Sparks forschool makerspacesschool makerspacesmaker cartsSTEM labslibrary makerspacesmaker clubsinnovation labscommunity makerspacesmaker nightsthat your learners make to keep.

Both. Every learner makes their own working project and takes it home. To keep going, the Spark Components collection sells the materials on their own, like straw connectors, building tubes, linkage levers, cardboard connectors, pistons and vibrating motors, so makers can design something new with them.

Every Spark starts from the same base project, then the guide pushes learners to make it their own once it works. The Art Machines guide tells the leader to “let creativity lead,” so two finished creatures rarely look alike, and Blendies gives older learners a choice board for their own symmetry pattern. A Spark is more structured than open studio time, since every learner follows the same steps to get a working mechanism. From there, the piece is theirs.

Start with a Spark that lists 30 to 45 minutes, like Blendies, Eyelusions or Strawbots. Drawbots lists 45 to 60 minutes, so it fills a full period. Straw Structures lists 30 to 60 minutes and may run longer than one period.

Yes. Most Sparks finish in a single sitting, which fits a once-a-week rotation. For a project that carries across visits, some Sparks include a multi-week extension, like the Linkages multi-session design project or the Straw Structures “Mega Structure” challenge, which joins several learners’ finished structures into one.

Every learner works from their own bag, so there is no shared bin to sort. Straw Structures comes in its own reusable, reclosable bag: learners fit their straws and connectors back in at the end of the period, and the same bag comes back out for the next class. A bent straw isn’t waste; the guide says to trim it and reuse it as a cross-brace. Leave a few minutes at the end of each period for packing up.

Yes, once a small group has made the project ahead of time and walked through the learner-led coaching guide. An adult stays nearby for setup and troubleshooting, but isn’t the one demonstrating.

Yes. Our blog shows a Scene Machines scene motorized with a Birdbrain Hummingbird board and a BBC micro:bit, using servo mounts and connectors you print yourself. The post gives the steps and the free print files: Maker Education Robotic Linkages with Servos. It is an extension for a makerspace with basic electronics on hand, not a change to the kit. Our free downloads also include a Servo Install Kit, a straw connector and a gear wheel ready to print, plus a Monster Claw template for a laser cutter.

Libraries know Sparks through Demco’s Makerspace Cart, which featured components and projects made with Sparks. Demco discontinued the cart in September 2026, and we’d love to find Sparks a new library home.

No. Any adult can lead a Spark. Each one has a step-by-step visual guide, and a free educator account adds a coaching video and slide deck, all at coach-with-sparks. Teachers, librarians, camp staff, parents and volunteers all lead Sparks. Plan one practice run before your first session.

A few minutes for most Sparks, not hours. Straw Structures needs only scissors and a ruler. Drawbots needs a little more: pre-stretch the rubber band and have a projector ready for the slides. Each Spark’s prep list is on its guide at coach-with-sparks, and we recommend making one yourself first.

Yes. Every learner has their own bag, so everyone works at the same time instead of waiting on shared materials. The visual, numbered guide lets a substitute, aide or volunteer lead from the printed steps. Your school’s own rules still set the supervision ratio for the room.

Pick a Spark whose guide splits by grade band, like Straw Structures or Mazes. Straw Structures has bands for Pre-K through Kindergarten, 1st through 3rd, and 4th through 8th, so younger learners finish the base project while older learners move into the extensions.

Every guide lists the NGSS and Common Core standards it supports. K-2-ETS1-2 (develop a simple sketch, drawing or physical model) appears on 14 of the 17 Sparks. Straw Structures and Art Machines both list 3-5-ETS1-3 (plan and carry out fair tests), Crankie Contraptions adds 3-5-ETS1-2 (generate and compare multiple solutions), and Crankie Contraptions carries MS-ETS1-2 and MS-ETS1-4 through grade 8.

Right after each learner finishes, several Sparks add a team challenge. Straw Structures moves from a solo project to partner and team challenges like “reach the ceiling” and “fit people inside,” which means negotiating whose idea wins. Wind-Up Vehicles has a challenge where every vehicle in the room locks into one giant rolling machine.

The guide points them to a troubleshooting step, so the fix comes from them, not an adult. The Wind-Up Vehicles guide says up front that “it’s totally okay to try something that doesn’t work,” and treats a vehicle rolling backward as something to fix. The learner ends the session with a project that works.

Yes. The quote builder makes a PDF quote in about two minutes with Net 30 terms, so your business office can cut a PO against it. Paying by card, purchasing card or ACH on a quote takes 5 percent off. For a tax-exempt quote, check “Our organization is tax-exempt” and enter your tax ID. To buy tax-exempt in the store, create a free account and submit your tax ID with a tax-exempt certificate.

The bundles and components above show what they cost today, and every Small Group Pack and Class Pack is priced in the shop. A Class Pack of 25 costs less per learner than a Small Group Pack of 10, and both cost less per learner than a Single Spark.

Yes. A Single Spark is sold one at a time in the Single Spark Packs collection, with no minimum.

Yes. Districts have bought Sparks as one district-level order instead of school by school. The quote builder has a 100 to 300 learner tier and a 300-plus multi-site tier for exactly this.

Yes. Arts-integration grants have funded Sparks purchases at Baltimore-area schools, and state arts council grants have funded Art Machines kits for elementary schools. That is a different pot of money than a classroom’s own supply budget.

Yes. Request a free sample, name the Spark you want to test, and try it with one group. If it works, the same Spark scales up through the quote builder.