Collective Rube Goldberg Machine is a participatory and creative group activity where participants collaboratively design and build a chain reaction machine to accomplish a simple task in an overly complex and playful way (e.g., ringing a bell or pouring water into a cup). It fosters creative problem-solving, systems thinking, collaboration, coordination, and hands-on learning. The activity can be adapted to face-to-face, hybrid, or fully virtual contexts using everyday materials or digital tools.
Preparation
- Define the purpose:
- Encourage collaborative creativity and sequential thinking.
- Practice group problem-solving and technical improvisation.
- Promote experimentation, playfulness, and team cohesion.
- Set the machine’s final goal:
- Choose a simple outcome like ringing a bell, switching off a fan, or watering a plant.
- Gather materials:
- Use household or recycled items (balls, string, cups, tubes, dominoes, cardboard, tape, etc.).
- Prepare a wide surface or long table for setup.
- Form teams:
- Divide the group into small teams. Each one will design a section of the machine to connect with others.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Design Phase
- Each team plans how their segment will be triggered and what reaction it will cause.
- Teams align their plans so transitions between segments connect properly.
- Construction and Testing
- Build and test each section independently.
- Adjust mechanisms until they work reliably and can trigger the next.
- Integration
- Connect all the sections and test the full machine as a group.
- Presentation
- Demonstrate the final chain reaction. Capture it on video or photo.
- Reflection and Debrief
- Discuss what worked well, what needed iteration, and what the group learned about collaboration and creativity.
