I’ll never forget my first year trying STEM in the classroom. I was excited, my students were curious, and…I had no idea what I actually needed. I had a few random supplies tucked in bins, a handful of science books on the shelf, and big dreams of engaging, hands-on activities.
But starting off, I was digging through my art bins for tape and silently hoping we had enough pipe cleaners to go around.
It wasn’t a disaster—but it was a learning moment.
Since then, I’ve fine-tuned a simple system to make sure I have everything I need to launch a successful STEM week, all without the last-minute scramble. Whether you’re a seasoned STEM teacher or just starting to dip your toes into hands-on learning, having a go-to toolkit can make all the difference.
In this post, I’m sharing my favorite materials, books, and a free printable checklist to help you feel prepped and confident for your first week of STEM.
Consumable Materials
- tissue paper rolls
- cardboard boxes (Cereal thin)
- straws
- cups
- construction paper
- tape (precut into 1 in strips)
- foam sheets
- ribbon
- yarn
- plastic lids
- bottle caps
- empty food containers (jars, yogurt bowls)
- scrap paper
- newspaper
- popsicle sticks
- velcro
- rubber bands
Reusable Materials
- magnet tiles
- hashtag blocks (got mine from Target Dollar Spot)
- Lincoln logs
- snap cubes
- blocks
- brain flakes
- Legos
- Duplo Bricks
- Playdough
You may be wondering how I kept all of this organized…? Well the answer was a generous donation form Donors Choose to build a Makerspace. I have a post here to show you all the things I used to build it. “Your Guide to Build and Organize a Makerspace”.
Picture Books for Your First Week STEM Toolkit
Want to turn any of these stories into a STEM challenge? I have a Freebie just for that. It’s a step by step guide filled with planning pages and quick wins for your STEM lesson.
👉Grab the Ultimate Guide for Combining Literacy and STEM here.👈
It includes:
📚 Lesson Design Template
📚 Materials List
📚 Tips on “Supply Shopping” during the lesson
📚 3 Scaffolded Planning Pages that are editable to meet your needs
Need a letter to parents requesting supplies? Click the letter picture towards the top or right here for another FREEBIE on TPT.
