More concentration on mathematics, critical thinking, and reading make creativity an overlooked skill. However, incorporating creativity through makerspace projects comes with handy benefits, and the concept applies to almost all age groups.

There’s little to no involvement with the teacher, so students can use their creativity to find a solution to different challenges. Below are 10 makerspace projects teachers can introduce to their students.

1. Battery Powered Foam Boat

This project proves that exciting DIYs don’t have to be complicated. Students require a one-inch thermocol sheet, two AA batteries with a holder, one small switch, DC motor, water bottle cap, ice cream sticks, and a glue gun. Drawing well-labeled lines on a sheet makes the cutting process less confusing.

Students can cover the battery part with a plastic material to prevent water from getting in. Streamlining the sides of the thermocol sheet using sandpaper gives the boat a premium look.

2. Squishy Circuits

The squishy circuit is an award-winning project that introduces students to the fundamental concepts of electricity and circuits. This DIY project isn’t complicated, meaning learners won’t have difficulty hacking the process.

Most items or substitutes are readily available and affordable. The resources required include P5lay-doh, 9-volt batteries, alligator clips, pipe cleaners, LEDs, craft foam, and vibrating motors (optional). Once you get the basic principles, it becomes easy to construct more complicated circuits.

With this task, students learn the difference between insulators and conductors.

3. Scribble Bot

The scribble bot is an exciting project for STEM/art activities that takes about 30 minutes to complete. Students require an electrical tape, a plastic container, rubber band, small motor, moldable plastic or clay, and batteries (depends on your motor). The project requires learners to attach pens to the edge of a plastic container using tape.

Using pens with different colors and a container with a distinct shape makes the scribble bot unique. There are various ways to make a scribble bot, so students can try several options.

4. Popsicle Drone

How this DIY turns from an arts and crafts activity to something more technological is mind-blowing. The project takes around three hours, a process that allows students to unleash their creativity. The components required include popsicle sticks, soldering tool, rubber band, propeller, battery, micro CMOS FPV camera, and EVO mini-buzzer.

One of the essential parts of any drone is the frame since it includes the circuitry, battery, and motor. Students will have fun trying to put together all parts. The miniature drone can record stunning videos.

5. Circuit Tiles

Introducing students to circuits doesn’t have to be complicated and boring, thanks to the circuit tiles project. It’s a fun and iterative process where learners can explore alone or as an entire class. Ten tiles take around one hour to complete, though it depends on how good a student is with soldering.

Materials and tools like wood, several thin screws, wire, gator clip leads, soldering iron, hot glue gun, sandpaper, drill, and wire strippers are easy to work with and affordable. Testing out the elements with a power source before soldering and gluing notifies students if they are on the right track.

6. DIY Simple Motor

Introduce students to the world of technology using this project. They’ll need wire strippers, insulated wire, wood, paper clips, copper wire, neodymium magnet, hot glue gun, sandpaper, AA batteries, and staple gun with staples.

Balance is vital when creating a good motor, and students can achieve this by wrapping the trailing ends of the wire to the coil two or three times. Neodymium magnets are powerful and should be handled with extra care when mounting them to the rig. The hot glue gun keeps the magnet in its ideal spot.

If the students would like to try making other DIY gadgets, these budget-friendly robotics project ideas are suitable for them.

7. LED Popsicle Flashlight

Students will have fun with this DIY project since it’s easy to implement. The project shows learners how a switch works. It only takes less than 10 minutes to complete.

Some of the materials needed include non-conductive tape, 3V coin cell battery, copper wire, medium-size metal binder clip, jumbo popsicle stick, scissors, and hot glue gun & glue sticks. Students should place the LED’s cathode (long lead) on the top and the anode (short lead) on the bottom. Note that the light won’t work if the battery touches the metal leg or the copper tape on the top.

Related: Stunning DIY LED Projects to Try

8. Hydraulic Machine

The hydraulic machine project gives young engineers hands-on experience with the power of hydraulic-powered mechanisms. The process is straightforward, and students can follow the tutorial independently.

Learners require cable ties, craft cubes, craft sticks, 1/8-inch dowels, wheels, masking tape, hot glue sticks, wheels, hot glue gun, and craft cube with holes. Instead of using water, students can fill the syringes with air for easier facilitation.

9. Fridge Climbing Freedombot

Students will understand how various electronic devices function with the fridge climbing freedombot project. Although the task isn’t complicated, younger students may require extra supervision since they must prepare and test several components using advanced equipment.

The materials required include limit switches, 9V battery, automotive terminal connectors, servo testers, disc magnets, 5V voltage regulator, and female header cables. The customized robot will excite students as it crawls up on a metal surface.

Learners should be extra careful when handling the magnets after heating them.

10. Electric Mini-Car

Teach students how to make a fast electric car with this less complicated project. Materials required include one battery connector, one big scraw, four bottle caps, one 9V battery, two toothpicks, a DC motor, hot glue, one on/off switch, and one thumb pin.

The process is straightforward, requiring learners to make holes at the center of the bottle caps and sticking toothpicks.

Tip: Students can decorate the car using their favorite colors to give it a fancy look.

Challenge Students with Exciting DIY Projects

The above makerspace projects are a fun and unique way to encourage learners to collaborate and explore technology. As such, they can develop and test various ideas that interest them.

The best thing is that most makerspace concepts are great for both elementary and high school students. With the right components, you’ll be fascinated by the magic students can create.