1.
FFL Creation Lab Intern
Stephanie C. Prato
scprato@syr.edu
@scprato
Fayetteville Free Library
300 Orchard Street
Fayetteville, NY 13066
www.fflib.org
@fayettevillelib
Little Makers
Little Makers is a makerspace in the Fayetteville Free Library, designed for children ages 5‐8. The Little Makerspace
encourages children to build, make, create, and share. It is the first step on a continuum of making at the FFL that never ends,
because making is for all ages, one to one hundred. The space directly reflects the FFL’s mission “to provide free and open
access to ideas and information,” and the supplies and technologies provided therein foster the development of STEAM skills
and transliteracy competencies, which are core elements of our youth services program.
Materials:
Toys and tools that will be available in the space include:
 Snap Circuits Jr: These simple snap together circuits allow children to harness the power of electricity to make all
kinds of things!
 Marble Runs: Challenge imagination; inspire observation, deductive reasoning, logical thinking and problem solving
with marbles and shoots.
 Kalideo Gears: This building set with meshing gears invites children to experiment with color and patterns, while
teaching children simple principles of mechanics.
 Goldie Box: These toys offer stories with associated games and activities that encourage girls to learn engineering
skills.
 Roominate Deluxe: Girls and boys can design and build their own miniature houses, and wire them for electricity.
 MaKey MaKey: Turn everyday objects into touch pads and combine them with the internet. It's a simple Invention Kit
for Beginners and Experts doing art, engineering, and everything in between.
 Art and “Invention” supplies: A never‐ending box of odd and ends encourages free making and limitless creativity.
And more!
Programs:
Twice a month on weekends, we will have “Little Maker” programs, around the toys and tools provided in the space. The
programs are based on a children’s storybook that we take a concept from and experiment with to make the stories come to
life! Some examples of Little Maker programs include:
 Potions Lab: Make oobleck, a “magic” non‐newtonian fluid hat has the properties of both a solid and a liquid.
Children will learn about the properties of matter, viscosity, and displacement. Add a speaker and play different songs
or sound frequencies and watch the oobleck dance! “Sponsored” by Oobleck by Dr. Seuss
 Music Makers: Make music using play dough and MaKey Makey. Let kids try with different objects! “Sponsored” by
Ah, Music by Aliki.
 Lego Challenge: Build a structure out of legos. Who can make the tallest, the most colorful, the most original?
“Sponsored” by The LEGO Ideas Book by Daniel Lipkowitz