Rube Goldberg Machine Workshop
Join the Springfield Central Library for a playful challenge in invention and imagination as kids design and build a Rube Goldberg Machine that uses ramps, marbles, dominoes, and other everyday objects to complete a simple task in the most creative way possible. Along the way, participants explore cause and effect, motion, gravity, and energy transfer while practicing problem solving, collaboration, and hands-on design, showing how science, technology, engineering, and math can come alive through teamwork and creativity.
Self-Directed Learning
Kids inspired by basic engineering can expand their skills by creating a Rube Goldberg Machine, a contraption that uses simple mechanical parts arranged in a complex chain reaction to complete a straightforward task. Named after cartoonist Rube Goldberg, who became famous for illustrating these whimsical inventions, such machines might include a ball rolling down a ramp that tips a cup, spins a wheel, or lights a candle after several steps. From the board game Mousetrap to local contests, these playful devices highlight how imagination, creativity, and problem solving come together, offering endless possibilities for kids to explore through self-directed learning.
