Rube Goldberg chain reaction machine.

STREAM Activity: Rube Goldberg Machine

Activity best for children ages 3 and up (with adult supervision!)

Rube Goldberg was an artist and engineer. He spent his whole life trying to show how art and science can be combined! He was best known for creating sketches of elaborate chain reactions that would complete a simple task. For instance, a series of pulleys that hit dominoes, make a car move that turns on the switch for a fan. Today, you’ll get to engineer your own chain reactions to help you complete a simple task!

MATERIALS

  • Any materials you have at home:

    Toy cars

    Dominoes

    Books

    Paper towel/toilet paper rolls

    String

    Tape

    Marbles/balls

    Cups

Guiding Questions

  • What can this item do? How can you get it to move?

  • What will happen after this item moves? How can you be sure?

  • What can you do to cause something else to move?

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1

Think of a very simple action you do every day. For example turning off the lights, closing a door, or pushing in a chair.

STEP 2

Gather items in your home that you can make move in different ways. For example:

  • Dominoes that can be knocked down
  • Fans that can blow air to push
  • Marbles that can roll
  • Toy vehicles that can move
  • String to create pulleys

STEP 3

Make a plan. Draw or sketch your chain reaction machine just like Rube Goldberg.

STEP 4

Set up your machine and see if it works! If it doesn’t, make an improvement. Engineers are always testing and trying to make their inventions better.