In this class, we will start where we are and with what we have! We are aiming to work with whatever you already have at home, and whatever you can find in your recycling bin.  I recommend selecting a big (cardboard or plastic) box into which you can add recyclables and found things as they become available every week. For extra fun, you can design and add a label to this special box ... something like ... "My big engineer's box", "My Inventor's inventory", "My super genius junk" ... or anything else! I would also recommend a smaller box to hold the "tools" - scissors, tape, glue, string, markers etc

Absolutely essential supply list:- 

- Cardboard boxes and scraps, as well as toilet roll and paper towel inner rolls
- Plastic and paper recyclables, including lids from glass jars, and turn or pull caps from soda/juice/milk bottles
- Any other random things you have like styrofoam, bubble wrap, brown paper, toothpicks, kebab sticks, straws, paperclips, small plastic sandwich bags
- A Pencil
- Markers/crayons
- Glue - My favourite is Modge Podge, but any glue will do
- Tape - painters tape is perfect, paper tape is also awesome, duck tape can be used for lots of things too, but as with the glue, any tape can be made to work
- Scissors - the only requirement is that the scissors can effectively cut through cardboard 
- String or chord (or wool) 
- Rubber bands
- Totally random things - for example, I collect the wax from the outside of little cheeses! Look at all the things that you might throw away/recycle and ask yourself if it could be somehow useful! If it could be fuel for your child's imagination and creativity, put it in the box and let them know it's there. 

Ideal additions to the supply list can include: 

- A ruler - ideally metal but any will do
- Some basic paints
- A selection of paint brushes
- Aluminum foil
- Clothes pegs (wood or plastic is fine)
- "Brads" - sometimes called round paper fasteners or split brads or two prong fasteners (these are great for easily making joints but I will teach the children how to make joints just with paper and also with straws so these are definitely not a must have)
- old buttons and ribbons and fabric 
- A stapler
- A hole punch
- Popsicle sticks
- Pipe cleaners
- Plastic eyes 

If you really want to add some super extras, you could also gather: 

- A low heat glue gun (probably requires adult supervision)
- A craft scalpel or knife (definitely requires adult supervision and possibly assistance) 
- Patterned hole punchers
- A toy motor set (with or without battery boxes, propellors and wheels)

BUT ... I would like to emphasise that working with what you already have, is the most important thing, and often having fewer options inspires even greater creativity. The famous Monty Python scene where they use coconut shells to make the sound of horse hooves, and to pretend they are riding horses, is a true example of creative genius ... but it only happened because they ran out of money for actual horses. :-) Less can be more. Plus, this is an ongoing class, and additional supplies can always be added along the way.