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Gumball Machine Maker: Engineering Kit

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$20 $39.99 In stock

Super sweet stunts! Build your own gumball machines and learn physics lessons in the process. A turn of a handle dispenses one gumball at a time out of the clear storage globe and down the track. The gumballs land in a collection cup and can easily and sanitarily be returned to the globe for another run. The track segments can be moved around on the base to create an almost limitless number of different gumball machines. As the gumballs roll down the track, they perform cool stunts and tricks. Stunts include a pulley lift, pendulum, funnel, trampoline, variable-slope ramp, pinball launcher, and domino slide. Each segment of the track teaches a different lesson in mechanical physics, allowing users to explore topics including simple machines, force, motion, momentum, gravity, Newton’s laws, energy transfer, and more.

Trial-and-error experiments teach in a fun, hands-on way: Will your gumball successfully make it to the end of the track, or will you have to reengineer your gumball machine to make it work? The kit works with standard machine-size, 16-mm (5/8-inch) gumballs and includes a small supply of gumballs to get started.

kw: gumball machine maker, diy, thames and kasmos, 

Customer Reviews (4.0 / 5 · 5 reviews)

Leo T. ★★★★★

The clear globe is perfect for seeing exactly how many gumballs you've got left, and that satisfying clunk when it dispenses one at a time never gets old. My nephew figured out the track alignment himself in about ten minutes, and now he's explaining the physics to his little sister.

Stella ★★★★★

Watching my kids take turns cranking the handle and seeing exactly one gumball roll down the clear track is oddly satisfying — it’s real physics they can see. The globe holds plenty, and the lesson on gravity clicked way faster than any textbook.

George ★★★★☆

The clear globe is a nice touch—you can watch each gumball roll down the track, which my kids found way more entertaining than I expected. Assembly took us about an hour together, and the handle turns smoothly enough for a plastic kit, though I wish the instructions were a bit clearer on one step.