Pinball Machine Maker Gumball Rally Review
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Editor's Review
This STEM kit is sweet enough to eat. That’s because the Pinball Machine Maker Gumball Rally uses real gumballs. Once kids build the pinball machine, they get to launch the gumballs through the pinball machine and experiment with the placement of some of the pieces. Ten experiment ideas in the instruction booklet challenge kids to slow down the gumballs, launch the gumballs onto the upper deck, and more. Instructions for assembly are pretty easy to follow, however, it would have been more helpful had each piece been individually labeled. The age range for this is 6 to 12, and we think 6-year-olds will definitely need adult help, while patient 12-year-olds will need less assistance. Make sure to read the last few pages of the instruction booklet to learn about pinball engineering and the physics and engineering concepts contained within the pinball machine.
Price Check
Should I get it?
This is a pretty cool science kit that introduces kids to physics concepts through the hands-on building of the pinball machine. The machine really works, and it’s fun to use gumballs instead of marbles because, well, you can eat the gumballs when you’re done sending them through the machine. Building and playing with this requires creative thinking and problem-solving, plus a little patience.
Pros
Introduces physics concepts in a hands-on way
Pinball machine really works
Fun to use – and eat – gumballs
Cons
Not all of assembly was easy
Some pieces don’t stay together during play
