Updated: Free Crafting and Making Resources for Schools During the COVID-19 Outbreak

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 04/30/20

Education technology companies and organizations have stepped forward to help educators bring STEM and STEAM experiences to students in virtual ways during the COVID-19 closures. The following is a list of free resources for crafting and making. We have a separate listing for the arts. This will be updated regularly as announcements are made. (If you know of a company that should be included on this list, please send details to [email protected].)

Canva for Education is offering teachers forever-free access to its online design platform. The program, which is optimized for Chromebook, includes drag-and-drop tools to simplify visual communication. Students can create and co-create presentations, infographics, websites, reports, worksheets, posters, flyers and signage. The program includes access to 60,000 templates, two million images, 800,000 icons and illustrations and 700 fonts. Once teachers fill out the form, the company will verify the application. https://support.canva.com/account-basics/canva-for-education/apply-canva-for-education/

Craft in America is sharing its library of free content, including education guides for K-12 teachers, a decade's worth of free online video content and playlists, virtual exhibitions and at-home activities. https://www.craftinamerica.org/blog/for-educators

LEGO is sharing design simple challenges. The company has assembled LEGO designers, creatives and play experts to come up with new ways to help families "stay creative, curious and connected" while at home. Daily play challenges, new play ideas and live build-a-longs are being shared in photos and videos on social media using the hashtag #LetsBuildTogether and at www.lego.com/letsbuildtogether.

STEM Education Works has made a set of 26 3D printing lessons for K-12 available free. Although the lessons were developed to work with the Sindoh 3D printer, the company said they're universal and can be used with any 3D printer. Some lessons offer exercises that students can start at home and finish when they return to school. https://go.stemeducationworks.com/free-3d-printing-success-pack

We are Knitters is teaching students how to knit, short video by short video. https://www.weareknitters.com/learn-knit?type=1#homeschool

Wild, Free & Crafty, an online arts and crafts business, has launched daily online art lessons for students. The initial set of lessons uses supplies that many homes have (such as printer paper and markers). After the lessons are streamed, they're posted for viewing afterwards on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/c/wildfreeandcrafty

Find more resources for schools during the COVID-19 crisis here. Or return to the main list of free resources.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

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