Beyond Books – STEM Kits for Students

Something new for students this year are circulating STEM kits! Kits cover a range of topics, including coding, electricity, building, and gears.

We currently have the following kits:

Gear Kit

Kit #1 – Gears (recommended for ages 3 and up)

Books: Gears Go, Wheels Roll by Mark Weakland

Materials: Magnetic Gears (10 large, 2 large with handles and 10 small), cookie sheet, and instructions.

Coding Mouse Kit

Kit #2 – Coding Mouse (recommended for ages 4 and up)

Books: A House for Mouse by Gabby Dawnay and Alex Barrow and Mouse Mazes by Allen Nelson

Materials: Robot Mouse, Cheese wedge, Maze grids (16), Maze walls (22), Tunnels (3), Double-sided coding cards (30), Double-sided activity cards (10), and Activity guide.

Sphero Kit

Kit #3 – Sphero (recommended for ages 8 and up)

Books: Crack the Code: Decoding with Emojis by K.L. Motley and Coding Concepts for Kids by Randy Lynn

Materials: Activity cards (15), Pins (6) & Cones (3), Construction set (28 pieces), Kindle with case and handle, Charging cord, Charging cube, and Kindle instructions.

Strawbee Building Kit

Kit #4 – Building with Strawbees (recommended for ages 4 and up)

Books: Building Strong Bridges by Marne Ventura and If I Built a House by Chris Van Dusen and Construyendo Una Casa by Terri Fields and Santiago Ochoa

Materials: Long straws (30), Short straws (120), Standard connectors (115), Special connectors (32), Wheels (4), Idea Cards (Total = 20: Inventor (10) and Crazy Inventor (10), and Photo sheet

Squishy Circuit Kit

Kit #5 – Squishy Circuits (recommended for ages 8 and up)

Books: Connect it: Circuits You Can Squish, Bend, and Twist by Elsie Olson and The Magic School Bus and the Electric Field Trip by Joanna Cole & Bruce Degen and Discover it Yourself: Batteries, Bulbs and Wires

Materials: 3 cans of conductive dough, 1 can of insulating dough, Sculpting tools and rolling pin, LED lights (8 total), Deluxe Battery Holder (4 AA batteries – NOT included), On/Off Switch, Motor + Fan, Mechanical Buzzer, Piezoelectric Buzzer, Small screw, Carrying Pouch, Activity Cards (5), and Quick Start Guide.

Checkout Policies:

  • MUST have a Cherry Valley library card to check-out.
  • MUST be 18 or older to check out a STEM kit.
  • Check-out period is one (1) week.
  • Late fee is $1.00 per day. $50.00 maximum.
  • May renew item one (1) time.
  • May place item on hold. Will be available on the hold shelf for three (3) days.
  • Kits MUST be returned to the front desk.

Replacement costs vary by kit, based on contents. Please see individual kits for more information.