Ready to make a Rube Goldberg machine at home? Here are some ideas to challenge your kiddo to use their imagination and invent using supplies you already have at home!
Storytimes about engineering, inventing, and persevering:
Mr. Ferris and His Wheel
The Girl with a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague
The Most Magnificent Thing
How to Build a Rube Goldberg Machine at Home:
This is an easy at-home building project for kiddos that use supplies you already have in your home! In this project, kiddos will build a Rube Goldberg machine. A Rube Goldberg machine is a machine that is designed to perform a simple task in a complex way. You can start this project by watching a fun example of a Rube Goldberg machine here!
What did you notice about the energy in the video? There’s a rule in science that energy is not created nor destroyed. Instead, energy (in this case, movement) is transferred from one object to the next. So, when one domino hits the next, it will transfer the energy. It’s causing things in the Rube Goldberg machine to move and change!
To get started, start talking about the engineering process! First, here are some helpful words and definitions to know:
Draft a blueprint: A detailed plan or program of action
Prototype: a first full-scale and usually functional form of a new type or design of a construction
Test: a critical examination, observation, or evaluation
Finalize: to put in final or finished form
Next, identify the simple task that you want your machine to perform. Some ideas include: open or close the door, launch a ball, or turn on or off the light. Then, identify how many energy transfers you want your machine to have. A good starting point is 5 energy transfers. Identify materials that you could use in your home! Gather those materials and draft a blueprint to show what your machine will look like and how it will work. Now, use your materials to build your prototype. Stop and test your machine and make sure it’s working the way you want it to. If it’s not working, it’s time to make some changes! You may even discover a new, better way for your machine to work that you may not have thought of before. You can test and revise your machine as many times as you wish!
Once you’ve tested your machine and you know it works, show it off! You can share it with others in your family or even grab a camera and record it working! If you post your video online, be sure to tag GCM with #GCMatHome
Team GCM Creator: Emily
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