FutureMakers Sparks give elementary and middle school counselors a hands-on activity for small groups, classroom guidance lessons, check-in check-out, and pull-out sessions, priced from an $8.95 Single Learner Pack to a $69.50 Small Group Pack of 10. Six Sparks also have a proposed connection to ASCA Student Standards, a suggestion still under review, not an existing FutureMakers alignment.
Last reviewed September 24, 2026
How to buy
How do I use the order form on the website?
The order form is FutureMakers' quote builder at kidsmakethingsbetter.com/quote. Tell it about your program, adjust quantities in a line-item editor, and get a PDF quote to forward to purchasing. See the full how to buy FAQ for the complete step-by-step and every payment option.
Can I buy 2 or 3 kits with my own small counseling budget without going through a purchase order?
Yes. A FutureMakers Single Learner Pack is $8.95 and buys through the regular shop.futuremakers.fun checkout like any other online purchase, no purchase order needed. A $50 personal or program budget covers about five single kits that way. Move up to a Small Group Pack of 10 once you have a bigger budget or a full group to outfit.
Can I use a purchase order or school funds to buy Sparks for my counseling groups?
Yes: FutureMakers' instant quote tool builds a PDF quote in about two minutes with Net 15 purchase order terms. It also offers a 5% discount for paying by ACH, with no cap, and stays valid for 90 days, so a purchasing office can cut a PO against it without a phone call. Orders also qualify for tax-exempt purchasing: check "Our organization is tax-exempt" in the Purchasing Information section and enter your tax ID number, or submit your tax ID number and a tax-exempt certificate through a free store account if buying directly. See the full how to buy FAQ for purchase order terms, vendor paperwork, and every payment option.
What a small group session with a Spark looks like
What's a good hands-on activity for a small friendship group in elementary school?
FutureMakers Straw Structures gives a small friendship group something to build together instead of just talking. Each learner starts a freestanding structure alone from straws and flexible connectors, then two collaborative challenges, reach the ceiling and fit people inside, ask partners to combine pieces and agree on a plan. A Small Group Pack of 10 costs $69.50, enough for a typical friendship group with room to spare. See the Straw Structures guide for the full build.
What can I use for a lunch bunch group that isn't just talking?
FutureMakers Blendies gives a lunch bunch group something to do with their hands while they sit together. Each learner builds and spins their own reconfigurable wooden top, and the primary-colored markers used to color it are shared from one set across the group, which builds a small, low-stakes reason to ask a neighbor for a turn right into the activity. Blendies is designed for learners from PK through middle school, so one group can span a few grade levels. A Small Group Pack of 10 costs $69.50. See the Blendies guide.
What do I do with a lunch bunch where kids are at very different skill levels, like a kindergartner and a 5th grader?
A mixed-age group is less of a problem with a Spark than with a shared activity, since every learner builds their own kit at their own pace. Blendies, for one, works for learners from PK through middle school in the same session, so a younger learner can finish the base build while an older one tries a harder variation.
What's a good activity for a new-student group so kids don't have to talk right away?
FutureMakers Monster Mouths lets a new-student group build side by side before anyone has to say much. Each learner builds their own hinged paper monster alone first, and the guide's puppet-show extension, introducing your monster to a neighbor, gives a low-stakes, in-character way to speak once the group is ready. A Small Group Pack of 10 costs $59.50 and fits grades 1 through 3. See the Monster Mouths guide.
What a 30-minute small group session can look like
FutureMakers documents 30 to 45 minutes as the build time for most Sparks. The pacing and group-size framing below come from independent counselor-practice sources, not a FutureMakers session plan.
0:00Kits out, no talk required
Each learner gets an individually packed kit. Shared materials like markers or connectors stay out on the table.
0:05One technique, shown once
The counselor demonstrates the single skill the group needs, then steps back.
0:10Build time
Learners build at their own pace while the counselor circulates and coaches one on one.
0:25Wind down
A quick share-out, or just a calm minute before the group returns to class.
0:30Pack up
Each learner keeps what they built.
Consent and fitting the build into your group time
Do I need parent permission before leading a topic-specific small group?
Yes, as a matter of ASCA's own ethical guidance: get informed consent before leading a topic-specific small group, such as one built around grief or anxiety. ASCA's position statement says school counselors have "a responsibility to screen potential group members and obtain informed consent," covering the group's purpose, limits to confidentiality, and voluntary participation, and names informing parents or guardians as a best practice, following your own school and district policy. This is ASCA's professional guidance, not a FutureMakers policy, and it applies to any small group you lead, with or without a Spark.
How do I fit the actual build into a 30-minute group along with check-in and debrief?
A rough split that leaves room for both: 5 minutes for check-in, 20 minutes for the build, and 5 minutes for debrief and pack-up. Hand out kits with no talk required, show the group the one technique they need in under a minute, then step back and circulate while learners build at their own pace. A quick share-out or a calm minute before the group heads back to class works as the debrief.
Coaching lessons, calm corners, and check-in check-out
What can I use for a 30-minute classroom guidance lesson?
FutureMakers Drawbots fits a standard classroom guidance block: Shopify's own listing calls it a perfect 30 to 45-minute screen-free activity for grades 3 and up. Learners build a small vibrating robot from foam pieces, a motor, and markers used as legs, then take it apart and rebuild it a different way, which gives a whole class something to do with their hands during the lesson instead of only listening. A Class Pack of 25 costs $122.00, or $4.88 a learner. See the Drawbots guide.
What's a good reward activity for check-in check-out (CICO) behavior plans?
A FutureMakers Single Learner Pack works as a check-in check-out reward because it's one complete, individually packaged build a student can finish in a single sitting and keep. Check-in check-out itself is a Tier 2 behavior intervention built around a morning check-in and an afternoon check-out with a designated staff member. FutureMakers doesn't write CICO guidance, so pair the kit with your school's own CICO structure. A Single Learner Pack costs $8.95 across every Spark. See the full Sparks catalog to pick one.
What's a good hands-on activity for an anxiety group in elementary school counseling?
FutureMakers Straw Structures gives an anxious group's hands something specific to do: connect straws and flexible connectors into a structure, one piece at a time. The build has a clear next step at every moment, so hands stay busy without asking a learner to talk before they're ready, and a fallen structure can just be rebuilt. A Small Group Pack of 10 costs $69.50. See the Straw Structures guide.
Pull-out groups and school-wide events
Can Sparks work in a special education pull-out session?
Yes: in 2020, an elementary school in Fairfax County, Virginia used FutureMakers Drawbots in special education pull-out sessions across five classes in one school day. The order's own notes describe art therapy students, possible blended classrooms, possible pull outs. That's a school-based use of a Spark alongside therapy support, not a caseload counselor's own small group. A Small Group Pack of 10 costs $69.50. See the Drawbots guide.
Can I organize a family night as a school counselor?
Yes, and a FutureMakers Spark's take-home build gives families a reason to show up. A family night built around a hands-on build has been credited with drawing roughly 20% of a school's enrollment, since caregivers come specifically to see what their child made. Every Spark is individually packed so each learner keeps their build, which is what starts that conversation at pickup and again at home. See how community school coordinators plan family events for a full night's plan.
Social and emotional growth
What social and emotional moments can a hands-on build create in a small group?
A FutureMakers Spark session creates small, observable moments a counselor can build a group around, like a learner waiting for a shared marker or asking for help. Other moments include a learner trying again after a piece falls apart or a build doesn't work the first time. Watch for these moments and coach them in the group. See how clinicians use Sparks toward a client's own goals for a related framing.
Can a learner practice asking for help during a Spark build?
FutureMakers Blendies gives a learner a real reason to ask for help, since its primary-colored markers are shared from one set across the whole group. A learner has to ask a neighbor or wait a turn to use one, and Straw Structures' partner challenges, reach the ceiling and fit people inside, add a second reason to ask a partner for a hand.
What happens when a build doesn't work the first time?
FutureMakers Flying Machines rarely works on the first try. That's the point: a flyer needs the propeller wound clockwise 50 or more times and released in a specific two-step order. Most first attempts shoot sideways or barely lift off, so the guide's own fix, rewind and try the release again, gives a learner a low-stakes reason to try a third time. See the Flying Machines guide for the full troubleshooting list.
Does a Spark build give kids a way to talk about their group at home?
Every FutureMakers Spark is individually packed, so a learner takes their build home instead of leaving it in the counseling office. That gives a family something concrete to ask about that day, the same way it works at a family night. A Small Group Pack of 10 runs $59.50 to $69.50 depending on the Spark. See pack sizes and pricing for the full list.
Standards: CASEL and ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors
What CASEL competencies does a hands-on building activity support?
FutureMakers doesn't list CASEL competencies on any individual Spark guide today. The guides list NGSS and Common Core codes; none of the 17 lists CASEL codes. What a counselor can say instead is what the build actually asks a learner to do: wait for a shared marker, ask a partner for help, or try again after a piece falls apart, in the plain observable terms CASEL's own five competencies describe.
How could I connect these builds to ASCA Student Standards?
FutureMakers has no existing alignment to ASCA's Mindsets and Behaviors standards. These pairings match each Spark's build steps to ASCA codes based on what each build actually asks a learner to do and ASCA's published standards. Review every row before using it with a family, an administrator, or in a service log.
Proposed Spark-to-ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors mapping
These pairings match each Spark's build steps to ASCA's published Mindsets and Behaviors codes. Review every row before using it with a family, an administrator, or in a service log.
Spark
Proposed ASCA code(s)
What the build does
Blendies
B-SS 1, B-SS 6
Markers are shared from one set across the group
Drawbots
B-SMS 7
The rubber band and motor take a few tries to get right
Straw Structures
B-SS 6, B-SS 2
Scales to partner and team challenges (reach the ceiling, fit people inside)
Wind-Up Vehicles
B-SS 6, B-SS 8
Cross-Kit Combination Challenge locks multiple vehicles into one shared build
Flying Machines
B-SMS 6, B-SMS 2
First flights rarely work; the build invites another attempt
Monster Mouths
B-SS 1, B-SS 2
Puppet-show extension gives a low-stakes way to introduce yourself to a neighbor
Cost and funding
What does a Small Group Pack cost per student?
A FutureMakers Small Group Pack of 10 runs $59.50 to $69.50 depending on the Spark, or $5.95 to $6.95 per learner. A Class Pack of 25 runs $105.00 to $122.00, or $4.20 to $4.88 per learner. Independent counselor-practice sources put a typical elementary small group at roughly 4 to 8 students, so a single Small Group Pack of 10 comfortably covers one group with a couple of kits left for a make-up session. See pack sizes and pricing for the full table.
Has a real school counselor bought Sparks for their groups?
Yes: an elementary school counselor in Baltimore City has reordered three times since 2023, choosing Flying Machines and Drawbots in Small Group Pack quantities for her school. See the Flying Machines guide or the Drawbots guide she chose.
Are there grants that can cover Sparks for a school counseling program?
Yes: Baltimore-area schools have used arts and family-engagement grants to cover FutureMakers Sparks. Howard County Public Schools used a $6,000 Maryland State Arts Council grant, funneled through Arts for Learning Maryland, to bring Art Machines to nine elementary schools in 2024. FutureMakers has also helped smaller schools apply for Arts Every Day and Arts for Learning Maryland grants in the $200 to $2,000 range. Ask your school or district's arts, SEL, or family-engagement office whether a similar grant is open to you. See the instant quote tool to get a number to bring to a grant application.
Can I buy just one kit if I only need a Single Learner Pack?
Yes: every FutureMakers Spark also sells as a Single Learner Pack for $8.95, so a counselor can buy just one or two. That fits an individual session, a calm corner, or a check-in check-out reward without ordering a full Small Group Pack. Single Learner Packs, Small Group Packs of 10, and Class Packs of 25 all ship the same build, just in different counts. See the full Sparks catalog to browse by Spark.
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See the Drawbots guide ."}}, {"@type": "Question", "name": "What's a good reward activity for check-in check-out (CICO) behavior plans?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "A FutureMakers Single Learner Pack works as a check-in check-out reward because it's one complete, individually packaged build a student can finish in a single sitting and keep. Check-in check-out itself is a Tier 2 behavior intervention built around a morning check-in and an afternoon check-out with a designated staff member. FutureMakers doesn't write CICO guidance, so pair the kit with your school's own CICO structure. A Single Learner Pack costs $8.95 across every Spark. See the full Sparks catalog to pick one."}}, {"@type": "Question", "name": "What's a good hands-on activity for an anxiety group in elementary school counseling?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "FutureMakers Straw Structures gives an anxious group's hands something specific to do: connect straws and flexible connectors into a structure, one piece at a time. The build has a clear next step at every moment, so hands stay busy without asking a learner to talk before they're ready, and a fallen structure can just be rebuilt. A Small Group Pack of 10 costs $69.50. See the Straw Structures guide ."}}, {"@type": "Question", "name": "Can Sparks work in a special education pull-out session?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes: in 2020, an elementary school in Fairfax County, Virginia used FutureMakers Drawbots in special education pull-out sessions across five classes in one school day. The order's own notes describe art therapy students, possible blended classrooms, possible pull outs. That's a school-based use of a Spark alongside therapy support, not a caseload counselor's own small group. A Small Group Pack of 10 costs $69.50. See the Drawbots guide ."}}, {"@type": "Question", "name": "Can I organize a family night as a school counselor?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, and a FutureMakers Spark's take-home build gives families a reason to show up. A family night built around a hands-on build has been credited with drawing roughly 20% of a school's enrollment, since caregivers come specifically to see what their child made. Every Spark is individually packed so each learner keeps their build, which is what starts that conversation at pickup and again at home. See how community school coordinators plan family events for a full night's plan."}}, {"@type": "Question", "name": "What social and emotional moments can a hands-on build create in a small group?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "A FutureMakers Spark session creates small, observable moments a counselor can build a group around, like a learner waiting for a shared marker or asking for help. Other moments include a learner trying again after a piece falls apart or a build doesn't work the first time. Watch for these moments and coach them in the group. See how clinicians use Sparks toward a client's own goals for a related framing."}}, {"@type": "Question", "name": "Can a learner practice asking for help during a Spark build?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "FutureMakers Blendies gives a learner a real reason to ask for help, since its primary-colored markers are shared from one set across the whole group. A learner has to ask a neighbor or wait a turn to use one, and Straw Structures' partner challenges, reach the ceiling and fit people inside, add a second reason to ask a partner for a hand."}}, {"@type": "Question", "name": "What happens when a build doesn't work the first time?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "FutureMakers Flying Machines rarely works on the first try. That's the point: a flyer needs the propeller wound clockwise 50 or more times and released in a specific two-step order. Most first attempts shoot sideways or barely lift off, so the guide's own fix, rewind and try the release again, gives a learner a low-stakes reason to try a third time. See the Flying Machines guide for the full troubleshooting list."}}, {"@type": "Question", "name": "Does a Spark build give kids a way to talk about their group at home?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "Every FutureMakers Spark is individually packed, so a learner takes their build home instead of leaving it in the counseling office. That gives a family something concrete to ask about that day, the same way it works at a family night. A Small Group Pack of 10 runs $59.50 to $69.50 depending on the Spark. See pack sizes and pricing for the full list."}}, {"@type": "Question", "name": "What CASEL competencies does a hands-on building activity support?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "FutureMakers doesn't list CASEL competencies on any individual Spark guide today. The guides list NGSS and Common Core codes; none of the 17 lists CASEL codes. What a counselor can say instead is what the build actually asks a learner to do: wait for a shared marker, ask a partner for help, or try again after a piece falls apart, in the plain observable terms CASEL's own five competencies describe."}}, {"@type": "Question", "name": "How could I connect these builds to ASCA Student Standards?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "FutureMakers has no existing alignment to ASCA's Mindsets and Behaviors standards. These pairings match each Spark's build steps to ASCA codes based on what each build actually asks a learner to do and ASCA's published standards. Review every row before using it with a family, an administrator, or in a service log."}}, {"@type": "Question", "name": "What does a Small Group Pack cost per student?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "A FutureMakers Small Group Pack of 10 runs $59.50 to $69.50 depending on the Spark, or $5.95 to $6.95 per learner. A Class Pack of 25 runs $105.00 to $122.00, or $4.20 to $4.88 per learner. Independent counselor-practice sources put a typical elementary small group at roughly 4 to 8 students, so a single Small Group Pack of 10 comfortably covers one group with a couple of kits left for a make-up session. See pack sizes and pricing for the full table."}}, {"@type": "Question", "name": "Has a real school counselor bought Sparks for their groups?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes: an elementary school counselor in Baltimore City has reordered three times since 2023, choosing Flying Machines and Drawbots in Small Group Pack quantities for her school. See the Flying Machines guide or the Drawbots guide she chose."}}, {"@type": "Question", "name": "Are there grants that can cover Sparks for a school counseling program?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes: Baltimore-area schools have used arts and family-engagement grants to cover FutureMakers Sparks. Howard County Public Schools used a $6,000 Maryland State Arts Council grant, funneled through Arts for Learning Maryland, to bring Art Machines to nine elementary schools in 2024. FutureMakers has also helped smaller schools apply for Arts Every Day and Arts for Learning Maryland grants in the $200 to $2,000 range. Ask your school or district's arts, SEL, or family-engagement office whether a similar grant is open to you. See the instant quote tool to get a number to bring to a grant application."}}, {"@type": "Question", "name": "Can I buy just one kit if I only need a Single Learner Pack?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes: every FutureMakers Spark also sells as a Single Learner Pack for $8.95, so a counselor can buy just one or two. That fits an individual session, a calm corner, or a check-in check-out reward without ordering a full Small Group Pack. Single Learner Packs, Small Group Packs of 10, and Class Packs of 25 all ship the same build, just in different counts. See the full Sparks catalog to browse by Spark."}}]}</script>
