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A STEAM Kit is a take-home set of something to play with that fits in one of five categories: science, technology, engineering, arts, or math.

STEAM Kits can be checked out for 7 days and are not renewable. The kit must be returned to the NPL Circulation Desk only. Due to the valuable and breakable components of the kits, If the kit is returned to another library, through the lobby slots, or through the Manual or Automatic Drop Boxes, a $10.00 fine will be assessed.

PDF Icon STEAM Kit List
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Watch and Learn!

Click here to view a YouTube playlist with videos showing you how to use some of our STEAM kits!

Kit #1: Discovery Tubes

This two part kit shows the properties of liquids and how primary colors make secondary colors. The kit includes four Liquid Discovery Tubes and Many Kinds of Matter book; three Color Discovery Tubes and Experiments with Light and Color book

Replacement Cost: $150

Discovery tubes

Kit #2: Drawing

Sharpen your drawing skills with this set. Included are two learn to draw books- Art for Kids: Drawing by Kathryn Temple and Ed Emberley’s Drawing Book of Animals by Ed Emberley. There is also an art history book, The School of Art by Teal Riggs. A pencil set is also included to get you started.

Replacement cost: $75.00

Drawing

Kit #3: Spirograph

Explore the classic Spirograph with this set. Use the interlocking gears and wheels to make intricate, spiraling, and elegant designs.

Click here to view a video to learn how to use the spirograph!

Replacement Cost: $25.00

Spirograph     Spirograph

Kit # 4: Paper Folding

Learn the art of paper folding with this kit. Two books are included - Easy Origami and Cool Flexagon Art. A container with origami paper is provided to get you started.

Replacement Cost: $50.00

Origami

Kit #5: Fossils

This kit will let you explore fossils. There are nine fossils to examine with a magnifying glass. Also included are four books to help you learn about fossil identification, dig sites, and living fossils.

Replacement Cost: $100.00

Fossils

Kit #6: Birding

Learn all about the birds of Michigan and North America with this kit. Use the binoculars to help you find birds right in your backyard. How many can you find?

Click here to view a video to learn how to use this birding kit!
 

Replacement Cost: $50.00

   Bird Guide  

Kit #7: Insects

With this kit you will be able to inspect 10 creepy crawly insects up close! This kit contains 10 encased specimens and magnifying glass. It also includes two books: DK Insect with a Clip-Art CD and National Geographic’s Ultimate Bugopedia.

Replacement Cost: $100

Insect Book

Kit #8: Gravity: Space Lander

Learn all about Newton’s laws of motion and explore how parachutes work…then create a space lander! This Lakeshore Learning kit comes with all the materials needed to complete 4 activities—from researching parachutes to testing gravity’s effects on different objects!

Replacement Cost: $70

Gravity Space Lander
 

Kit #9: Magnetic Tiles

Get creative with magnetic tiles. Use your imagination to build cool 3D structures with this 100 piece set. Learn about color, geometric shapes, magnetic polarity, and architecture.

Replacement Cost: $55.00

Tiles
  

Kit #10: Architecture

Learn about spatial reasoning and building in three dimensions as you construct one realistic house after another! Follow the prompts on the activity cards—slotting together plastic walls, floors and roofs to create 10 different houses even professionals would be proud of. 

Replacement Cost: $40

Architecture

Kit #11: Space-Planets

This kit is out of this world—watch the planets orbit our Sun! It contains a motorized Solar System and Planetarium, a National Geographic Planets DVD, a National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Space and an Out of this World Planets book.

Replacement Cost: $100

Planets

Kit #12: Space-Planetarium

See the universe from the comfort of your own home with a Planetarium projector with multiple viewing slides of planets, nebulae, moons, asteroids, and other celestial bodies. This kit contains a Smithsonian Optics Room Planetarium and Dual Projector and the book A Child’s Introduction to the Night Sky.

Replacement Cost: $75

Space Planetarium

Kit #13: OSMO Little Genius Kit for iPad

Award-winning learning games let your child interact with tangible educational toys and an iPad, bringing their actions to life. A hands-on learning adventure awaits your little genius.

NOTE: iPad is not provided. For information on compatible devices, please go to www.playosmo.com. An internet connection is needed for setup, but no WiFi is necessary for game play.

Replacement Cost: $85.00

OSMO Little Genius Kit

Kit #14: Microscope

Magnify cells up to 900 times with this microscope set. This kit contains a Smithsonian Microscope, a few prepared slides, some empty slides for new specimens, and specimen collecting gear. Learn more about microscopes with the included book.

Replacement cost: $40

Microscope     Microscope Book

Kit #15: Sphero Sprk+

Sphero SPRK+ is a programmable robot ball designed to inspire creativity and curiosity through coding and play. Easily learn programming, complete hands-on activities, and share your creations with the community.

Replacement Cost: $130
Sphero Sprk+ kit

Kit #16: Snap Circuits

Make dozens of cool electronic gadgets - all from one box! A safe and fun way to introduce children ages 8+ to the basics of electrical engineering! Build exciting projects and toys using the included colorful instruction book!

Replacement Cost: $45

Snap Circut
   

Kit #17: Osmo Genius Kit for iPad

Use the Osmo Genius Kit with your own iPad to play games that enhance reading & vocabulary, number sense & math confidence, problem solving, as well as creativity & imagination. Use the included tangram pieces, letter tiles, and number tiles to add to the fun!

NOTE: iPad is not provided. For information on compatible devices, please go to www.playosmo.com. An internet connection is needed to use Osmo.

Replacement cost: $100

OSMO Genius Kit

Kit #18: Osmo Genius Kit for Amazon Fire Tablet

Use the Osmo Genius Kit with your own Amazon Fire Tablet to play games that enhance reading & vocabulary, number sense & math confidence, problem solving, as well as creativity & imagination. Use the included tangram pieces, letter tiles, and number tiles to add to the fun!

NOTE: Amazon Fire Tablet is not provided. For information on compatible devices, please go to www.playosmo.com. An internet connection is needed to use Osmo.

Replacement cost: $100
 

   OSMO Genius Kit

Kit #19: LittleBits

Play with light, sound, sensing and buttons with this 10-piece circuit kit that contains a DC motor, dimmer, light sensor, and more. Work on the 8 projects provided in the manual or build one of the hundreds you can find online! This kit contains the LittleBits 10-Piece Base Kit.

Replacement Cost: $125

Little Bits     Little Bits

Kit #20: Circuits

Build a radio, a burglar alarm, a doorbell and more with this 60-piece Snap Circuit set. Transform pieces into over 300 combinations! This kit includes the Snap Circuits SC-300 Electronics Discovery Kit.

Replacement Cost: $75

Electronic Snap Circuits     Circuits

Kit #21: Makey

With this kit, you can replace your mouse and keyboard with a Makey Makey! Hook up this circuit board to your computer and visit their site, draw with paint, or use with Scratch to create any program you can think up. This kit contains a Makey Makey with alligator clips and computer cord as well as Playdoh for connecting circuits.

Replacement Cost: $75

Makey     Makey

Kit #22 Ozobot Coding Robot

Ozobot is a pocket sized coding robot. With two ways to code, it could not be easier to learn coding. Use the included markers to draw commands for the Ozobot to follow. For more advanced coding, use the OzoBlockly online programming editor.

Replacement Cost: $100


Bit Coding


Kit #23: SPHERO MINI

Equipped with a gyroscope, accelerometer, and colorful LED lights, this educational robot is more than a mini robot toy. Sphero Mini is the perfect entry into robotics for beginners!
 
Replacement Cost: $65.00

Sphero Mini

Kits #24: VR

Turn a smartphone into a virtual reality experience! With this kit you can use a VR Headset to explore new worlds. Just clip your smartphone into the headset while a VR app (like Google Cardboard) is loaded. This kit contains a VR headset, a Google Cardboard Headset and Virtual Reality book.

Replacement Cost: $75

VR Kit


Kit #25: Coding

Learn all about Scratch Coding with this kit! It includes information about bugs, fixes and online safety. This kit contains four different books and a set of Scratch Coding Flashcards.

Replacement Cost: $75   

 Scratch Coding     Coding     Coding  

Coding     Coding     


Kit #26: Glockenspiel

Learn how to play the Steel Tongue Drum with this set. Use the included books to make beautiful music. Steel Tongue Drums have a peaceful, soothing sound that can help calm and relax.

Replacement Cost: $75

Glockenspiel
 

Kit #27 Boom Whackers

Have fun making music with Boomwhackers! Included are eight tuned percussion tubes, two Octavator Caps, a CD of Boomwhacker music and a DVD about Boomwhackers. Use the Boom Whack Attack book to learn how to play songs with the Boomwhackers.

Replacement Cost: $55.00

Boom Whacker Kit

Kit #28: CODING CATERPILLAR

Think & Learn Code-a-pillar Twist lets kids discover the fun of coding as they use their problem-solving and sequencing skills to code a path for their buddy to follow. Just twist the dials to program a path and watch Code-a-pillar Twist go!

Click here to view a video showing the coding caterpillar in action!

Replacement Cost: $40

Coding Caterpillar
 

Kit #29: CHAIN REACTION

Set off a chain reaction of fun! Set up a course of ramps, pendulums, hammers, switches and more…then drop a ball onto the tracks and go for the goal box! Packed with super-durable plastic pieces, the set is perfect for open-ended building—or kids can use the leveled challenge cards to create a variety of different courses from scratch! Set comes with 37 pieces, plus 4 balls, 6 challenge cards and a guide. The tracks measure 12" in length.

Replacement Cost: $50

Chain Reaction
 

Kit #30: OSMO LITTLE GENIUS-AMAZON FIRE TABLET

Award-winning learning games let your child interact with tangible educational toys and an Amazon Fire tablet, bringing their actions to life. A hands-on learning adventure awaits your little genius.

NOTE: Amazon Fire tablet is not provided. For information on compatible devices, please go to www.playosmo.com. An internet connection is needed for setup, but no WiFi is necessary for game play.

Replacement cost: $85.00

Osmo Little Genius

 

Kit #31: CODING: SCRATCH JR

ScratchJr is a free, introductory computer programming language that runs on iPads, Android tablets, Amazon tablets, and Chromebooks. Derived from Scratch, the wildly popular programming language used by millions of kids worldwide, ScratchJr helps even younger children (5 to 7 years old) create their own playful animations, interactive stories, and dynamic games.
 
Replacement cost: $50.00

Coding Jr

Kit #32: GRAVITY MAZE

Gravity Maze is a combination logic game, marble run, and STEM toy. Playing your way through the challenges builds spatial reasoning and planning skills, and is partly an engineering and building toy that provides a great stealth learning experience for young players. For ages 8 and up. It contains 60 challenges from beginner to expert, a game grid, 9 towers, 1 target piece, and 3 marbles

Replacement cost: $30.00

Gravity Maze

Kit #33: MARBLE RUN

The National Geographic Glow-in-the-Dark Marble Run Set is a super-fun way to explore construction, engineering, and physics! It has everything kids need to create incredible marble runs that will have their glowing marbles racing toward the finish line!
 
Configure the pieces in any design you’d like - the possibilities are endless! The detailed learning guide has lots of information about the physics of motion and gravity, so kids can learn while they play! 
 
Replacement cost: $35.00

Marble Run