5 Picture Books for Your Classroom Maker Space
Looking for educational picture books to include in your STEM Education curriculum or the Maker Space in your classroom?
There are many wonderful picture books related to box constructions, a Makerspace and the related STEAM education. Using children’s picture books to teach behaviours or concepts you want to promote in your classroom learning areas is an excellent teaching strategy.
These are just 5 of our all-time favourites.
Picture Books to Add to Your Classroom Maker Space
The Cardboard Box Book by Roger Priddy & Sarah Powell
This incredibly creative book shows kids that by using easy-to-find art and craft materials, the ideas and templates included in the book, and most importantly, a ton of imagination, simple cardboard boxes can be transformed into a robot costume, a princess castle, a circus, and so much more!
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty
Rosie may seem quiet during the day, but at night she's a brilliant inventor of gizmos and gadgets who dreams of becoming a great engineer. A great motivational picture book for inspiring imaginative box constructions and STEAM education.
The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
A story about a regular girl and her friend, a helpful dog. They like to make things and the girl decides to make the most magnificent thing! She tinkers, she hammers and glues. But it doesn’t look or feel right. To her, it’s all wrong. So she gives it another go. She tries and tries but it is still wrong. It is NOT the MAGNIFICENT thing she has in her mind! Her frustration doesn’t help and she wants to quit. However, after a short break she finds that there are parts of ‘the wrongs’ that are ‘right’ so she gets back to work. It’s not perfect but it really is the most magnificent thing.
A great book for children to understand the process is more important than the product. Remember - celebrate the Process over the Product!
What Do You Do with An Idea? By Kobi Yamada
This is the story of one brilliant idea and the child who helps to bring it into the world. As the child's confidence grows, so does the idea itself. And then, one day, something amazing happens. It's a story to inspire your children to welcome that idea, to give it some space to grow, and to see what happens next. Sometimes ideas need to be given time, experimented with, changed and built upon.
Be A Maker by Katey Howes
This appealing, rhyming story celebrates making in many forms. How many things can you make in a day? A tower, a friend, a change? Rhyme, repetition, and a few straightforward questions will engage young makers in the possibilities of the many things we can make, and the ways we can make a difference in the world.
BONUS: Another Picture Book for Your Maker Space
I stumbled across this little gem while searching for picture books online. It looks like a great addition to any Maker Space but more specifically, a box construction area. I was so excited to find it.
Boxitects by Kim Smith
This picture book is about Meg - a brilliant and creative boxitect who creates extraordinary things out of ordinary cardboard boxes. A STEAM Education must have.
Meg is a brilliant and creative boxitect. She loves impressing her teacher and classmates with what she makes out of boxes. But there’s a new kid at Maker School: Simone. Simone is good at everything, and worst of all, she’s a boxitect too. When the annual Maker Match is held, Meg and Simone are paired as a team but can’t seem to stop arguing. When their extraordinary project turns into a huge disaster, they must find a way to join creative forces, lift each other up, and work together.
Do you have a Makerspace, Box Construction Area, Collage Table or Creation Station in your classroom?
You will want to read this blog post about our Cardboard Box Construction Area. See how to set up this hands-on learning space in your play based learning classroom. Read about the benefits of a Maker Space, the materials and tools you should offer there and how to prioritize your curriculum learning intentions for the creative process.
