Build, test and refine your own working pinball machine using cardboard, rubber bands, craft sticks and simple materials. Design ramps, flippers, bumpers and obstacles as you turn a flat sheet into a fully playable arcade style game.
As you construct and iterate, you will explore how force, motion, friction and gravity affect the path of the ball. You will experiment with levers, pivots and elastic energy to create responsive flippers, and discover how small adjustments change speed, control and gameplay.
This hands on session blends physics, engineering and creative design. Participants prototype, test and improve their machines while developing spatial thinking, problem solving skills and an understanding of how mechanical systems work together.
Learning Focus
Physics
Force, motion, friction and gravity
Energy transfer and momentum
Engineering
Levers, pivots and elastic energy
Simple machines and mechanical systems
Design and Problem Solving
Prototyping and iterative improvement
Spatial reasoning and layout planning
Balancing challenge, fairness and playability
By the end of the workshop, each participant takes home a working pinball machine and a deeper understanding of how real world mechanical systems are designed and refined.