Playful Engineers Teaching Artist Jay Mankita presents an in-person, hands-on event in which participants design, build, test, and play with Rube Goldberg “Machines” – complicated chain reactions accomplishing simple tasks. Participants learn through demonstration, and then through self-directed play, to make kinetic ‘machine’ parts, exploring force and motion, scale, and cause and effect, including catapults, zip-lines, domino towers, and gravity-powered carousels. Jay brings his chain reactions kit from his Traveling Makerspace, with tracks, balls, blocks, cars, action figures, rubber bands, string, tinkertoys, k’nex, and literally thousands of dominoes. Trial and error-focused activities generate multiple opportunities for participants to learn from their success and their failures. We’ll hear groans and cheers, as the machines run their course!

Recommended for ages 6 and up. Come on time for the demonstration, then build!