For Screen-Time-Conscious Classrooms
Less Screen. More Spark.
Parents are pushing back. Districts are setting limits. Makey Makey gives you a way to teach real STEM — with hands on the table, not eyes on a tablet.
The Concern
Schools and families are saying: enough screens.
72%
of U.S. high school teachers call cell-phone distraction a major problem in class.
Pew Research, 2024
20+ states
have passed or proposed laws limiting phones and screen time in K–12 schools.
Education Week, 2025
2 of 3 parents
say their child spends too much time on screens — and want more hands-on learning at school.
Common Sense Media
The pressure is real — and it's not going away. Educators need tools that still teach computational thinking, creativity, and STEM skills without adding another hour of screen time.
The Answer
Makey Makey turns the world into the interface.
Students build with bananas, foil, clay, cardboard, and conductive paint. The screen becomes a tiny part of a much bigger, tactile experience.
Hands first, screen last
Most of the lesson happens at the table — designing, building, testing physical inventions. The computer is a destination, not a babysitter.
No apps. No accounts. No ads.
Plug in over USB and go. No log-ins, no tracking, no algorithmic feeds. Parents and IT teams love it.
Built for collaboration, not isolation
Makey Makey projects are inherently social — students work in pairs and teams, talking, prototyping, and presenting. The opposite of solo scrolling.
Eyes up, focus on craft
Cutting, taping, drawing, wiring. Students develop fine motor skills, spatial reasoning, and sustained attention — the very things screens erode.
Compliant with phone-free policies
Works with any computer the school already owns, in supervised lab time. Fits cleanly inside district screen-time and device-management rules.
Real STEM, not edutainment
Students learn circuits, conductivity, coding logic, and design thinking through making — backed by peer-reviewed research from K–12 classrooms.
A Typical 45-Minute Lesson
Most of the lesson is off the screen.
~10 min
Brainstorm & sketch
Paper, pencils, group discussion.
~25 min
Build & wire
Cardboard, foil, clay, alligator clips.
~10 min
Test & share
Quick code in Scratch, then back to the build.
For the Letter Home
What to tell parents and administrators.
Makey Makey lets you say "yes" to STEM and "yes" to less screen time — in the same breath. Use this language in your newsletters, parent nights, and board presentations.
- Computer is used only as a "speaker and screen" — under 20% of class time.
- Students spend the majority of the lesson making with their hands.
- No accounts, no data collection, no in-app purchases, no ads.
- Collaborative by design — students talk, build, and present together.
Sample Parent Message
"This semester, our STEM block uses Makey Makey — a small invention kit that turns everyday objects like bananas, paper, and clay into controllers. Students will spend most of class building, drawing, and collaborating away from the screen. The computer is used briefly, in a supervised setting, as the output for what they've physically built. It aligns with our commitment to balanced, hands-on learning."
Teach STEM. Cut screen time. Keep parents on your side.
Bring a tool into your classroom that meets the moment — and the policy.