Hand-made to order in Aotearoa New Zealand · Get a school quote

STEM & Play

For schools & centres

Bring hands-on STEM into every classroom

Tell us about your learners and we'll recommend the right sets, answer your questions and send a quote for your school. Made by hand in New Zealand, built for years of use.

Start your enquiry See the range
A full-size bus built from Play Planks, complete with wheels and a steering wheel

Made for group learning

Large-scale builds mean children have to plan together, share roles and communicate. Collaboration happens naturally.

Open-ended, term after term

No instructions to finish and forget. The same set supports free play, structured challenges and inquiry projects.

A sustainable investment

Durable timber that's reassembled endlessly, from a local maker you can talk to directly.

School enquiry

Let's find the right sets for your learners

It takes about a minute. We'll reply personally with recommendations and a quote.

  1. 1
    Send your enquiry
  2. 2
    Get advice and a quote
  3. 3
    We hand-make your sets
  4. 4
    Delivered to your school
Our Year 2 children love using them.
Willow Park School, Auckland

Prefer to talk? Call or text Kim on 021 0292 6844, or email kim@stemplay.co.nz.

Which sets are you interested in?

A real person from our workshop will reply by email. No mailing lists, no pressure.

Questions teachers ask

Good to know

Which year levels are the sets designed for?

Dots & Digits and Play Planks Mini suit early childhood through to Year 1–2. Play Planks work brilliantly across Years 0–6, and Building Beams stretch Years 3–8 with bolts, wheels and pulleys. Tell us your year levels and we'll suggest the right mix.

How do the sets connect to the New Zealand Curriculum?

The sets give students hands-on experiences in the Mathematics and statistics, Science and Technology learning areas: measurement, geometry, forces and motion, and the design process. Open-ended group building also gives lots of practice in the key competencies, such as thinking, relating to others, and participating and contributing.

How many children can use one set at a time?

They are designed for group play. A Play Planks or Building Beams set suits a small group building something large together, and many teachers rotate groups through a building station. Dots & Digits boards are individual, so schools often order one per desk.

How durable are they?

Very. Play Planks are 12mm plywood and Building Beams use solid timber with steel fixings, built to be assembled and re-assembled for years. The only plastic in Building Beams is four wheels and the rope.

How long does it take to receive an order?

We make every set ourselves in our New Zealand workshop, so there may be a short lead time depending on how many orders we have. Let us know if you have a date in mind, such as the start of a term, and we'll tell you honestly whether we can meet it.

Can we get a quote for our school?

Yes. Send an enquiry with the sets you're interested in and how many, and we'll reply with a quote for your school.