This incredibly affordable 30-piece kit has enough tools to turn bits of cardboard into anything from a space station to an Italian villa. It’s affordable, versatile, fun, safe, encourages creative thinking and problem solving, and requires only every kid’s favorite toy — a cardboard box. Makedo is heavy on the “EM” part of STEM, with a focus on the design and creation of three-dimensional objects and/or villas. Besides the obvious math skills that kids practice like measuring, Makedo also teaches division, at least with my kiddos. With 30 pieces per kit, my kids approach every project by figuring out exactly how much of each tool they can use per project, and who gets to use the saw first. Add diplomacy skills to Makedo’s advantages!