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Animated GIF showing paper community houses in three stages: blank, colored-in buildings, and lit-up with LEDs using
Challenge kids to explore their community while learning essential STEAM skills with Xplorably's "Paper Circuits - My Community" kit. Perfect for schools, libraries, and group activities, this affordable STEAM kit encourages collaboration as children work together to build, color, and light up key community structures like houses, a fire station, a library, a school, a hospital, and a police station. By integrating LEDs, copper tape, and batteries, kids gain hands-on engineering experience in circuit-building while fostering teamwork and creativity.
 
In addition to circuit-building, this kit provides a fun way for kids to learn about maps and navigation. Using the included activity plan, children can cut out roads, street signs, and trees, then place paper circuit replicas of their house and other community buildings to recreate a model of their town. With the help of Google Earth, they can explore real locations, measure distances between points, and learn the meaning of longitude and latitude. This hands-on activity helps them understand the layout of their community, deepening their connection to their surroundings while building spatial awareness and navigation skills.
 
You can purchase each building individually or opt for the My Community set, which includes a customizable sign for your town center.
 
The My Community set comes with 10 pieces - 9 buildings and 1 community sign:
  • 4 houses 
  • 1 fire station
  • 1 hospital
  • 1 library
  • 1 police station
  • 1 school
  • 1 community sign

Paper Circuits - City Planning

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STEAM subjects covered: Technology, Art

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FAQs

What is a simple circuit for kids?

A simple circuit is a complete path that allows electricity to flow from a power source, like a battery, through conductive materials, and back to the source. When the path is complete, the circuit is called a closed circuit, and electricity can flow to power a device such as a light or motor.


If the path is broken, it becomes an open circuit, and the flow of electricity stops. This is why devices only work when all parts of the circuit are properly connected.


A helpful way to explain this to students is to compare a circuit to a loop. If the loop is complete, energy can travel around it. If there is a gap, the energy cannot continue.


In the Paper Circuits: My Community kit, students build their own circuits using a battery, copper tape, and LED lights. As they design and create a light-up scene, they see how completing the circuit allows electricity to flow and bring their project to life.

How do you explain open and closed circuits to students?

A closed circuit is a complete and unbroken path that allows electric current to flow. When the circuit is closed, electricity moves from the battery through the circuit and powers a device, such as a light.


An open circuit has a break or gap in the path, which stops the flow of electricity. Even a small gap can prevent the circuit from working.


A simple way to explain this is to compare it to a road. If the road is complete, cars can travel from one place to another. If the road is blocked or broken, traffic cannot move forward.


In the Paper Circuits: My Community activity, students test and adjust their designs to make sure their circuits are closed so their LED lights turn on, helping them understand how electrical flow depends on a complete path.

What materials conduct electricity in a simple circuit?

A conductor is a material that allows electricity to flow easily. In a simple circuit, conductors are used to create the path that carries electric current from the power source to a device.


Common conductors include metals such as copper, which is often used in wires. In paper circuits, copper tape acts as the conductor, replacing traditional wires.


Materials that do not allow electricity to flow easily are called insulators. These materials help prevent electricity from traveling where it shouldn’t.


In the Paper Circuits: My Community kit, students use copper tape to build their circuits and see how conductive materials make it possible to power LED lights in their designs.

How do paper circuits work?

Paper circuits are simple electrical circuits built on paper using materials like copper tape, a battery, and LED lights. Instead of traditional wires, copper tape creates the conductive path that carries electricity.


When the copper tape forms a complete loop from the battery to the LED and back, the circuit becomes a closed circuit, allowing electricity to flow and light up the LED.


If the tape is not connected properly or there is a gap, the circuit becomes open, and the LED will not light.


In the Paper Circuits: My Community activity, students design and build their own light-up scenes, combining engineering and creativity as they learn how circuits function.

How do you teach circuits in a hands-on STEM lesson?

Teaching circuits through hands-on learning helps students understand how electricity works by actively building and testing their own designs. Instead of only learning definitions, students explore how circuits function by creating complete paths for electric current.


A strong hands-on lesson includes building a circuit, testing whether it works, and troubleshooting any issues, such as gaps or loose connections. This process helps students develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills.


Hands-on activities also make abstract concepts like energy flow and conductivity easier to understand because students can see immediate results.


In the Paper Circuits: My Community kit, students build working circuits directly on paper, allowing them to explore electrical concepts while creating meaningful, real-world designs connected to their community.

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