Sell STEM activities and STEAM design challenges
A good design challenge looks simple from the outside: a cup, some straws, a goal. The teacher buying it is paying for everything around that, from the materials list to the safety notes and the rubric.
Short answer: To sell STEM activities on TeachLessons, apply with the short form, then email your challenge files, previews and Resource Submission List to support@stifo.de. You set the price in US dollars and keep 70% of net revenue, with no listing fees. You keep your copyright and can sell the same activities elsewhere.
What makes a STEM activity worth buying?
Teachers can find free challenge ideas everywhere. What they can't easily find is a challenge that is ready to run with 28 students on Thursday afternoon. The paid version wins on structure:
- A clear problem statement with constraints (budget, size, time) and a measurable success criterion.
- The engineering design process laid out on student pages: ask, imagine, plan, create, test, improve.
- A planning sheet with space for a labeled sketch, and a data table for test results.
- Teacher notes with timing for 45 and 60 minute periods, grouping suggestions and what to do with groups that finish early.
- Reflection questions that make students explain the science or math behind their design.
- A rubric that grades the process, not only whether the tower stood.
Without those pieces, a STEM activity is just a craft. With them, it is something a teacher can defend to a principal and grade fairly.
How should I write the materials list?
The materials list decides whether a teacher buys. Many pay for supplies themselves, so cheap and common items sell better than kits:
| Good materials list practice | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Quantities per group, not per class | Teachers can scale to their own class size |
| Common household or recycled items | No special order, no budget request |
| Substitutes for each item | Schools without masking tape still run the activity |
| Put the list in the description too | Buyers check it before purchase |
| Mark optional tools | Hot glue guns and craft knives are not allowed in every room |
If an activity needs a specific product, such as a particular robot or building set, name it only to describe compatibility and put that in the first line of the description. Don't use brand logos on your cover.
What safety notes should a STEM resource include?
A teacher reading your resource will think about the one student who uses the scissors badly. Help them. Add a short safety box to every teacher page that covers the risks in that activity:
- Sharp tools, hot glue, and who should handle them at each age.
- Launches, catapults and anything that flies: eye protection and clear zones.
- Food items and allergies (peanut butter, gelatin, candy).
- Balloons and latex allergies, and small parts for younger students.
- Water and electricity, batteries and wiring.
Write safety notes as practical reminders, and tell teachers to follow their school's own rules. Avoid claiming an activity is "completely safe"; that is a promise you cannot keep for every classroom.
How do I describe the cross-curricular side of STEAM?
STEAM buyers want to see where the subjects meet. Describe it concretely: "Students measure in centimeters and calculate the average of three trials" says more than "integrates math". Name the science concept (forces, insulation, buoyancy), the math skill, and where art or design enters, for example aesthetic choices scored in the rubric or a product poster.
Grade and curriculum language helps buyers filter. US teachers may look for links to the NGSS engineering practices; UK teachers want design and technology or science links by key stage; Australian teachers think in terms of the Australian Curriculum's Design and Technologies. Describe your own alignment honestly, and don't suggest official endorsement.
If you also sell pure science lessons, see selling science teaching resources. Coding-heavy projects fit better with computer science and coding resources.
Can I use photos in my STEM previews and resources?
Photos of a finished build are the best preview you can have for a design challenge. Take them yourself, on a plain background, in good light. Show two or three different student-style solutions so teachers see the range. Do not show real students' faces or names; hands building a prototype are enough.
Photos copied from the internet, images of branded toys in their packaging and screenshots from video tutorials do not belong in a resource you sell. If you use clip art for the student pages, check that its license covers resources that are sold. See clip art and fonts for commercial use.
TeachLessons does not check resources for third-party rights. You confirm that images, fonts and clip art are licensed for commercial use, and you are responsible for any claim caused by your resource.
Previews and thumbnails are required as PNG or JPEG. For layout ideas, read how to make previews and thumbnails.
How much should I charge for STEM challenges?
Single challenges, seasonal sets and year-long collections all sell at different price points. You decide; our optional suggestion is a minimum of $4.99 for a single resource.
| Example | Price | Payout per sale |
|---|---|---|
| One challenge with planning sheet | $3.50 | $2.38 |
| Challenge with rubric and teacher notes | $4.99 | $3.39 |
| Seasonal set of 6 challenges | $10.00 | $6.79 |
| Year of 40 STEM task cards and challenges | $24.99 | $16.97 |
You keep 70% of net revenue, which is the price minus a 3% payment processing cost. No fees on top. Seasonal sets (fall, winter holidays, spring) are best sent well before the season so they are live when teachers plan. Try prices in the payout calculator.
How do I start selling STEM activities on TeachLessons?
Apply with the short application form, which takes about five minutes. We email you the Seller Agreement, payout form, Resource Rights Checklist and the Resource Submission List. Fill in one row per challenge or set, with grades, type and price. Then send everything in one email from your own address to support@stifo.de: documents, PDFs or ZIPs, previews and thumbnails. Big photo-heavy packs can go as one Drive, Dropbox or WeTransfer link that opens without a login.
We confirm receipt within 2 business days, write your product pages and set up your author page and landing pages. There is no extra approval round before resources go live, so send final versions. For many sets at once, use our guide to submitting many resources.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell STEM challenges that are based on a classic idea like the egg drop?
Common challenge ideas are not owned by anyone, but someone else's worksheets, wording and images are. Write your own pages, rubric and teacher notes.
Do I need photos of finished projects?
They are not required inside the resource, but they make strong previews. Take them yourself and leave out students' faces and names.
Can I mention a robot kit or building set by name?
Yes, to describe what the activity works with. Don't use the brand's logo or suggest your resource is official.
Should I include a rubric?
Teachers grading open-ended builds appreciate one. A rubric that scores planning, testing and reflection makes the activity easier to justify and to mark.
What paper size should I use?
Say US Letter, A4 or both in the description. Providing both is helpful if you want to reach UK, Australian and international school buyers.
How much do I earn on a $10 STEM set?
$6.79 per sale, paid monthly by the 15th via PayPal in US dollars.
Ready to sell your teaching resources?
Apply with the short form. We email you the seller documents, you send your final files with previews and thumbnails, and we set up your product pages, your author page and landing pages. You keep 70% of net revenue, with no fees and no exclusivity.
Keep reading
General information about the TeachLessons Seller Program, not legal, tax or financial advice. The signed Seller Agreement sets out the binding terms. Questions: support@stifo.de.