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How to Implement What You Learned after a STEM Teacher Conference [ep.211]

by Naomi Meredith

How to Implement What You Learned after a STEM Teacher Conference [ep.211]

Check out the full episode on how to implement what you learned after a STEM teacher conference:  

 

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

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Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube here:

Episode Summary

Attending STEM teacher conferences can be such a blast, but also exhausting! You are gathering so much information within a few days, so how do you even implement it all? (Spoiler: you don’t!) I’ll be sharing my strategy on how I organize information I learn from these conferences in a meaningful way and actually use what I learned in the classroom.

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

Welcome to the Elementary STEM Coach Podcast. I’m your host, Naomi Meredith, a former classroom teacher turned K-5 STEM teacher and coach. With over a decade of experience teaching and a master’s degree in STEM leadership, I’m here to coach you throughout the year to help you gain back more time to create innovative experiences for your students.

 

Hello and happy to be back here for the Elementary STEM Coach Podcast. We are here for a fresh and new season, getting ready to get ready for that new school year. Whether you listen to me in real time over the summer, or you save these episodes for when you’re ready to think about back to school time, no worries at all.

 

We are in this together. And if you are watching the video version of this, I am sitting on the bed of my hotel room. I just got done this morning with the ISTE Conference 2026 in Orlando.

 

My shirt says vacation vibes. Those are the vibes I am bringing before I head on home tomorrow. I am definitely sleeping in because conferences, especially like ISTE or any of those teacher conferences can definitely be overwhelming.

 

During the whole experience, it’s amazing. It’s fantastic. You’re gathering all this information.

 

You’re running into people that you wanted to see or making new friends. But then you get back to the hotel room or even just at the end of the whole trip and don’t even know where to begin. Where do you even start with the information and the pictures that you took and the swag that you got and all of the flyers? What do you do for this information? And I know for me, because I have a backpack full of stuff that I want to start all of it.

 

I want to do it all. I want to do all the cool things that I saw. And realistically, it’s not going to be that way.

 

But I do have a strategy that I have done after almost every conference I have been to, big or small. And I’ve been involved with teacher conferences in so many different ways, whether I presented, whether I’m just an attendee for IFSTEA. I was running social media for the EdTech company that I’ve been doing their social media since the end of 2023.

 

And if you want to know who, check out my Instagram at Naomi Meredith underscore. There are some hints and things on there for you. But I was doing that.

 

So I didn’t get the chance to attend sessions, but walk around, talk a lot to teachers, whether it’s wandering around the expo hall area, poster sessions, and all of that, or a lot of it was at the booth. And I guess I was filming things from time to time. But I was able to talk to teachers a lot more about the products, but really more so about teachers’ experiences.

 

And that was super, super amazing. Shout out to all the teachers who came and saw and found me or ran into me. That just absolutely blew my mind and made me tear up and made me cry in this hotel room, because I never know.

 

It was just really cool. It was really, really cool. Don’t make me tear up now.

 

Stop. Allergies. Anyway, but it was just like everybody has their unique stories, but there’s just a lot of common themes between things.

 

So again, ideas for podcast episodes. But thinking about, again, that information that you gathered, what do you do with it? So here’s what I have done. I’ve also been in charge of taking information back to my staff, and you might be one of those people too, or back to your admin.

 

What are you going to do with that information? So first of all, you have everything organized. And I have my stickiness here being organized, is thinking about, based on the conference and what you’ve learned, what are the things that you want to keep? So take out your year-long plan. Maybe you have it typed up.

 

Maybe it’s in your plan book. But take a peek at all of those things. Maybe highlight all the things you want to keep.

 

And honestly, you’re going to probably want to keep a lot more than you think. And that must make you feel good. There’s probably things you’ve seen at the conference, like, oh my gosh, this teacher does this as well.

 

Or, oh, this teacher and I use the same lesson. Like, that’s great. Like, we’re on the same page.

 

That probably makes you feel good. That happens, I feel, like, at a conference. You’re like, oh, okay.

 

Like, we’re doing the same thing. We’re in this together. I’m going to keep that lesson and move on from there.

 

And a lot of you who are listening teach more than one grade. So having a complete overhaul when you get back really is not sustainable. It’s not realistic.

 

And we’re going to get into what you can do. But really think about, oh, there’s a lot more things that I can keep. So that’s super great.

 

From there, there’s probably some things that you want to update. And so thinking about, okay, this lesson’s good. Standards are there.

 

The core concepts are there. But I can actually do this lesson a bit better based on some tools that I saw. So probably just having an update.

 

And the cool thing about all of my resources that are up in my TeachersPay Teacher Shop is anything that you purchase, you get forever updates as long as that product’s live and stuff up there. You also get access if it’s taken down. Anyway, it’s digital.

 

But the really cool thing is if I update it and put it in there, you get that. And I always post things that I have used with students, I’m currently using with students, or maybe I’ve re-taught it, and then I update it based on what I saw. So recently, I’ve had a lesson, Beagle the Unimaginary Friend, and super great story, cute STEM and Stories connection where I had it.

 

They’re learning about magnetism and creating their unimaginary friend, which goes along with the story, and how magnets, what things are magnetic and not. Still in that lesson, but I also added on a 3D printing component because since making that lesson, I have more skills and training and experience about 3D printing and how to do this with kids. And so I didn’t even get rid of all of that.

 

Even just updating the look is great. But I’ve added in that 3D printing component. And funny enough, I actually had a teacher come up and tell me at this conference, she did that part.

 

She has done that lesson with 3D printing. So just take a peek because you might have some of those lessons, maybe you haven’t taught in a little while, or maybe you’re like, eh, it was okay. Based on your conference experience, are there things that you can update? And you probably have a bunch.

 

So don’t do a whole overhaul. Start with one and then go from there. And finally, and I’m saying finally, for a reason, is thinking about the things you want to try new, do two or three things to start.

 

And the new could be just how you’re teaching it. I’m sure there’s so many ways, like a strategy that you have learned, something you want to try, that could be the new thing. But also, maybe it’s a new tool.

 

So again, kind of back to that update. I’m thinking more of something brand new you’ve never used before. Maybe your school’s purchasing it, maybe you’re borrowing it from another teacher.

 

But that could be that new thing that you focus on. Because I feel like if you’re doing 5 million things at once, and I’m going to a different conference for learning about things for myself. And I’m guilty of this, that I want to do all the new things.

 

But if I really am focusing on like two to three, get really good at it, and feel comfortable about it. If I can teach somebody else about it, then I’m like, all right, I feel good. It’s not even new anymore.

 

Then you can move on, look at your list of things you learned, and then try that. So I know you’re going to want to do all the things, everything you saw in the vendor hall, everything you saw, that is up and coming that you should be on top of it, focus on one to two things, it will be okay, you are doing your best. Even adding one thing is a big deal.

 

That’s what other jobs do that? Yes, they do. But I feel like teachers are trying new things all the time. You’re trying way more.

 

So give yourself some grace. Don’t feel like you have to do it all. And I would love to hear about your experience and what you’re actually trying.

 

So feel free to send any questions my way by way of email or on Instagram at Naomi Meredith underscore. And I am so excited to be back and more episodes to come. Thank you so much for listening to today’s episode of the elementary STEM coach podcast.

 

I would love to connect with you over on Instagram at Naomi Meredith underscore, or send me an email to elementary STEM coach podcast at gmail.com. Also, make sure to check out my website, Naomi Meredith calm to see all the show notes from today’s episode and shop my K through five STEM resources. Any questions you have needs for resources or ideas for episodes, get in touch. I’ll talk to you soon.

 

 

 

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is a K-5 STEM educator and business owner in Colorado supporting elementary teachers world-wide navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there. She has over a decade of experience teaching, 5 years teaching elementary STEM, along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM Certificate.

She offers a variety of resources to help teachers feel successful teaching STEM to their elementary students through lesson plans, online courses, coaching and speaking events.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM, innovation and hands-on learning in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

Are you tired of scrolling online for your next great STEM lesson? Do you feel like there is no time to plan, research and test meaningful STEM lessons, so you throw together a hands-on activity and hope that it works? What systems and routines should you set in place to help students be creative, critically think, and collaborate? 

The Elementary STEM Coach is a podcast for K-5 STEM teachers, classroom teachers, GT specialists, and homeschool parents looking for actionable STEM solutions. Each week, Naomi Meredith will share tools, resources and lesson ideas that are actionable in your classroom and create highly engaging experiences with your students. You’ll learn systems and routines that will create control in the chaos and that will keep you organized all year long. 

Your mindless scrolling days are over! Your new STEM-best friend is now here in your ear buds!

Make a Bug Hotel from Recycled Materials

by Naomi Meredith

Make a Bug Hotel from Recycled Materials

Help the important pollinators in your area by building a bug hotel. This hands-on lesson will help kids learn more about insects, pollinators and decomposers and how helping these bugs are important by using these templates and worksheets to guide the activity. 

Materials Needed for this Bug Hotel STEM Project:

Materials links included inside my full resource here 

Some items are linked to my Amazon Affiliate account. When you purchase through my link, there is no added cost to you, but I receive a small commission in return.

 

Watch the video on how to make this Bug Hotel from Recycled Materials:

 

Let’s slow it down with step-by-step directions on how to make this bug hotel from recycled materials. For more detailed teaching instructions using the Engineering Design Process, you can get that here. 

Step 1:

Trace and cut two rectangle pieces of cardboard that fit inside your container.

Step 2:

Cut halfway down the middle of each piece of cardboard. Stack each piece by criss-crossing them in the slot to form a letter ‘X’

Step 3:

Place the cardboard ‘X’ inside the container.

 

Fill each side of the ‘X’ shape with recycled materials. Make sure to leave room for natural materials. Fold the cardboard tube to create sections.

Step 5:

Cut the straws in half and wrap them together in a bundle using a pipe cleaner.

Step 6:

Cut small rectangles out of thin cardboard and roll into cinnamon roll shapes.

Step 7:

Fill the rest of the bug hotel with natural items from outside. If you’re not adding things from nature right away, print this label on sticker paper and attach to the side of the container. 

 

Need a full lesson for this activity? You can grab that here in my TpT shop!

If you are looking for…

  • A Low-prep STEM lesson & easy-to-find materials
  • An engaging, hands-on activity that has guided directions
  • Opportunities for students to add their creativity
  • A quick, one-day STEM lesson for after-school clubs, homework extensions, homeschool projects (and more!)

Then this resource is PERFECT FOR YOU!

 

 

This product includes:

  • Easy project with simple materials
  • Digital & Printable
  • Written & video directions
  • Content-specific vocabulary
  • Science behind the project
  • Resources to explore the topic more
  • Experiment to test the design

 

Grab the full lesson HERE!

 

 

Related Podcast Episodes/Blog Posts:

More About The Author, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is a K-5 STEM educator and business owner in Colorado supporting elementary teachers world-wide navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there. She has over a decade of experience teaching, 5 years teaching elementary STEM, along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM Certificate.

She offers a variety of resources to help teachers feel successful teaching STEM to their elementary students through lesson plans, online courses, coaching and speaking events.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM, innovation and hands-on learning in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

How to Make a Paper Circuit with Copper Tape

by Naomi Meredith

How to Make a Paper Circuit with Copper Tape

 

Learn how to make a paper circuit with copper tape that is powered by a coin cell battery and turn on a small LED diode.

Materials Needed for this Paper Circuit Project:

Some items are linked to my Amazon Affiliate account. When you purchase through my link, there is no added cost to you, but I receive a small commission in return.

Watch the video on how to make this paper circuit with copper tape

 

Let’s slow it down with step-by-step directions on how to make this paper circuit with copper tape.

 

Related Podcast Episodes/Blog Posts:

 

More About The Author, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is a K-5 STEM educator and business owner in Colorado. She over a decade of experience teaching, 5 years teaching elementary STEM, along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM Certificate.

She offers a variety of tools to help teachers feel successful teaching STEM to their elementary students through lesson plans, online courses, coaching and speaking events.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM, innovation and hands-on learning in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

Teaching Students How to Use Doodle 3D Transform

by Naomi Meredith

Teaching Students How to Use Doodle 3D Transform

Even if you don’t have a background in CAD (computer aided design), Doodle 3D Transform is a great platform for younger students to get started with designing 3D prints. What I like most about this platform is that kids design on the left-hand side with their drawing, and simultaneously, the 3D version appears on the right. There is a paid app that works best on tablets (highly recommended getting this version if you can), but you can also use the web version on a laptop/desktop as well. There is no need to create an account; just start designing as soon as you. open up the app!

Below are tutorial videos that you can use with kids to help them get started with the basics when creating their designs.

 

Teaching Students How to Use Doodle 3D Transform: Basic Tutorial

Learn more about how to use the CAD software, Doodle 3D Transform. All the creating happens on the left side of the screen (the green side) and simultaneously, your creation will appear on the right side (the pink side) in a 3D view.

 

Teaching Students How to Use Doodle 3D Transform: Saving & Sharing Files

Learn more about how to save files and share files from the CAD software, Doodle 3D Transform.

 

 

Want to learn more about 3D printing?

Join me inside my 2-hour on-demand 3D Printing 101 Workshop for teachers. There is even a great starter lesson you can use right away with your students!

 

Related Podcast Episodes/Blog Posts:

More About The Author, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is a K-5 STEM educator and business owner in Colorado supporting elementary teachers world-wide navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there. With over a decade of experience teaching, 5 years teaching elementary STEM, along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM Certificate, Naomi helps teachers world-wide to navigate best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She offers a variety of tools to help teachers feel successful teaching STEM to their elementary students through lesson plans, online courses, coaching and speaking events.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM, innovation and hands-on learning in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

 

Teaching Students How to Use Tinkercad

by Naomi Meredith

Teaching Students How to Use Tinkercad

how-to-use-tinkercad

Even if you don’t have a background in CAD (computer aided design), Tinkercad is a great platform to get started with designing 3D prints. With my years of experience teaching elementary STEM and 3D printing to kids, Tinkercad has been my number one platform from the start. Below are tutorial videos that you can use with kids to help them get started with the basics when creating their designs.

 

How to use Tinkercad: Tinkercad Basics for Kids

After creating an account, learn how to navigate the basic tools in Tinkercad. Understand how to view the work plane from multiple angles and where to choose different shapes.

 

How to use Tinkercad: Creating and Changing Shapes

Understand how to: add a shape, changing the size, moving shapes, duplicating, stacking shapes and deleting.

How to use Tinkercad: Solids, Shapes and Holes

Learn how to use solid shapes and create holes within shapes.

 

How to use Tinkercad: Adding Words to Designs

Learn how to easily add 3D printed words to your design in Tinkercad.

How to use Tinkercad: How to Download and Prep Student Prints from Tinkercad

This video is created for teachers to watch on how to download the students’ files from Tinkercad and prep them for print in your slicing software. I also share a little tip on what I like to do to share students’ files with their families before their design is even printed!

 

Want to learn more about 3D printing?

Join me inside my 2-hour on-demand 3D Printing 101 Workshop for teachers. There is even a great starter lesson you can use right away with your students!

 

Related Podcast Episodes/Blog Posts:

More About The Author, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is a K-5 STEM educator and business owner in Colorado supporting elementary teachers world-wide navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there. With over a decade of experience teaching, 5 years teaching elementary STEM, along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM Certificate, Naomi helps teachers world-wide to navigate best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She offers a variety of tools to help teachers feel successful teaching STEM to their elementary students through lesson plans, online courses, coaching and speaking events.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM, innovation and hands-on learning in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

Free Coding Resources for Kids at Home

by Naomi Meredith

Free Coding Resources for Kids at Home

What Is Coding (and Why Does It Matter for Kids)?

Coding is the process of giving instructions to a computer so it knows what to do. For kids, coding usually looks less like typing complex text and more like dragging blocks, solving puzzles, and creating games or stories.

Learning to code helps kids:

  • Build problem-solving and critical thinking skills

  • Practice logic, sequencing, and cause-and-effect

  • Develop perseverance and confidence when things don’t work the first time

  • Create instead of just consuming technology

The best part? Kids can start learning coding concepts before they can even read, and many high-quality platforms are completely free and designed for home use.

You don’t have to be an expert at computer-programming to get started or teach your kids! Especially at the elementary age, this is a perfect time for parents to learn the basics with their kids.

How to Choose the Right Coding Resource for Your Child

When choosing a coding platform at home, consider:

  • Can your child read yet?

  • Do they prefer games, stories, or building?

  • Are they using an iPad or a computer?

  • Do they enjoy short challenges or longer creative projects?

There’s no “best” coding program—just the best fit for your child right now.

From my perspective and experience working for nearly a decade in Elementary STEM, below are my recommendations with some of the best free coding resources for kids at home, broken down by age, skill level, coding type, and device.

Scratch: Free Coding Resources for Kids at Home

What it is:
Scratch is one of the most popular free coding websites for kids, created by MIT. Kids can design games, animations, and interactive stories using drag-and-drop code blocks. This is one of the first coding websites I ever used with kids!

Coding language:

  • Block-based coding (Scratch language)

Best for:

  • Beginner → Advanced

  • Ideal for kids who can read and want more creative control

Device needed:

  • Laptop or desktop computer

  • Works in a web browser

Why parents love it:
Kids can create, remix projects from others and grow with the platform over time. It’s open-ended, so it sparks creativity and building rather than going through a game or levels.

Make sure to check out the ‘Ideas’ tab on their website and it gives some step-by-step directions for starter projects. You may find some books online to support Scratch but take note of when it was published. I’ve found that anything older than 2020 are out dated since the platform has received updates since then. I just use the projects listed on the ‘Ideas’ page since those are the most current.

ScratchJr: Free Coding Resources for Kids at Home

What it is:
ScratchJr is a simplified version of Scratch made specifically for younger children who are still learning to read.

Coding language:

  • Block-based coding with symbols (no reading required)

Best for:

  • Pre-reader → Beginner

  • Ages ~5–7

Device needed:

  • iPad or tablet

Why parents love it:
Kids learn sequencing and logic through storytelling and characters—no screens full of text. It’s only accessible through the app, which can be a downside if you don’t have access to this technology. This is a great way to get started with coding! Make sure to check out their actual website because there are tips for navigating the app and also guides for projects to get started. If you purchase any supplemental books or the coding cards to go along with ScratchJr, that should be fine! This app hasn’t really been updated, so things have moved around much.

Make Wonder (by Wonder Workshop): Free Coding Resources for Kids at Home

What it is:
Make Wonder is a creative coding platform designed to work with Wonder Workshop robots (like Dash), but it also includes screen-based coding activities that kids can explore at home.

It’s free to sign up for a Make Wonder account to play around with the block-based coding that connects to the Dash robot. However, if you want more capabilities and access to virtual Dash, where the programming interacts with the on-screen robot and a physical robot isn’t requred, I recommend upgrading. Especially if you are in a home-school setting, there are more lessons and resources that are standards-based that can level up your coding experience.

You can receive 10% off your Make Wonder Home subscription by using THIS LINK or using my code at checkout: 10NAOMI

Coding languages:

  • Block-based coding (visual programming)

  • JavaScript (paid tier, inside Blockly Pro)

  • Python (paid tier, inside Blockly Pro)

Best for:

  • Beginner → Advanced

  • Great for kids who already enjoy building, robotics, or STEM challenges

Device needed:

  • iPad or tablet

  • Some features work best with a Dash robot, but many coding concepts can be explored digitally

Why parents love it:
It feels like play, but kids are learning real sequencing, loops, and problem-solving skills. It’s also an ad-free, safe platform, so once your child is inside the app, they aren’t being linked out to other resources or an open-forum of other kids’ projects. You can receive 10% off your Make Wonder Home subscription by using THIS LINK or using my code at checkout: 10NAOMI

Hopster Coding Safari: Free Coding Resources for Kids at Home

What it is:
Hopster Coding Safari introduces coding concepts through guided puzzles and animal adventures, making it perfect for young learners.

Coding language:

  • Visual, directional coding (arrows and sequences)

Best for:

  • Pre-reader

  • Preschool and early elementary

Device needed:

  • iPad or tablet

Why parents love it:
It feels like a game, but kids are learning early coding logic without realizing it. A login isn’t needed, making it easy to get started. It’s also really cute with the animal parents trying to get to their babies in each challenge.

Hour of AI: Free Coding Resources for Kids at Home

What it is:
Hour of AI introduces kids to artificial intelligence concepts in a kid-friendly way, building on the popular Hour of Code activities. The name has switched in 2025 from ‘Hour of Code’ to ‘Hour of AI’. There are a variety of games and activities to choose from to explore different coding languages and AI.

Coding language:

  • Block-based coding

  • AI logic and decision-making concepts

Best for:

  • Beginner → Advanced

  • Upper elementary and middle school

Device needed:

  • Laptop or desktop computer

Why parents love it:
Kids learn how AI works—not just how to use it—which is a huge digital literacy skill. It may take some time to sift through all of the resources on the site, but once you find a few favorites, it’s a great resource to have in your back pocket. I recommend looking through them first, as the parent, and save the links to the ones that seem interesting. This website can be overwhelming and confusing to navigate on their own. This Mix & Move with AI is a great one to start with and the kids love it!

Kodable: Free Coding Resources for Kids at Home

What it is:
Kodable is a game-based coding platform that grows with kids, starting with simple logic and moving into more complex programming ideas.

Coding language:

  • Visual block coding

  • Transitions toward text-based concepts later on

Best for:

  • Pre-reader → Beginner

  • Early elementary students

Device needed:

  • iPad or tablet

  • Laptop for some features

Why parents love it:
Short, engaging lessons that build skills step-by-step without overwhelming kids. If your kids loved Hopster Coding Safari, described above, then they’ll love Kodable. There are free and paid options, so start HERE for the ‘Play without Saving’ to check it out.

Tinkercad (Coding with Codeblocks): Free Coding Resources for Kids at Home

What it is:
Tinkercad is a free, web-based design platform that includes a coding feature called Codeblocks. Instead of coding games or animations, kids use block-based code to create 3D objects. Each block represents an instruction—such as creating a shape, changing its size, or repeating a pattern—helping kids see how code directly controls design. This CAD software is used for 3D printing design, so definitely worth checking out overall!

Coding language:

  • Block-based coding (Codeblocks)

  • Introduces core concepts like sequencing, loops, variables, and parameters

Best for:

  • Beginner → Advanced

  • Upper elementary and middle school students

  • Great for kids who enjoy building, engineering, or design challenges

Device needed:

  • Laptop or desktop computer (runs in a web browser)

  • There is an app version, but the coding feature works best on a laptop/desktop

Why parents love it:
Tinkercad shows kids that coding isn’t just for games; it’s a powerful tool for creating real-world objects. It’s especially motivating for kids who like hands-on projects and want to see their code turn into something tangible, like a 3D model that could be printed.

Free Coding Resources for Kids at Home — Comparison Table

Coding Resource What It’s Best For Coding Language Type Skill Level Device Needed
Make Wonder (Wonder Workshop) Creative coding, problem-solving, and robotics-style challenges Block-based (visual coding)

Java Script & Python in paid versions

 Beginner → Advanced iPad, tablet, or laptop
Scratch Open-ended workspace. Creating games, animations, and interactive stories Block-based (Scratch language) Beginner → Advanced Laptop or desktop
ScratchJr Introduction to coding through storytelling Symbol-based block coding (no reading required) Pre-reader → Beginner iPad or tablet
Hopster Coding Safari Learning sequencing through guided puzzles Visual directional coding (arrows & sequences) Pre-reader iPad or tablet
Hour of AI Understanding how artificial intelligence works. Variety of websites. Block-based coding + AI concepts Beginner → Advanced Laptop or desktop
Kodable Building foundational coding skills step-by-step Visual block coding (intro to text concepts later) Pre-reader → Beginner iPad, tablet, or laptop
Tinkercad Coding connected to 3D design and real-world problem solving Block-based (Codeblocks) and basic text-based options Beginner → Advanced Laptop or desktop

 

Coding doesn’t have to be intimidating, expensive, or screen-heavy. With the right tools, kids can learn to code at home through play, creativity, and problem-solving—often without even realizing they’re learning a future-ready skill.

 

Related Podcast Episodes/Blog Posts:

More About The Author, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is a K-5 STEM educator and business owner in Colorado supporting elementary teachers world-wide navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there. With over a decade of experience teaching, 5 years teaching elementary STEM, along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM Certificate, Naomi helps teachers world-wide to navigate best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She offers a variety of tools to help teachers feel successful teaching STEM to their elementary students through lesson plans, online courses, coaching and speaking events.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM, innovation and hands-on learning in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

First Day Back from Winter Break Activities for K-5 STEM

by Naomi Meredith

First Day Back from Winter Break Activities for K-5 STEM

The first day back from winter break can be a lot—excited kids, big feelings, nonstop stories, and very little stamina for long instructions. If you teach STEM (or any special area), you may also see every class in the building that day, which makes planning even trickier.

That’s why I rely on this no-prep, whole-group winter STEM activity every single year with my K–5 STEM classes.

It’s hands-on, quick to explain, and gets every student involved—without worksheets, devices, or complicated setup.

The No-Prep First Day Back from Winter Break Activities

On the first day back, I project a set of winter-themed questions on the board.

Here’s how it works:

  • I read each question out loud

  • If the statement is true for the student, they grab the matching LEGO® brick

  • If it’s not true, they simply sit and wait for the next question

  • We repeat this for each question

That’s it. No directions overload. No worksheets. Just instant engagement.

How I Differentiate for K–5

One thing I love about this activity is how easy it is to differentiate without extra planning:

  • First set of questions: Perfect for all grade levels (K–5)

  • Second set of questions: Designed for grades 3–5

I run the activity whole-group with younger grades, then extend it with the older students. Everyone feels successful, and I don’t have to prep multiple lessons for the same day.

Why This Works So Well on the First Day Back

This activity checks so many boxes for January:

  • ✅ Low pressure – Students can participate without speaking

  • ✅ Hands-on – LEGO bricks keep hands busy and focused

  • ✅ Community-building – Kids naturally start talking about their break

  • ✅ All voices are included – Even quiet students can participate

  • ✅ No prep – Just project and go

It’s the perfect balance between easing students back into routines while still keeping things fun and meaningful.

Grab the Winter All About Me Brick Build

If you want to use this exact activity with your students, you can grab it from my TpT Shop, Naomi Meredith, HERE

Related Podcast Episodes/Blog Posts:

More About The Author, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is a K-5 STEM educator and business owner in Colorado supporting elementary teachers world-wide navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there. With over a decade of experience teaching, 5 years teaching elementary STEM, along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM Certificate, Naomi helps teachers world-wide to navigate best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She offers a variety of tools to help teachers feel successful teaching STEM to their elementary students through lesson plans, online courses, coaching and speaking events.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM, innovation and hands-on learning in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

Easy Pumpkin Patch Craft Ideas

by Naomi Meredith

Easy Pumpkin Patch Craft Ideas

Learn where pumpkins grow and create a pumpkin patch with vines for a pumpkin to roll through.

Materials Needed for this Paper Plate Roller Coaster Project:

Some items are linked to my Amazon Affiliate account. When you purchase through my link, there is no added cost to you, but I receive a small commission in return.

Watch the video on how to make this Easy Pumpkin Patch Craft Ideas

 

Let’s slow it down with step-by-step directions on how to make this easy pumpkin patch craft ideas.

Step 1:

Color and cut the pumpkin patch images.

Step 2:

Cut the green paper into 1-inch strips

Step 3:

Using one paper at a time, glue one end of a paper strip to the plate. Make a loop, curl, or other shape with the paper strip, to make a vine. Glue down the other end of the strip.

Step 4:

Continue to add more paper strips on the plate to create the pumpkin patch maze.

Step 5:

Glue the pumpkin images to the pumpkin patch maze.

Tip: Want the pumpkins to stand up? Cut a small square of cardboard and fold in half to make an “L” shape. Glue the pumpkin to one side of the cardboard, and the other side of the cardboard onto the plate to make the pumpkin stand.

Step 6:

When finished, tilt the plate to roll the pom pom, which represents a pumpkin, through the vines.

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Want the templates seen here? You can grab them here in my TpT shop!

If you are looking for…

  • A Low-prep STEM lesson & easy-to-find materials
  • An engaging, hands-on activity that has guided directions
  • Opportunities for students to add their creativity
  • A quick, one-day STEM lesson for after-school clubs, homework extensions, station rotation (and more!)

Then this lesson is PERFECT FOR YOU!

 

This product includes:

  • Easy project with simple materials
  • Digital & Printable
  • Written & video directions
  • Content-specific vocabulary
  • Science behind the project
  • Resources to explore the topic more
  • Experiment to test the design

 

Grab the full lesson HERE!

 

 

Related Podcast Episodes/Blog Posts:

 

More About The Author, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is a K-5 STEM educator and business owner in Colorado supporting elementary teachers world-wide navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there. With over a decade of experience teaching, 5 years teaching elementary STEM, along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM Certificate, Naomi helps teachers world-wide to navigate best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She offers a variety of tools to help teachers feel successful teaching STEM to their elementary students through lesson plans, online courses, coaching and speaking events.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM, innovation and hands-on learning in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

Elementary Lesson Plans to Teach Each Letter of STEM in a Week

by Naomi Meredith

If you wanted to dedicate a week to teaching students what each letter of STEM was, where do you even begin? You want the lessons to be simple enough to last for one class session, but still engaging.

I’ve put together tried and true lessons that work well during the Back to School Season where you can teach each letter of STEM in a Week! All of these lessons and resources can be found here in my TpT shop, and also linked in this post.

 

To make navigating this week of STEM easier, grab THIS free printable PDF that has all of the lessons linked below on one easy-to-read sheet!

 

Some items are linked to my Amazon Affiliate account. When you purchase through my link, there is no added cost to you, but I receive a small commission in return.

Day 1: STEM Overview

Grades K-2

  1. Watch video “What is STEM”
  2. Go over STEM Classroom Rules & Behavior Blast Off Class Game
  3. Play All About Me Brick Build (Color Questions Only)

Grades 3-5

  1. Watch video “What is STEM”
  2. Go over STEM Classroom Rules & Behavior Blast Off Class Game
  3. Play All About Me Brick Build (Color & Size Questions)

What is STEM?

 .  

Day 2: Science

Grades K-2

  1. Watch video “What is Science?”
  2. Color and cut out the ‘Science’ page from these STEM Posters to start creating a STEM book. If finished early, draw on the back your favorite things about science
  3. Read the story “The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend” by Dan Santat, and complete this STEM & Stories activity 
  4. If you need an additional activity, students can use this Science-themed Engineer Inspiration Board to build what is shown using any items you have on hand (blocks, LEGO bricks, simple Makerspace materials…)

Grades 3-5

  1. Watch video “What is Science?”
  2. Students can fill out the printed or digital version of these STEM Get to Know You Slides of what their favorite things in science are
  3. Complete this fun Cardboard Straw Maze activity with reflection questions and additional tests to extend the lesson

What is Science?

   

Day 3: Technology

Grades K-2

  1. Watch video “What is Technology?”
  2. Color and cut out the ‘Technology’ page from these STEM Posters to start creating a STEM book. If finished early, draw on the back your favorite things about technology
  3. Read the story “Tek, The Modern Cave Boy” by Patrick McDonnell 
  4. If you need an additional activity, students can use this Technology-themed Engineer Inspiration Board to build what is shown using any items you have on hand (blocks, LEGO bricks, simple Makerspace materials…)

Grades 3-5

  1. Watch video “What is Technology?”
  2. Students can fill out the printed or digital version of these STEM Get to Know You Slides of what their favorite things in technology are
  3. Complete all or a few pages of the Apps About Me activity. This can be assigned digitally or printed. If assigned digitally, it really works on basic computer skills in Google Slides/Power Point/Seesaw. No coding skills required. However, the printable version is still fun!

What is Technology?

   

Day 4: Engineering

Grades K-2

  1. Watch video “What is Engineering?”
  2. Color and cut out the ‘Engineering’ page from these STEM Posters to start creating a STEM book. If finished early, draw on the back your favorite things about engineering.
  3. Read the story “Rosie Revere, Engineer” by Andrea Beatty and complete this STEM & Stories activity
  4. If you need an additional activity, students can use this Back to School-themed Engineer Inspiration Board to build what is shown using any items you have on hand (blocks, LEGO bricks, simple Makerspace materials…)

Grades 3-5

  1. Watch video “What is Engineering?”
  2. Students can fill out the printed or digital version of these STEM Get to Know You Slides of what their favorite things in technology are
  3. Complete this fun Marble Maze Roller Coaster activity with reflection questions and additional tests to extend the lesson

What is Engineering?

Day 5: Math

Grades K-2

  1. Watch video “What is Math?”
  2. Color and cut out the ‘Math’ page from these STEM Posters to start creating a STEM book. If finished early, draw on the back your favorite things about math.
  3. Read the story “There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books” by Lucille Colandro  and complete this STEM & Stories activity
  4. If you need an additional activity, students can use this Alphabet Cube station, where students can build each letter of the alphabet or even their name, then count and write how many cubes they used

Grades 3-5

  1. Watch video “What is Math?”
  2. Students can fill out the printed or digital version of these STEM Get to Know You Slides of what their favorite things in math are
  3. Complete this fun Boat Float activity with reflection questions and additional tests to extend the lesson. I recommend having smaller buckets of water already filled so students can test your designs. This is a great outside activity too if that works for where you are at!

What is Math?

 

 

Don’t forget to download your FREE PDF here that has an easy to read outline of all of these lessons so you can keep track throughout the week!

 

 

Related Podcast Episodes/Blog Posts:

More About The Author, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is a K-5 STEM educator and business owner in Colorado supporting elementary teachers world-wide navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there. She has over a decade of experience teaching, 5 years teaching elementary STEM, along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM Certificate.

She offers a variety of resources to help teachers feel successful teaching STEM to their elementary students through lesson plans, online courses, coaching and speaking events.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM, innovation and hands-on learning in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

What Should a Word Wall Look Like in a STEM Classroom? [Back to School STEM Tips Series] [ep.201]

by Naomi Meredith

What Should a Word Wall Look Like in a STEM Classroom? [Back to School STEM Tips Series] [ep.201]

Check out the full episode on what should a word wall look like in a STEM classroom:  

 

 

Subscribe to the podcast HERE on your favorite podcasting platform.

Have a STEM question? Leave a voice message for the podcast!

Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube here:

Coming soon!

Episode Summary

As you are setting up your STEM classroom, what are things you can decorate with but still connect with what you are teaching? A word wall, or vocabulary wall, can be a great asset to your units to help students make connections across content themes. I’ll be sharing practical ways you can set up a word wall that you can use throughout the school year and with all grade levels, K-5.

Resources Mentioned:

Episode Transcript: 

(0:00) Welcome to the Elementary STEM Coach Podcast. I’m your host, Naomi Meredith, a former classroom (0:06) teacher turned K-5 STEM teacher and coach. With over a decade of experience teaching and a master’s (0:12) degree in STEM leadership, I’m here to coach you throughout the year to help you gain back (0:16) more time to create innovative experiences for your students.

When you are setting up your STEM (0:22) classroom for back to school, have you thought about adding in a word wall? If so, where are (0:29) you going to put it? And if you haven’t, how does this even connect to your STEM classroom? And should (0:34) you even have one? Let’s chat about it. With anything that I have set up in my classroom spaces, (0:41) whether it is my STEM trailer that I am putting together or my K-5 STEM classroom, I am very (0:48) purposeful about the things that I hang up on my wall. Yes, I like things to look cute and cohesive (0:55) and go together.

But also, I always want to make sure, are the things that I’m hanging up, (1:00) are they purposeful or helpful for students? Can this be something that is a good teaching point (1:06) for them? And every single thing that I’ve hung up has a dual purpose. So of course, like I said, (1:12) it might look cute, but also there is a purpose behind it. One thing that can be really helpful (1:18) in your classroom is having your own type of word wall.

And you can do this a couple of ways. One (1:25) way you could do this is you can have an alphabet that you hang up all year long, and each letter (1:31) on the alphabet has a different STEM connection. For example, Y could be for YouTube, S could be (1:38) for file, like a digital file, and so on.

And it helps kids think about the world in a different (1:44) way and with the alphabet. I have a few different options and different colors of this you could (1:49) print and hang up in your space. That’s super easy.

It has a really cute update. So I’m excited to (1:56) choose what color scheme I want to hang up in my STEM trailer. So stay tuned for that.

And another (2:02) way that I have done this as well is you have the alphabet, you hang this up, but also leave space (2:08) underneath each letter. And this is something that you can add to all year long, or you could (2:16) just do this for every unit. Now when you’re teaching K through 5 STEM, that’s six different (2:22) classes, some of you even teach pre-K in there, and all the way up to eighth grade.

So it really (2:28) depends on how you want to do this. Like I said, you could change it out every unit. And if you’re (2:32) teaching in cohesive themes, there is going to be some overlap with how you’re going to use this (2:37) alphabet slash word wall.

So for every unit, you probably have some key vocabulary and concepts (2:44) that you want kids to know about. For example, if you’re teaching your second graders about erosion, (2:50) you probably want the kids to know what the word erosion means while they are creating an invention (2:56) that will help slow down or stop erosion. So with all of those units that go together, (3:02) you can print out that vocabulary that is content specific for that unit.

And then you can add that (3:10) to your word wall. So it makes it very interactive if you are changing it out where the alphabet (3:16) letters can always stay there. But then you are changing out the words.

And you might say, well, (3:22) all of the words are going to be mixed up. Do I have to change it out for have a separate word (3:27) wall for every single grade? You could. But like I said, if you’re teaching in units, everything can (3:33) kind of go together.

And the kids can actually start seeing those connections. So what’s really (3:37) cool when I have done this is the kids will see the words and the vocabulary where has the pictures, (3:43) the word and the definition with them, which all of my lessons that are in my K-5 STEM year-long (3:50) plan, any of those by separately or in the plan, I have all the vocabulary out there for you. So (3:56) you could print them at various sizes.

But what’s really cool when you have all of these words (4:01) hanging up for the unit, the kids might remember what they learned the past year and get really (4:07) excited about it. Like, oh, yeah, I remember that. And that can actually help me with this project.

(4:12) Or even kids who haven’t seen those projects where they weren’t there the year before or (4:17) they are younger, they might get excited and ask more questions. Oh, what does this word mean? (4:21) So having that interactive word wall with your alphabet can really build those connections (4:29) and also help them see that content in a different way. So you might be teaching those (4:35) same standards they’re learning in class, but you are giving it that STEM twist.

So as you are (4:41) setting up your classroom, think about how you can integrate a STEM alphabet and quite possibly (4:48) make it a word wall. And that could be a really cool thing to add into your instruction and (4:53) continue to build up that science vocabulary for your students. If you’re interested in the alphabet (4:59) that I use and hang up in my STEM spaces, you can grab that in my TPT shop, Teachers Pay Teachers (5:05) shop, Naomi Meredith, and you can print the color options I have for you.

Or there’s a version where (5:10) you can just print your own color version to make it match your classroom theme. Thank you so much (5:16) for listening to today’s episode of the elementary STEM coach podcast. I would love to connect with (5:21) you over on Instagram at Naomi Meredith underscore, or send me an email to elementary STEM coach (5:27) podcast at gmail.com. Also, make sure to check out my website, Naomi Meredith.com to see all (5:33) the show notes from today’s episode and shop my K through five STEM resources.

Any questions you (5:38) have needs for resources or ideas for episodes, get in touch. I’ll talk to you soon.

Watch this video to see how I set up my vocabulary wall:

Grab the STEM Alphabet featured in the video here

 

 

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

 

Connect with Naomi Meredith:

 

More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is a K-5 STEM educator and business owner in Colorado supporting elementary teachers world-wide navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there. She has over a decade of experience teaching, 5 years teaching elementary STEM, along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM Certificate.

She offers a variety of resources to help teachers feel successful teaching STEM to their elementary students through lesson plans, online courses, coaching and speaking events.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM, innovation and hands-on learning in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

Are you tired of scrolling online for your next great STEM lesson? Do you feel like there is no time to plan, research and test meaningful STEM lessons, so you throw together a hands-on activity and hope that it works? What systems and routines should you set in place to help students be creative, critically think, and collaborate? 

The Elementary STEM Coach is a podcast for K-5 STEM teachers, classroom teachers, GT specialists, and homeschool parents looking for actionable STEM solutions. Each week, Naomi Meredith will share tools, resources and lesson ideas that are actionable in your classroom and create highly engaging experiences with your students. You’ll learn systems and routines that will create control in the chaos and that will keep you organized all year long. 

Your mindless scrolling days are over! Your new STEM-best friend is now here in your ear buds!