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Rube Goldberg Machine Building

Rube Goldberg Machine Building

Min number of participants 1
Age 8+ yrs.
Safety support by adult Not required
Min duration 1 h
Cost Low
Environment Indoor / Outdoor

Chain together dominoes, ramps, string, and everyday objects into a wildly overcomplicated contraption that does one simple task. A fun home engineering challenge full of testing, tweaking, and satisfying chain reactions.

The Essentials

  • Define the one simple task the machine will complete before you start building the chain
  • Test each link individually before connecting it to the rest of the chain to isolate failures
  • Use everyday objects (dominoes, marbles, ramps, string) rather than buying anything special
  • Film each test run so you can spot exactly where the chain reaction breaks down
  • Leave slack and adjustable joints between sections, since surfaces and angles rarely work on the first try
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