Strawbees might be the best kept secret of the Makerspace world. When I first was introduced to Strawbees, I was astounded. How can something so simple encourage so much creativity?
If you haven’t heard of Strawbees, let me break it down for you. It’s a kit of straws and plastic connectors. The connectors are the perfect size to slide right into the end of a straw and hold it tight. Connectors can be outfitted with one, two, three, four, or five pegs to connect straws, allowing for all types of creations and ideas.
If you haven’t heard of Strawbees, let me break it down for you. It’s a kit of straws and plastic connectors. The connectors are the perfect size to slide right into the end of a straw and hold it tight. Connectors can be outfitted with one, two, three, four, or five pegs to connect straws, allowing for all types of creations and ideas.
You can purchase a kit from different retailers or the website, but even better, Grant Wood AEA Work Center can create a kit for you with our Strawbees die cuts. Or, you can come in and create your own and use different materials to create connectors, allowing students to test the qualities of different materials in different situations.
There’s also a Coding and Robotics kit that includes a Quirkbot with a servo motor and LED lights to make your creation come to life. It can be coded with a Quirkbot account that uses simple drag and drop coding. But to be honest, I really love this as an unplugged Maker opportunity.
There are also two different Strawbees apps to inspire creativity for kids that need a little nudge, Strawbees Instructions and Strawbees Connect (also available online). You do have to create an account, but students under 13 can use an account set-up by the teacher. These apps would also be great to learn about different tips and tricks and give step-by-step tutorials to get you started. You can also upload your own creations to share with the Strawbees Community!
Looking to try these out? Contact your Digital Learning Consultant to borrow our set and see what your students think!
~Mindy Cairney, Digital Learning Consultant
mcairney@gwaea.org
@TeamCairney
There are also two different Strawbees apps to inspire creativity for kids that need a little nudge, Strawbees Instructions and Strawbees Connect (also available online). You do have to create an account, but students under 13 can use an account set-up by the teacher. These apps would also be great to learn about different tips and tricks and give step-by-step tutorials to get you started. You can also upload your own creations to share with the Strawbees Community!
Looking to try these out? Contact your Digital Learning Consultant to borrow our set and see what your students think!
~Mindy Cairney, Digital Learning Consultant
mcairney@gwaea.org
@TeamCairney
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