The summer “spend down” season is upon us. Like many early childhood program directors and administrators, you may be asking the same question: How can we make the most of our remaining budget?
As the deadline approaches, it’s tempting to spend leftover funds on quick, last-minute purchases, like extra paper, paint, or other everyday classroom supplies. But this is the perfect opportunity to invest in resources that continue to support your program long after the deadline passes. From classroom furniture to outdoor accessories and innovative tech, the right purchases can set your program up for success in the year ahead, and for years to come.
Keep reading for practical yet high-impact ideas for using your leftover grant funds. These products are sure to enrich learning and deliver long-lasting value to your program.
7 products to help maximize your grant funding
Don’t let your remaining grant funds go to waste. Depending on your grant requirements, you may need to allocate funds for specific initiatives, such as improving teacher quality, enhancing STEM and literacy materials, supporting at-risk students, or updating technology.
Below, we've curated items from our catalog to help you make thoughtful, impactful investments with your leftover funds.
1. Classroom furniture
Tables, chairs, and shelves withstand daily wear and tear from active young learners. Summer spend-down time is the perfect time to upgrade to durable, child-sized classroom furniture that supports learning across a variety of activities.
Need some inspiration? Here are some ideas for using leftover funds to upgrade your classroom furniture:
- Replace standard storage units with low, open cabinets and shelves that encourage children’s independence.
- Switch to personal desks that can be used alone or grouped into desk clusters. The flexibility supports different classroom layouts, teaching styles, and learning needs.
- Add a loft to your toddler classroom to elevate your indoor play area. This allows you to create a space where little learners can move, explore, and be creative.
- Use flexible seating to help “wiggly” children stay focused during educational activities.
- Install a reading tree to create an organic reading space with a calming, nature-inspired backdrop.
These items won’t just elevate the look and feel of your classroom. They enhance learning and support children’s growth and development.
2. Playground equipment
Is your playground looking worn, outdated, or no longer as safe for young children as it should be? If so, consider allocating your remaining grant funds to new playground equipment. You can explore options that are sturdy, engaging, and inclusive for children with varying needs and abilities.
You might need a new outdoor play unit, complete with slides, climbers, monkey bars, ramps, or other play structures. Otherwise, you can explore items beyond traditional playground equipment, such as:
- Large loose parts for children to construct towers, bridges, tunnels, or whatever they can imagine.
- Outdoor musical instruments, like drums, metallophones, and chimes, that bring harmony to the playground.
- A variety of climbers, like tunnels, balance beams, and stepping stones, to fulfill children’s natural desire to move, climb, and explore.
- Trikes and scooters for children on the go to help build coordination and motor skills as they explore the playground.
With the right updates, your playground can become a safe, engaging space that supports active play and exploration. Browse the digital version of our playground catalog or request a copy by mail.
3. Outdoor learning resources
Children in early childhood programs spend a lot of time outdoors, especially during the summer months. To make the most of their outdoor time, don’t stop at playground equipment. Instead, invest in outdoor learning resources that blend movement, nature, and hands-on exploration.
This might look like:
An outdoor garden. Add a raised garden or potting shed where children can nurture and grow a variety of plants. Be sure to stock the area with child-friendly gardening tools and accessories for hands-on fun. Check out more outdoor gardening equipment for other ideas with your remaining funds.
An outdoor dramatic play center. Nature is the perfect setting for pretend and imaginative play. With outdoor tools and materials that support creativity and open-ended exploration, children can:
- Pretend to be a farmer and sell goods at an outdoor market stand.
- Serve as a chef in a mud kitchen, “cooking” with mud, water, and other natural items.
- Play “mad scientist” as they mix, measure, and explore colors and textures in an outdoor potion station.
Explore our entire outdoor dramatic play collection, from pretend stores and kitchens to playhouses and racetracks, for fun, educational, and inventive play.
An outdoor science station. Bring sensory exploration and early science discovery outdoors with a durable sand and water table or nature table built to withstand the elements. Add sand (or a sand alternative), water, and a variety of tools for digging, scooping, filling, and pouring. These tools encourage hands-on exploration, experimentation, and imaginative play.
An outdoor art center. Add weather-resistant outdoor easels to encourage art and self-expression. Children can create nature-inspired paintings, drawings with leaf rubbings and bark textures, or collages with found materials.
As you plan ways to spend your remaining grant dollars, consider investing in outdoor learning spaces that create lasting value through play, exploration, and discovery.
4. Classroom technology
We live in a connected, technology-driven world. Exposing children to technology that gets them excited about learning is essential in early education. But think beyond laptops and tablets. Consider innovative tech that gets children moving, thinking, and creating through active, hands-on learning experiences.
While we offer a range of technology products, here are two options that will help you put your remaining grant funds to good use:
Illumination Station
Illumination Station combines augmented reality, a sand table, and a projector to transform any space into an interactive sensory experience. The state-of-the-art projection and 3D mapping technology transform sand into a dynamic environment. Children can explore geography, seasons, animal habitats, and more as they dig and sift through sand to create new worlds.
To shift into active play, turn the projector toward the floor or wall to create immersive play environments. Children can form mountains, shape islands, and activate volcanoes, all while exploring math, science, literacy, music, and more.
Beam Mobile
Beam Mobile is an interactive projector that transforms any space into an interactive play experience. It comes with crisp sound, sharp visuals, and rapid motion detection. These features make it easy to immerse children in play experiences that engage both their bodies and minds.
The product also includes a one-, three-, or five-year subscription to the EyeWiz Learning Platform. The online hub provides hundreds of ready-to-use activities, lessons, and templates to help you create your own. With over 600 preloaded educational activities and a lamp-free design, Beam Mobile offers years of continuous activity for your program.
Ready to take your classroom technology up a notch? Our dedicated Educational Technology Team is always looking for innovative, purposeful technology for the classroom. They’re also here to:
- Help coordinate shipping and delivery
- Provide product demos and training
- Address any issues that may arise when you buy one of our technology products.
5. Curriculum and curriculum support resources
Summer is a great time to review program goals and outcomes to ensure your curriculum meets your needs and aligns with your preferred learning outcomes. If you find yours lacking, consider using leftover funds to purchase a curriculum that better fits your program's needs.
Kaplan offers a range of curricula for young learners, from infant to early elementary classrooms. If you can't decide which product is best for your program, reach out to our dedicated Curriculum, Assessment, and Professional Learning (CAPL) Team. They’re happy to answer any questions you may have.
If you already use one of our curricula, we also offer resources to supplement and extend your core content. Explore our curriculum offerings below to see what’s available:
- Connect4LearningⓇ Pre-K Curriculum
- Nemours Children’s Reading BrightStart!Ⓡ
- All About Preschoolers
- Learn Every Day™
- Beyond Centers and Circle Time Curriculum
See our curriculum comparison chart for a side-by-side view of all options.
6. Assessment and evaluation tools
Assessments and evaluations aren’t just nice-to-haves. They're powerful tools for capturing individual children’s progress. Then, using that data to guide instruction, assess program goals, and support development. They help you ensure program and learning outcomes are met, leading to stronger success across classrooms.
We’ve rounded up a few of our assessment and evaluation tools below to help you plan your summer purchases:
- Ages & Stages (ASQⓇ): A parent-completed monitoring system that effectively screens five key developmental areas: communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, and social-emotional.
- Devereux Assessments (DECA): Nationally standardized behavior rating scales that evaluate children's social and emotional development and capacity for resilience.
- Learning Accomplishment Profile™(LAP): An assessment tool that evaluates progress in gross motor, fine motor, pre-writing, cognitive, language, social, and emotional development.
- Classroom Assessment Scoring SystemⓇ (CLASSⓇ): An observation tool that evaluates three domains of effective teacher-child interactions: emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support.
See Choosing an Early Childhood Assessment: How DECA, LAP™, ASQ®, and CLASS® Compare to find the product that best matches your program needs.
7. Professional learning and development
Anything spent on boosting teacher quality is money well spent. At Kaplan, we offer a range of virtual and on-site professional learning solutions. Our expert-led, research-based learning sessions cover a range of classroom challenges and early learning topics. Some of our most-requested topics include:
- Behavior management
- Leadership and growth
- Social-emotional support
- Science of Reading
- Curriculum implementation
- Inclusive teaching practices
This is your chance to equip your staff with high-quality training that aligns with your program goals and priorities. You can register for a pre-scheduled virtual learning event or book a private session customized for your program or district. Browse our upcoming a la carte sessions or contact our Professional Development Team to learn about our customized professional learning packages.
Make the most of your remaining grant funds
When it comes to grant funding, it’s often a use-it-or-lose-it situation. But racing to spend your remaining budget on nonessential items isn’t a winning strategy.
Before the deadline hits, take a moment to review the products listed above. Then, determine which ones best fit your program needs and grant requirements. Whether you’re enhancing your outdoor learning space or adding new technology to your classroom, these product ideas can help you spend your leftover funds effectively.
Do you need more help making informed decisions about summer spend-down purchases? Check out our state-specific classroom lists or reach out to a local Kaplan representative today. They’re here to learn about your program and provide personalized product recommendations based on your unique needs and goals.
