STEAM MATERIALS

How to Borrow Materials:

Using the website below, look for materials you are interested in.
If you need more information, have questions, or know what you'd like to borrow send us an email REMC@Northwested.org

We'll get everything put together and put it into your school's bus mail cubby for pick up by your Career Tech-High School bus.

When you are ready to return items. Ask your school's administrative assistant how to send back mail.
If your school doesn't have a Career Tech bus, include this in your email to REMC and we can work out pick up times based on our availability.

Robots

Bee-Bot

Manufacturer Age/Grade Recommended: PreK-2nd

Good for: Beginner coding, computer science, following directions, inquiry

To use the Bee-bot program the robot using the buttons on its back. Tap "go" to try out your program. Comes with a charger cord, program cards, and a playmat.

Botley 2.0

Manufacturer Age/Grade Recommended: PreK-2nd

Good for: Beginner coding, computer science, following directions, inquiry

To use Botley, program the robot with the remote control. Tap the giant button to test your program. Comes with remote, playmat, obstacles, flags, and other accessories.

Accessory kit for Botley Robots image contains various blocks and tools

Botley STEAM kit

Manufacturer Age/Grade Recommended: PreK-2nd

Good for: Problem solving, creativity, science- motion and gravity

These are more accessories to use with Botley. Set up obstacles courses or program botley to meet challenges.

Code-A-Pillar

Manufacturer Age/Grade Recommended: PreK-2nd

Good for: Beginner coding, computer science, following directions, inquiry

Codeapillar comes with segment pieces that snap together.

Dash

Manufacturer Age/Grade Recommended: K-5

Good for: Beginner coding, computer science, following directions, inquiry, problem-solving, collaboration

To use Dash: Borrow our ipads that have the apps pre-installed OR use your school's chromebooks no app required. Program Dash with block code or drive dash like a remote control vehicle (app only). Dash works with Lego pieces for customization and challenges.

Accessory kits for Dash robots that shows different pieces including launcher with ping pong balls, triangle accessories, orange bulldozer or scoop, markers, and activity cards.

Dash Accessories

Various accessories we can send with Dash. Options include:

Plow
Launcher with ping pong balls
Xylophone
Bunny Ears
Challenge Cards
Lego Extension kits

Dot

Manufacturer Age/Grade Recommended: PreK

Good for: Beginner coding, computer science, following directions, inquiry

To use Dot: Borrow our ipads that have the apps pre-installed OR use your school's chromebooks no app required. Program Dot with block code. Dot's are stationary which make them ideal for younger kid. Dash accessories work with Dot also.

Sphero Indi

Great for beginner coding, computer science, following directions, inquiry, collaboration.

Use the different colored mats to "code" your robot- which way will it go? Depends on the different color. Use this with all grade levels. This is truly one for everyone!

Robots in Motion

Manufacturer Age/Grade Recommended: PreK-2nd

Good for: Construction, Following Directions, creativity, Knowledge constructor

How to use:
Building robots following instructions OR using your creativity. Screen-free robot, no device required.

Examples of different robots that can be assembled with this kit

14-in-1 Solar Robot Kit

Manufacturer Age/Grade Recommended: 3rd+

Good for: Construction, following instructions, Knowledge constructor, Science, Engineering, Mechanics.

How to use:
Follow the instructions on the included instruction booklet. Using solar panels included for optional motion activities.

Bolt robot that is a sphere with a mutlicolored LED inside

Sphero Bolt

Manufacturer Age/Grade Recommended: Grades 3-10

Good for: Beginner-Advanced coding, computer science, following directions, inquiry, knowledge constructor, proble-solving skills.

How to use:
Program Bolt using our iPad Apps .
Programming using Block Coding, JavaScript and Python.
The Bolt+ allow programming of messages on the LED screens.

mat with image of the universe and mat with a soccer field

Sphero Soccer/Space Mat & Activity Cards

Manufacturer Age/Grade Recommended: PreK-10th

Good for: Intermediate-Advanced coding, computer science, following directions, inquiry, collaboration.

Use with Bolt or Minis.

Sphero RVR+

Manufacturer Age/Grade Recommended: 6th-12th

Good for: Robotics, Engineering, Coding-intermediate to advanced, computer science

Works with Sphero Edu App (iPad) or with Python

Sphero Minis

Sphero Minis are ping pong ball sized programable robots. We have blue, soccer, magic 8 ball and golf ball to borrow.

How to use:
Program Bolt using our iPad Apps .
Programming using Block Coding, JavaScript and Python.

Black Ozobot case markers and robot with an ozobot robot in front

Ozobot Evo

Ozobots are a mutli-award winning coding robots. They use color to give them direction. You also can use a block coding system, we like the color coding best. Use block coding with the Challenge mats!

To learn how to use Ozobots in the classroom- watch this video How to use Ozobots in the classroom

Challenge mat and challenge cards looks like Mars surface

Ozobot Challenge Mats
24" X 33" non-skid mat

Mars: Students take on the role of mission commanders, coding Evo to navigate this alien landscape.

Basketball: Designed to blend coding with sports, the mat challenges young learners to complete basketball drills such as passing, dribbling, shooting, and navigating around defenders

Solar system kit for ozobots including moon, each planet, solar system mat, and challenge cards

Ozo Solar System

This set goes with the Ozobots. Build the different planet pieces out of cardboard. Using Ozobots to explore each planets rotation around the solar system.

Ozobot sundial box with an assembled sundial and extra pieces for the set

Ozo Sundial

How to use:
This set goes with the Ozobots. Explore how a sundial works using Ozobot.

Ozobot mat for exploring the four seasons. This set includes a giant mat with four circles one for each season, challenge cards, and informational cards about seasons on Earth.

Ozo Sun, Earth & Moon

How to use:
This set goes with the Ozobots. Explore how the rotation of the sun and moon affect Earth in the four seasons.

Coding

Makey Makey

“Turn everyday objects into keys for your computer,” with this circuit board and cables allowing for creative ways to interact with a computer.

30 Days Lost in Space

30 Day Circuits And Coding Challenge To Bring You From Beginner To Builder. A Hands On Story-Telling Experience Led By A Retired NASA Researcher / College Professor. Repair your broken spaceship, launch into orbit, and make it home alive.

Micro:bits

Get creative! Get connected! Get Coding! It has an LED light display, buttons, sensors and many input/output features that, when programmed, let it interact with you and your world.

adafruit kits with boxes and arduinos including in the picture two clear boxes, round copper wire, two battery packs

Adafruit Circuit Playground Express

Circuit Playground Express Educator's Pack Circuit Playground Express is the next step towards a perfect introduction to electronics and programming. From beginners to experts, Circuit Playground Express has something for everyone.

Makey Makey Backpack

Have you ever wanted to combine Makey Makey and micro:bit? The Code-a-Key Backpack enables you to do just that! Trigger key presses in your Makey Makey projects with motion, temperature, light, and sound to unlock a new realm of possibilities!

Finch Robot

Manufacturer Age/Grade Recommended: All Ages

Good for: Beginner coding, computer science, following directions, inquiry

Works with almost every device- Chromebooks, iPads, Windows, Mac, Linux etc.

How to use Finch:
Program using the included MicroBit.

a small car like robot with a smiling face and a microbit in the center of the robot

Cutebots

Similar to the Finch Robots. Using the Micro:bits to program, create little cars using Chromebooks, Ipads, Windows, Mac, Linux.

Lego Duplo Coding Express

Manufacturer Suggested Age: PreK-K

Good for: Creativity, knowledge constructor, fine motor skills, computer science, coding , Engineering, Art, Science

Code and Go Mouse

As kids learn to program they build key skills that include critical thinking, problem solving, sequencing, and programming fundamentals. Colby lights-up, makes sounds, and features 2 speeds along with colorful buttons to match coding cards for easy programming and sequencing.

Toy dragon, castles accessories, target, an orange ball, and with accessories and storage box

Coding Critters Blazer the Dragon

Code along with the magical adventures in Blazer's coding spell book; set your wand to Spell mode and cast 12 coding spells that make Blazer dance, light up, and more, then program Blazer to move through his fantasy challenges in Code Mode! You can even design your own endless coding challenges with Blazer's 22-piece interactive pet playset.

Coding rover toy with accessories and box

Space Rover

Your screen-free coding skills will take a giant leap with the help of this lunar rover coding set! This set challenges kids to code their lunar rover through customizable mazes. Solve dozens of coding challenges with the set’s activity cards, or explore open-ended play with the help of tile pieces that can be rearranged into unique mazes.

Turing Tumbles

Discover how computers work. Students use computational thinking and problem solving to discover how simple switches, connected together in clever ways, can do incredible things.

3D Printing

The Prusa Mk4 is displayed in the image.

Prusa Mark4

Prusa’s 3D printer that uses a computer, software, and plastic filament to create three dimensional objects. Learners can draft and then print science models, characters, maps, etc. Easy to learn and use.

Image is of a 3d printer assembled the model is a Prusa 3 mini

Prusa Mini 3D Printer

Compact 3D printer with all the bells and whistles you would expect from the creators of the award-winning original PRUSA I3. The Mini+ is a big printer in a compact body.

This shows a 3Doodler 3D pen drawing a 3D robot. In the background there is filament and a booklet that comes with the pen.

3Doodler Pen

The ideal entry-point to 3D printing! Plastic extrudes and hardens rapidly allowing kids to literally create anything they can think of in 3D.

Great for Prek-2nd graders- the tip doesn't get as hot as traditional 3D pens.

This image shows the Mint3d Pen drawing a 3D Pokemon and in the background is the box the pen comes in.

Mynt3d Pen

This is a step up from our 3Doodler pens This pen uses the same PLA filament as our 3D printers. Draw, design, build, repair, and more.

No complicated software or hardware learning curve. Just plug in, turn on, add plastic, and begin creating!

This black 3d pen is being used to draw a steam engine in red, black, and yellow.

Scrib3d Pen

Our most advanced 3D Printing Pen - designed for making accurate and creative 3d models and structures. The only limit is your imagination.

No complicated software or hardware learning curve. Just plug in, turn on, add plastic, and begin creating.

The black 3d pen is shown extruding red filament in a circular pattern.

3Doodler Create+

The latest version of the world’s first 3D Printing Pen: Dual-drive technology features improved power durability and reliability for anyone ages 14+.

No complicated software or hardware learning curve. Just plug in, turn on, add plastic, and begin creating!

More Materials

These multicolored tiles are used to make shapes. In the image they have been put together to make a tree, when even more of the tiles spread out on the bottom of the tree.

Brain Flakes

Great off-screen time activity! | A great solo or collaborative group activity for school classrooms, Makerspaces, Montessori, STEM education, daycares, libraries, or home! | Check out our digital building instructions and task cards here.

Brainometry

Similar to Tetris but with blocks. Solve the secrets of the shapes!STEM shape puzzles build critical thinking and problem solving skills.Train your brain with tricky sorting and geometry challenges. 10 STEM CHALLENGES included. Includes 24 blocks with 10 challenge cards. Hands on play with Geometry.

A container of rods and circles that can be used to build geometric shapes.

Geometric Shapes Building Set

Help children gain a deeper understanding of the basics of geometry with this geometric shape building set

Children gain hands-on experience creating composite shapes, identifying shape attributes, and partitioning circles and squares into equal parts

Green Screen

Green screen allowing for chroma key effects in digital storytelling/reporting, etc.

Steam tube toys build examples. Some of the examples are a playground, various vehicles, and chain loop. In the middle of the image is a box of pieces of the HC blocks.

HC Blocks

STEM building toys: 106 pieces assembled into various shapes through the connection of tubes, can be used to build shapes such as windmills, airplanes, cars, houses, animals, and so on.

A blue camera on with a base and a large bendy arm.

Hue Camera

The HUE HD camera is a cost-effective alternative to a standard classroom document camera, and is perfect for stop motion animation. Easy to use and portable, this camera is popular with teachers throughout the world.

A maze build of wooden planks and red and green plastic connectors.

Keva Maze Bot

A kit of materials to create mazes, courses and more for a vibrating bristlebot to navigate.

Little Bits electrical set and pieces and storage box

LittleBits Gizmo and Gadgets

One kit. Hundreds of activities. Spark imagination with motors, lights, servos - even the tools to create a remote-control car! It comes with everything you need to create fun inventions right out of the box.

Magnatiles

This versatile tiles offer limitless possibilities for creativity and imagination, providing a fun and educational experience for children. It encourages learning through pretend play with color, shapes, and magnetic principles, while also fostering bonding and quality time among family and friends of all ages.

Makedo

Makedo is a simple to use, open-ended system of tools for creative cardboard construction. Build imaginative and useful creations from upcycled (repurposed) everyday cardboard.

Motioneering

BUILD, test, and tweak your own STEM machines!

LEARN critical thinking, engineering and other kindergarten STEM essentials!

3 MACHINE DESIGNS—build a catapult, trebuchet, and windmill!

Plastic pieces put together to create a track that marbles can travel down.

Marble Run

This colorful marble game toy with a set of marble races can improve children’s operation ability, and also helps your children improve creative thinking and problem solving ability.

122 Pieces Marble Run Railway Toys: Package includes 90 action pieces and 32 colorful glass marbles.

Merge Cube

The Merge Cube Lets you hold digital 3D objects, enabling an entirely new way to learn and interact with the digital world.

enterblocks build that looks like a robot

NTer Blox

Simple Design - Fuels Creativity: One Shape, Endless Possibilities! Every Brick Easily Connects To The Next. Create Colorful Flat Mosaics Or Work In 3-D To Make More Intricate Builds. 3 sets of 200 blocks are available for checkout.

Two treys holding the various gears, tubes and connector pieces to build with this kit.

Renewable Energy Kit

Nine models and 28 experiments are used to demonstrate the production, storage and use of electricity from natural sources like water, wind and solar power. Powerful solar models can be attached in different ways for versatile use in the models.

snap circuit base kit with snapping wires, sound machines, and fans.

Snap Circuits

The pieces, which include snap wires, a slide switch, a resistor, a microphone, and capacitors, snap together easily onto the included plastic grid--no soldering required. Each piece is numbered and color-coded to make identifying them easy. These components combine to create working circuit boards.

A snap circuit kit put together in the shape of a house with walls and a roof.

Snap Circuits Home

Learn about circuitry, security systems, dimmer switches, automatic lights, alarms, motion detectors, fan speeds, appliance motors, generators, and much more! Build a house or city tower with real, working, 3-D circuits, just like the ones you use every day.

Starter kit for Straw STEAM kit that uses straws and connector pieces to make object including a robot.

Strawbee STEAM Starter

The STEAM Starter kit is a personal sized building set with 230 pieces to build several small towers, moving mechanical cranes and arms. The building set comes with 5 different precut straw sizes and 4 color-coded connectors organized in the box.

Straw Constructors

Colorful straw connectors Toys. Can build most shapes in children's imagination. STEM toys for creative 4D building blocks can assemble various shapes such as airplanes, cruise ships deformed cars, castles, robots, animals, etc. A great STEM building toy will be favorite gift toys for children.

Collection of STEM Challenge cards and storage box

STEM Challenges

STEM Challenges for grades 2-5 provides a fun way to enhance STEM learning in the classroom. This boxed set includes 30 challenge cards—10 each for the three categories of physical science, life science, and earth and space science.

box for Structural engineer kit on the box they are building a bridge

Structural Engineering

With this kit of modular building pieces, you can learn the basics of structural engineering by conducting a series of 20 model-building experiments. Each model demonstrates a basic principle of mechanical physics or structural engineering in a hands-on way.

Wanpaly Magnetic Building Blocks

The Magnetic building has different patterned building blocks. These magnetic blocks allow children to build structures and scenes with these magnetic toys. Each cube can be easily connected to enable unlimited stacking and structural variations.

Lego for Education

Lego Chain Reaction

Manufacturer Suggested Age: 8+

Good for: Creativity, fine motor skills, knowledge constructor, engineering, science- motion

Lego Gadgets

Manufacturer Suggested Age: 8+

Good for: Creativity, fine motor skills, knowledge constructor, engineering, science- motion

Lego Gear Bots

Manufacturer Suggested Age: 8+

Good for: Creativity, fine motor skills, knowledge constructor, engineering, science- motion

STEAM Park

Manufacturer Suggested Age: PreK-K

Good for: Creativity, knowledge constructor, fine motor skills, communication, Science, Engineering, Art

Lego Bionicles

Manufacturer Suggested Age: 8+

Good for: Creativity, fine motor skills, knowledge constructor, engineering

LEGO Wheels, hubs, and pieces for building vehicles

Lego Vehicle Kits

Manufacturer Suggested Age: 8+

Good for: Creativity, fine motor skills, knowledge constructor, engineering, science- motion

LEGO Prime Kit with storage box, booklet, and various parts that are in the kit

Motion Prime

Age/Grade: 6th-8th Grade

LEGO Motional Essentials Kit with storage box, booklet, and various parts that are in the kit

Bricq Motion Essentials

Age/Grade: 1st-5th Grade

LEGO Kit with storage box and various parts that are in the kit

SPIKE Essentials

Age/Grade: 1st-5th Grade

LEGO Prime Kit with storage box and various parts that are in the kit

SPIKE Prime

Age/Grade: 6th-8th grade

Lego Duplo

Build Me Emotions

Manufacturer Suggested Age: PreK-K

Good for: Creativity, emotional intelligence, knowledge constructor, fine motor skills

StoryTales

Manufacturer Suggested Age: PreK-K

Good for: Creativity, emotional intelligence, knowledge constructor, fine motor skills, communication

Tubes

Manufacturer Suggested Age: PreK-K

Good for: Creativity, knowledge constructor, fine motor skills

Promoting STEM through Literature Books

These materials aren't just books—they are blueprints for discovery. Each story features characters who invent, build, and solve problems using the Design Thinking Process (designing, planning, gathering, and creating).

What comes with every title:

Maker-STEM Connection: A guided link between the story and a real-world building challenge.
Discussion Guides: Ready-to-use questions for before, during, and after reading.
Design Challenges: Creative projects using common art supplies, recyclables, or materials available right here at your local REMC.
Pre-written Lesson Plans: Most books come with a complete plan to save you prep time!

Why Bring STEM & LIT to Your Classroom?

We know your plates are full! These resources are designed to help you meet Michigan Educational Standards in a way that feels natural and fun. They focus on:

Integrated Literacy: Boosting reading comprehension through active engagement.
Engineering Design: Introducing "big" concepts in an easy, non-intimidating way.
Durable Skills: Encouraging collaboration, inquiry, and creative problem-solving.

How to Borrow and Explore

Ready to start a STEM adventure in your classroom? We’ve made the process simple and supportive:

Browse the Collection: Click here to visit the REMC Association page to see the full list of available book titles and learn more about the program.
Request Your Set: Once you’ve found a book that fits your lesson, simply email us at REMC@northwested.org.
Door-to-Door Delivery: We will send 3 to 5 copies of the book—plus the matching materials and lesson plans—directly to your school!