HOW TO GET STARTED

 

Start at the End

Identify the simple task you want to achieve. You could turn off a light, open a door, pour a bowl of cereal, turn off an alarm clock, hammer a nail or pop a balloon. Be creative — and unique.

 

Make a Plan

Brainstorm a series of actions that will complete your task. Make a pin pop a balloon. Send a toy car down a ramp. Make dominoes fall. Draw a blueprint plan for what you expect to happen. The most important action will be the first step — that’s what starts the entire machine. Make sure your machine starts with a bang!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gather Your Materials

You can use almost anything to create your Rube Goldberg machine. Here are some ideas: dominoes, fans, PVC pipe, magnets, duct tape, marbles, cups or bowls, miniature toy cars, paper towel tubes, string.

 

 

Piece by Piece

As you create your machine, follow your blueprint and place your materials where you think they need to be. Practice makes perfect, so don’t expect your Rube Goldberg machine to work perfectly the first time you try it. There will be plenty of trial and error — and that’s OK. Adjust your materials and keep at it.

 

There are a few criteria to keep in mind when creating your machines.

They should be funny.
They should tell a story.
They should use everyday objects and/or recycled objects.
They should be well-constructed.

 

 

Tasks from Past Rube Goldberg Contests
Easier:

Put a bottle in a bin
Water a plant
Shut a door
Turn something on or off (a light, a radio, an alarm)
Ring a bell
Break an egg
Sort coins
Make a ball go into a hole
Pop a balloon
Fire a projectile

 

More Challenging

Apply a Band-Aid®
Open an Umbrella
Erase A Chalkboard
Zip A Zipper
Hammer A Nail
Inflate A Balloon and Pop It!
Assemble a Hamburger
Squeeze the Juice from an Orange
Shred 5 Sheets of Paper
Change Batteries and Turn on a 2-battery Flashlight
Select, Crush and Recycle and Empty Soft Drink Can
Select, Raise and Wave a U.S. Flag
Select, Clean and Peel an Apple
Set a Golf Tee and Tee Up a Golf Ball
Shut Off An Alarm Clock
Insert and Then Play a CD Disc
Put Coins in a Bank
Turn on a Radio
Make Cup of Coffee
Screw a Light Bulb into a Socket
Unlock a Combination Padlock
Toast a Slice of Bread
Put the Lid on a Ball Jar
Put Toothpaste on a Toothbrush

 

10 WORKING RUBE GOLDBERG MACHINES
Here are videos of 10 working Rube Goldberg machines.