creative Thinking and Enrichment Tools

The Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted (WATG) is proud to offer Summer Scholarships to support gifted students in pursuing enriching educational experiences beyond the traditional classroom. These scholarships provide financial assistance for students to attend summer programs, camps, and other specialized learning opportunities that align with their unique talents and interests. Whether exploring STEM, the arts, leadership, or other advanced studies, our scholarships help ensure that all gifted students have access to meaningful growth experiences. WATG is committed to fostering the potential of Wisconsin's gifted youth by expanding access to high-quality learning opportunities.


As part of the application, students must submit either an essay or a video/multimedia presentation, along with one reference letter from a teacher or a non-family member. The essay or presentation should address the following:


  • Personal background and advanced enrichment needs.
  • A description of the summer program or class you wish to attend and the reasons for your interest in it.
  • An explanation of why you believe you are a strong candidate for this scholarship.

Student Summer Scholarships

Logo Contest

3Doodler Pens

Description: These handheld 3D printing pens allow users to draw three-dimensional objects with heated plastic that quickly hardens.


Why It’s Great for Gifted Students: It encourages creativity, spatial reasoning, and hands-on design thinking.


Ideal for: Ages 8+


Link: https://amzn.to/3LOIT4V

Art for Kids Hub Drawing Books

Description: These step-by-step drawing guides cover a wide range of subjects from animals to popular characters.


Why It’s Great for Gifted Students: They build artistic skills, fine motor coordination, and confidence in creative expression.


Ideal for: Ages 6 to 12


Links:

Art Lab for Kids Series

Description: The Art Lab for Kids series offers hands-on, step-by-step activities for drawing, painting, sculpture, mixed media, and more. Each lesson encourages experimentation and process-focused creative exploration.


Why It’s Great for Gifted Students: Gifted learners thrive with open-ended, expressive tasks that allow for depth, originality, and personal meaning.


Ideal for: Creative thinkers, young artists, visual-spatial learners, and students who need enrichment beyond standard art class


Links:

Boomwhackers (C to C Scale)

Description: These color-coded musical tubes produce pitched tones when tapped. Students experiment with rhythms, harmonies, and group performances.


Why It’s Great for Gifted Students: They encourage creativity, teamwork, and multisensory exploration.


Ideal for: Grades K to 8


Link:  https://amzn.to/4rHWV90

B. Symphony Musical Orchestra

Description: B. Symphony Musical Orchestra is a kid-friendly soundboard that lets children mix and layer instrumental tracks to create unique songs.


Why It’s Great for Gifted Students: This nurtures early creativity and composition skills.


Ideal for: PreK to Grade 2


Link:  https://amzn.to/48r24JN

Chicago CityPASS

Description: The Chicago CityPASS is a discounted ticket bundle for major Chicago museums and attractions (Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, etc.).


Why It’s Great for Gifted Students: This provides real-world experiential learning that is perfect for deep, curiosity-driven learners.


Ideal for: Families planning educational travel or enrichment experiences


Link

Chronology

Description: In Chronology, players place historical events in chronological order to build timelines.


Why It’s Great for Gifted Students: It's perfect for history-loving gifted students who enjoy knowledge challenges, sequencing, and pattern recognition.


Ideal for: Ages 10+


Link: https://amzn.to/3X9PB82

Concept

Description: Concept is a team-based guessing game where players communicate ideas only using symbols and icons.


Why It’s Great for Gifted Students: It strengthens abstract reasoning, inferencing, and symbolic thinking.


Ideal for: Ages 10+


Link: https://amzn.to/3XJaiI4

Keva

Description: Keva consists of uniform wooden blocks designed for precise building and STEM exploration.


Why It’s Great for Gifted Students: It supports problem-solving, design thinking, and advanced construction.


Ideal for: Middle school learners


Link:  https://amzn.to/4rKzagD

Klutz Maker Lab Kits

Description: Klutz Maker Lab kits feature hands-on building projects such as machines, models, art projects, and science experiments.


Why It’s Great for Gifted Students: They offer hands-on exploration and the freedom to iterate – an engaging challenge that suits curious, self-driven learners.


Ideal for: Makers, hands-on learners, elementary and middle school tinkerers, and kids who enjoy building and experimenting


Links:

LEGO Creator/Technic Kits

Description: These are advanced LEGO kits that allow for building vehicles, machines, and intricate structures, often with moving parts.


Why It’s Great for Gifted Students: They develop engineering thinking, spatial visualization, and creative problem-solving.


Ideal for: Ages 7+


Links:

Magna-Tiles

Description: Magna-Tiles are magnetic geometric tiles that can be used to construct 2D and 3D structures.


Why It’s Great for Gifted Students: This supports spatial, reasoning, geometry understanding, engineering thinking, and open-ended creativity.


Ideal for: Ages 3+, but especially engaging for 6 to 12 year olds


Link: https://amzn.to/4ieTiDd

Makey Makey

Description: Makey Makey is an invention kit that turns everyday objects into touchpads or controllers that interact with computers.


Why It’s Great for Gifted Students: It encourages creative problem-solving, electronics experimentation, coding, and unconventional thinking.


Ideal for: Ages 8+


Link: https://amzn.to/47RvjGv

Puzzlooies!

Description: The Puzzlooies! series combines humorous stories with logic puzzles, mazes, and brainteasers that drive the plot forward.


Why It’s Great for Gifted Students: The hybrid format encourages both verbal and analytical reasoning, appealing to students who enjoy layered, multidimensional challenges.


Ideal for: Advanced readers, puzzle lovers, creative thinkers, and students who need compact but stimulating enrichment


Links:

Skillmatics Foil Fun

Description: Skillmatics Foil Fun is a mess-free foil art craft kit with magnets, stickers, and colorful foil sheets.


Why It’s Great for Gifted Students: It encourages creativity, fine-motor development, and visual design without perfectionism pressure.


Ideal for: Kids, tweens, and teens who enjoy crafting, art, or hands-on projects


Link: https://amzn.to/4ielrtK

Story Cubes

Description: Story Cubes includes dice with pictures used to spark storytelling, imagination, and creative writing.


Why It’s Great for Gifted Students: It promotes divergent thinking, narrative creativity, language skills, and imaginative problem-solving.


Ideal for: Ages 6+


Link: https://amzn.to/3KgCZch

Would You Rather Book for Kids

Description: This book is a fun collection of silly, thoughtful, and creative questions designed to spark conversation and imagination.


Why It’s Great for Gifted Students: It encourages divergent thinking and flexible reasoning while providing lots of laughs.


Ideal for: Ages 7 to 13


Link: https://amzn.to/4oQA213

Wreck This Journal

Description: Wreck This Journal is an interactive journal filled with creative, unconventional prompts that invite artistic freedom.


Why It’s Great for Gifted Students: It supports perfectionism reduction, risk-taking, and creative exploration.


Ideal for: Highly creative or perfectionistic learners who need safe outlets for experimentation


Link: https://amzn.to/43GoRQi