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My name is Darcie Pilon and I am a third-year Elementary Education student at Wartburg College. In my recent field experience, kindergarten students were given the task of creating a home out of recyclable materials found around the common household. For instance, they used cardboard boxes, paper cups, rubberbands, plastic bottles, paper plates, and more. These are things that could be easily collected over a short period of time, some after initial use, thus saving some money.

The students seemed to really enjoy this activity and were sad to end it. I am curious what other lessons and activities can be done on a budget. Any examples or inspiration would be appreciated!

Hi Darcie,

Paper roller coasters are a great activity. We used paer from the recycle bin. We even used recyled posterboard from other projects. There are several videos you can watch for ideas. Mainly the students learn by doing. I use it when teaching the laws of motion.

Here are two resources that may be of interest. Both utilize easy to find, everyday materials. 

• The Snack Box series is designed for teachers and parents to provide STEM focused lessons or activities by grade level band (K-12). These are free for download via DigitalCommons.
• The new STEM a la Carte lessons are specific to grades K-5. 

 I really like this activity. This is a really good take home family project. I love sending home family projects with my students. I work with second grade students and for the month of November, my students had to complete the disguise a turkey project. The students really enjoyed the project and I got some really good disguised turkeys turned it. I will definitely use your idea and most likely make this my next take home family project for my students.

This is an amazing thread. Thank you for posting, I am also an elementary ed major and it is always great to have inexpensive ideas with our own classrooms just around the corner!

I agree that this is a great thread. I am always looking for low-budget ideas to do with my students. 

Another STEM project that involves having the students bring in recycable materials from home is the 'egg drop' project. You can read more about it here: https://buggyandbuddy.com/stem-kids-egg-drop-project/ .Another great one that the students will love enganging in is building an earthquake proof structure and a shake table: https://www.instructables.com/STEM-Design-Challenge-Building-Earthquake-Proof-Bu/ . It's great when you can have the students bring in materials from home to make the STEM projects cost effective. Perhaps you can even remind the students to bring in recycable materials whenever they can and collect them for future projects to do with the students. You can send home a list to of common items that will be super useful like cardboard, newspaper, and toothpicks. Its also a great way to teach the students about recycling and reusing. You could even set it up like a scavenger hunt so the students have even more fun finding the materials. 

I am a director at Teakergeek (https://teachergeek.com/) and would love to help everyone looking to do STEM/STEAM on a budget. Send me an email to [email protected] with your schools Name, school address, your name and what you teach and I will send some kits your way.

This is more of a middle school STEM lesson and above, but maybe it can inspire you to tailor it to your kids' needs or create something similar. 

I like to present the students with the problem of needing to take a water sample that does not include the surface/top layer because that layer does not give us a true water sample. I have the students create a device out of similar materials that will go under the water, collect a sample, and bring it back up without getting any of the top layer as a sample. They use water bottles, rocks, string, tape, etc. It is a fun one and they love it. Anytime you and present a problem and have them create a solution to it, it will be meaningful.