Playful Engineers teaching artist and engineering enthusiast Jay Mankita will present a hands-on workshop in which participants will have a chance to design, build, test, and play with Rube Goldberg “Machines”, and other chain reactions, connecting focused play with serious science. Participants learn through demonstration and play, exploring basic force and motion physics, as they build fun chain reactions with common toys and other ordinary materials. Jay brings lots of materials to work with, including dominoes, wood blocks, string, chain, pulleys, elastics, tinker toys, K’nex, Legos, tracks, ping-pong balls, clamps, connectors, bases, dowels, and magnets.

This program is possible with support from the Amherst Cultural Council.