEM Activities for Kids – mostly Pre-K, kindergarten, and 1st grade
- Engineering is Elementary – Engineering Curriculum developed by the Museum of Science in Boston. Lesson ideas by grade level!
- The Maker Mom
- Learn Play Imagine
- Frugal Fun For Boys
- Creekside Learning