TOP PICKS | 39 TOOLS
Resources for After-School Enrichment Programs and Clubs
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STEM and Coding Resources
Unruly Splats
Game-making platform fuses coding and physical play
Bottom line: This platform could appear gimmicky at first, but in practice it blends SEL, movement, collaboration, and STEM learning in clever, compelling ways.
Hello Ruby
Crafty, mostly screen-free approach to computer science
Bottom line: These creative, beautifully made craft- and interest-based projects have the potential to bring students -- particularly girls -- into the world of coding and computers.
Gizmos & Gadgets
Top-notch tool empowers kids to invent, build, and control wirelessly
Bottom line: Easy-to-use, versatile electronic invention set that works wirelessly with your hand-held device.
SAM Labs
Kids use block code and wireless blocks to program, design, and create
Bottom line: With some perseverance, it's a great fit for PBL and STEAM, helping students learn programming skills and engineering concepts through invention.
Scratch
Creative sandbox opens the door to coding in any subject area
Bottom line: Scratch draws students of all types into coding and lays a foundation for future learning.
KOOV
Robotics kit makes design possibilities virtually limitless
Bottom line: For schools with healthy budgets, KOOV helps kids design and code interactive robots with blocks, sensors, and imagination.
Kai's Clan
Innovative STEAM package takes robot coding to the next level
Bottom line: A nearly perfect spin on STEAM coding that combines a bunch of technologies into one, and effectively fuses the real and virtual worlds.
MAD-learn
Create mobile apps with extensive help from start to finish
Bottom line: Intuitive platform encourages students to engage in design thinking and coding with loads of support.
Google CS First
Middle school CS curriculum has stellar resources, room for creativity
Bottom line: A high-quality introductory CS curriculum where students can be creative, collaborate with others, and express themselves, in the classroom or at home.
Technovation Families
Family-focused site for learning AI well-suited to classrooms, too
Bottom line: Makes artificial intelligence and machine learning accessible to students of many ages and abilities.
Unity Learn
Complete game creation curriculum gives students real-world experience
Bottom line: It's a slick, fun, and effective way to get students building games right away, with plenty of room for depth.
Construct 3
Ideal 2D game builder supports students to create, innovate
Bottom line: Limitless game options, reasonable cost, and extensive support make this programming environment perfect for an educational setting.
Arts and Storytelling Resources
Book Creator
Magically easy way to create and publish digital books and multimedia
Bottom line: This is a top-quality creation tool that lets students of many ages and abilities publish their own digital books.
NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program
Wildly engaging contest turns students into novelists in 30 days
Bottom line: A thoughtful adaptation of the famous and fun grown-up novel writing contest, NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program is brimming with advice and encouragement as well as classroom support.
iMovie
Movie editor will satisfy beginner and intermediate creators
Bottom line: Despite some limitations with editing, it's the perfect tool to get teachers and students started with digital video production.
Photoshop Express Photo Editor
Top-notch photo editor helps perfect pics for creative projects
Bottom line: This is a powerful, free creation tool from the industry leader in photo editing.
Adobe Spark
Super-flexible design tool for crafting fab images, videos, and sites
Bottom line: This one-stop shop for creating sleek graphics, web stories, and animated videos is incredibly easy to use and challenges students to think critically about visual presentation.
Nature and Fitness Resources
QuaverSEL
Shake up SEL lessons with music and movement
Bottom line: Fun for students, easy for teachers, QuaverSEL uses the power of music to boost social and emotional learning.
GoNoodle
Brief bursts of physical exercise add classroom fun, build brainpower
Bottom line: In a genre of its own, GoNoodle is a ready-to-go, classroom-friendly exercise program that challenges students to get moving.
Coach's Eye - Video Analysis
Robust video analysis for sports, science, fine arts performances
Bottom line: Cool video-analysis tool is great for the sports field and beyond, but prepare for an onslaught of hidden costs to access all features.
Zooniverse
Real research powered by volunteers makes classroom content relevant
Bottom line: Engage in meaningful, relevant research with citizen scientists from around the world.
GooseChase EDU
Digital scavenger hunts provide dynamic, fresh learning experiences
Bottom line: Students and teachers will enjoy the powerful learning of a modern scavenger hunt.
PlantSnap Plant Identification
Snap pics to (maybe) identify flowers and plants
Bottom line: If teachers help students learn how to evaluate the plant matches provided, this could be an excellent nature reference source.
Project Noah
Engaging online community for relevant, hands-on science fieldwork
Bottom line: Project Noah is a free and easy way to take part in biodiversity research with the support of a knowledgeable and global community.
Geocaching
Leave and locate hidden packages in a real-world treasure hunt
Bottom line: Kids learn problem-solving, teamwork, and mapping skills, but the site doesn’t provide instruction or explanations for most of those topics; educators will have to fill in the gaps.
Games and Play Resources
ChessKid
The right combo of learning and play for chess fans at any level
Bottom line: Whether learning, playing, or coaching, ChessKid has it all covered.
Kahoot! DragonBox Learn Chess
Gentle chess puzzle game ideal for young newbies
Bottom line: For kids who are new to chess but want to learn how to play, this fun intro to the game provides a well-done tutorial combined with a light overarching storyline.
Discovery Tour by Assassin's Creed: Ancient Egypt
Popular game's education mode offers stunning view of ancient world
Bottom line: This game is an absorbing experience that offers students a unique, living and breathing view of ancient Egyptian art, life, and culture.
Minecraft
Spiraling sandbox of adventure and creation gets kids to dig deep
Bottom line: An irresistible and seemingly limitless incubator for 21st-century skills that, with a little guidance, can chart new courses for learning.
LearnToMod
Modify Minecraft with this fun, applied use of coding
Bottom line: For students who already know and love Minecraft, this is a valuable way to hook students into coding.
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI
Best entry in classic strategy series might not be best for classrooms
Bottom line: As with all games in this series, Civilization VI is a great learning experience with the right support, but older, cheaper versions may be more practical for classrooms.
Roblox
Popular game development platform has classroom potential, pitfalls
Bottom line: Creating games for an authentic audience encourages coding and design skills, but real risks require extra caution.
Kerbal Space Program
Design and launch a rocket into space in realistic astrophysics sim
Bottom line: This accurate rocket sim encourages trial-and-error learning and makes for great (and often explosive) physics and engineering experiments.
Homework and Test Prep Resources
CK-12
Super STEM, social studies resource with highly customizable content
Bottom line: Making content accessible to kids with different learning styles, CK-12 could be the key to mastery for some students.
Khan Academy
Flexible learning environment offers a personalized journey to mastery
Bottom line: A solid, free resource for targeted math and science instruction, test prep, history, and more.
ExploreLearning Gizmos
Vast array of impressive, interactive science and math simulations
Bottom line: This powerful and extensive set of math and science tools puts the learning in students' hands.
NoRedInk
ELA site mixes grammar and writing practice, layers in useful feedback
Bottom line: This tool has meaningfully evolved over time, expanding the range of skills students build and offering students helpful suggestions for improvement.
Albert
Flexible, interactive test-prep practice for high school and beyond
Bottom line: A variety of question types and on-the-spot analytics help teachers individualize test-prep practice.
