STEM Choice Awards—Editor’s Choice— Best Afterschool Product
At STEMfinity, we know that the hours after the school bell rings are filled with endless opportunities. Afterschool programs play a vital role in keeping students engaged, inspired, and on track for success. That’s why our STEM Choice Awards are proud to spotlight this year’s Editor’s Choice: Afterschool Products—innovative, hands-on solutions that turn what could be downtime into exploratory learning time.
Ideal for any afterschool program, regardless of size or skill level, these exceptional STEM resources span circuitry, robotics, coding, sports, and makerspaces. However, after careful evaluation of engagement, ease of use, alignment to standards, and overall impact, one product emerged as the Overall Winner.
Let’s take a look at the best of the best in afterschool STEM enrichment:
Honorable Mention: Wonder Workshop Make Wonder Tech Center w/Dash
Grades: K–5 | Students: Up to 4 per robot | Lessons: Standards-aligned coding curriculum
Why We Love It:
Wonder Workshop’s Dash is more than just a robot—it’s a charismatic learning companion that turns coding into playful exploration. I like that there is multiple app-based programming options based on targeted age ranges/grades making Dash a beginner-friendly coding introduction for elementary students. I love that you can have your young learners coding both a real Dash robot or explore the world of coding with a virtual Dash robot who goes on coding adventures. For after-school, the Wonder Workshop’s Make Wonder subscription, lets educators coordinate differentiated coding activities for their mixed-age, mixed-skill level groupsa and track their student’s progress. For myself, I like an easy all-in-one system where I can see my students’ progress but also be able to provide progress data when needed. All the Wonder Workshop products and packages provide educators comprehensive support for successful coding instruction. This includes professional development opportunities, code challenges, standards-aligned cross-curriculum lessons library and even the opportunity to compete in the Wonder League Robotics Competition.
Honorable Mention: 3Doodler Start EDU Learning Pack
Grades: K–8 | Students: Up to 12 | Lessons: STEAM activities & design challenges
Why I Love It:
Creativity takes center stage with the 3Doodler Start. Safe for younger learners and completely unplugged. This versatile MakerSpace tool has no hot parts, and the PLA filament it uses is both non-toxic and biodegradable. Your students can draw in 3 dimensions, build models, design prototypes, and sculpt from their imagination. Using the 3Doodler along with the Start Activity Guide and the 3Doodler’s online teacher resources, educators now have a powerful way to introduce design thinking in informal learning environments. My three favorite 3Doodler activities to do with students are Bubble Wands, Sink and Float Boats, and Greater Than, Less Than Alligators!
Honorable Mention: Snap Circuits LIGHT
Grades: 3+ | Students: 1–3 per set | Lessons: 175+ projects
Why We Love It:
Watch circuits come to life—literally—with Snap Circuits® LIGHT. Kids use easy snap-together components to build sound-activated lights, fiber-optic displays, and glowing musical gadgets. Whether creating a light show to music or discovering how LEDs work, this kit delivers high-voltage fun and fundamental electronics education. Ideal for small groups or tech corners in after-school programs. The included manual allows students to be independent while they explore circuitry. A great aspect of Snap Circuits is the kit compatibility – you can easily mix and match components from different sets, so no stress if your kit’s components get mixed up.
Honorable Mention: Makey Makey Classic STEM Pack
Grades: 2+ | Students: Up to 18 | Lessons: Endless invention possibilities
Why We Love It:
Turn bananas into keyboards and cardboard into game controllers. The Makey Makey STEM Pack encourages invention and engineering solutions that combine circuits and coding with imagination. It’s ideal for makerspaces and tech time in after-school programs.
Top Pick: STEM Sports Multi-Sport Program
Grades: 3–8 | Students: 1–30+ | Lessons: 8 Modules per sport
Why I Love It:
Blending physical education with STEM learning, the STEM Sports® Multi-Sport Program is the MVP of any afterschool program. With hands-on STEM activities focused on football, basketball, soccer, and volleyball, students will explore real-world STEM concepts such as velocity, force, and energy transfer. Integrating STEM has never been so easy! Instructors do not need to be STEM or Physical Education experts, but rather act as facilitators. Perfect for summer camps and out-of-school time programs, STEM Sports Multi-Sport Program promotes teamwork, inquiry, and movement—all in one dynamic package that includes standards aligned curriculum, sports equipment, and STEM activities materials.
Already love STEM Sports Multi-Sport Program? Check out additional sports options from STEM Sports like hockey, golf, bikes, and lacrosse!
SHOP STEM SPORTS MULTI-SPORT PROGRAM
Final Thoughts
These products can transform after-school spaces into launchpads for future innovators. Whether you're looking to boost physical engagement, fuel creativity, or dive into coding and science, STEMfinity has the tools to make it happen.
Explore our full Afterschool Collection and find the perfect fit for your program today.
Meet the Editor
Deanna Peacock is a Senior STEM Expert and Key Account Manager—West Region at STEMfinity. A veteran art teacher turned STEM advocate, Deanna has spent more than two decades transforming classrooms into innovation hubs by blending creativity with cutting-edge STEM education. She specializes in helping schools, districts, and organizations implement hands-on learning environments that spark curiosity and cultivate 21st-century skills. Her unique background in the arts brings a fresh, interdisciplinary lens to STEM, making her a sought-after voice in the field of educational transformation.
In her words: “STEM can be accessible for all students and teachers regardless of age, ability, or background. By combining one or more of the key subject areas of STEM with hands-on project-based learning, students become engaged and have experiences of key understanding that go beyond any worksheet or lecture to create strong foundations for educational growth.”
