Creativity Matters- Around the World Chain Reaction

March 18, 2020

Guest Post by Colleen Graves

Hi lovely Makey Makey Community,

I'm our head of curriculum and digital content (also known as our instigator of fun.)

This last week, I've seen that the progression of COVID-19 here in the US (and around the world!) Everyday, I've heard about schools closing and folks starting to self-quarantine to help flatten the curve of COVID-19. In fact, I've got my kids at home with me for the next three weeks! I work from home and most of my job is coming up with fun stuff to do! So Tom Heck ( Our VP of Education Initiatives) and I want to share some ideas here on the blog to do with your kids and loved ones while you are stuck at home the next couple of weeks.

We find making and playing to be great mood boosters! Today, I challenged my family to this Chain Reaction challenge from the Tinkering Studio and I'm feeling more positive than I have in a week!

Rube Goldberg

So, first why chain reactions? Well, these weird and wacky chain reactions stem from Rube Goldberg machines. Personally, I've been obsessed with Rube Goldberg like chain reactions since I was a kid! I've always felt inspired to make weird gadgets out of everyday stuff because of folks like Rube Goldberg, Inspector Gadget, Wallace and Gromit, The Goonies, and even Max Fleischer cartoons!

Rube Goldberg made comics in the early 1900s featuring chain reaction contraptions with everyday objects that completed simple tasks in often inefficient ways. In fact, "Rube Goldberg appeared in the Random House Dictionary of the English Language in 1966 meaning "having a fantastically complicated improvised appearance", or "deviously complex and impractical."- From Wikipedia

If you would like to combine some chain reactions with some Literacy Connections, here are a couple of great books that connect:

Biographies:

Rube Goldberg's Simple Normal Humdrum School Day

Rube Goldberg Simple Normal Humdrum School Day

Just Like Rube Goldberg

Cause and Effect

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

Perseverance (making a chain reaction takes a lot of this combined with tinkering!)

The Most Magnificent Thing

The Tinkering Studio

Here at Makey Makey, we just love The Tinkering Studio in San Francisco. They were even some of the first people to play with our little invention kit. They've posted an "Around the World Chain Reaction" tinkering idea that is simple and fun and can be done with anything you have at your house! Here's the warm-up...

Okay, here’s a warm up challenge 1.0 ~ 🎬 #RoundTheWorld_ChainReaction

Create a chain reaction element using a (cup) to trigger something else - RT your idea with a video

It can be physical, digital or a combo / outrageous examples & simple solutions are equally awesome! pic.twitter.com/7xDEdd0O0u
— The Tinkering Studio (@TinkeringStudio) March 13, 2020

Instructables

We've created an Instructables for including Makey Makey in your Rube Goldberg Chain Reaction Creations.

Get the Guide: http://bit.ly/makeyrubegoldberg

#Roundtheworld_ChainReaction

Here are some examples so far we've seen for this challenge! Plus, if you'd like to use Scratch Cloud variables, check out this post by Josh Burker.

From Bethany Jones:

Kid toy edition🤣so much fun. Kids are working on another one as we speak. pic.twitter.com/xTRJ1uOfk1
— Bethany Jones (@bethany_jones4) March 14, 2020

From Peter Kirschmann:

#RoundTheWorld_ChainReaction from Somerville, MA pic.twitter.com/T17Lu3iFGW
— Peter Kirschmann (@cubiclecafe) March 13, 2020

From Josie Maitland:

My son’s first attempt at a chain reaction from today- it’s not strictly a cup- but we made it before I saw this tweet! pic.twitter.com/QcXzzoyKoM
— Josie Maitland (@DrJosieMaitland) March 15, 2020

From Patrick Benfeild:

Tried out the @scratch cloud variables that @joshburker shared. My input variable is “patrick” and outputs to @gravescolleen with “colleen” https://t.co/z49oZOZodu pic.twitter.com/L2yT3qye4i
— Patrick Benfield (@McLemoreAve) March 14, 2020

My Response to Patrick:

Challenged by ⁦@TinkeringStudio⁩ ⁦@McLemoreAve⁩ to bring ⁦@makeymakey⁩ to this #roundtheworld #chainreaction ! @rubegoldberg ⁦@microbit_edu⁩ @scratch #RoundTheWorld_ChainReaction pic.twitter.com/2HtNYnYAA6
— Colleen Graves (@gravescolleen) March 16, 2020

Angela Sofia Lombardo's response to Patrick:

🌍🇮🇹😍Here's our (@g_menegoz
and me) #RoundTheWorld_ChainReaction ! Input variable is 5 (@gravescolleen =4) output variable is 6. We used the radio function of the @microbit_edu to trigger the start! There's a Micro:bit in the final cylinder too! 🇮🇹😍🌎https://t.co/rpUKiCQHhI pic.twitter.com/zGcJftroDg
— AngelaSofia Lombardo (@TechnoAngela) March 15, 2020

Chris Colley's Response:

The start of something... gonna get @microbit_edu involved #RoundTheWorld_ChainReaction pic.twitter.com/OJbgViFxBB
— Chris Colley (@chriscolleydog) March 15, 2020

Lindsey Balfour from Strawbees :

Finetuned my #RoundTheWorld_ChainReaction w/ more #strawbees ramps, added #microbit and @joshburker 's @scratch project using cloud data. Using input 5, ready to extend to next users. #creativitymatters https://t.co/vNU2tVRZwH pic.twitter.com/16Vchzizom
— Lindsay Balfour (@MaKeyLindsay) March 15, 2020

Josh Burker's Chain Reaction:

My #RoundTheWorld_ChainReaction dumps the duck when the @scratch cloud data input variable is set to ‘josh’ and outputs to @sleggss via the variable ‘saskia.’ https://t.co/Z2SSzw49pv pic.twitter.com/E4CoPHyMyC
— Josh Burker (@joshburker) March 14, 2020

Liam Nilsen Tinkering with Beach Materials (Check the full thread!):

It was a sunny day (and we’re still aloud to go outside) so Fie and I decided to go to the beach and make some marble runs.

We started by making a little mound and putting a track on it. pic.twitter.com/80MljXUmPX
— Liam Nilsen (@nilsenmuseum) March 14, 2020

@TinkeringStudio @makeymakey @TuringTumble
eine Tasse + ein Ball + Alufolie => #RoundTheWorld_ChainReaction
leider nur die TuringTumble Simulation ... mit dem Board kann man sicherlich noch viel mehr machen.
Hat ein Berliner ein Board zu verleihen? 🙈 pic.twitter.com/5l7IgKZPDU
— DIGIdags (@DigidagsOrg) March 22, 2020

🦶 + 💻 Hope you'll get a kick out of this #RoundTheWorld_ChainReaction submission from the Federico family (who aren't on Twitter) // they've incorporated a @makeymakey 🎉 @gravescolleen @kathleenfugle @MaKeyLindsay pic.twitter.com/Bv5X7V0dU9
— The Tinkering Studio (@TinkeringStudio) March 17, 2020

I DID IT!!!!! Slow moving motor...foil switch w/@makeymakey.. @scratch ball bouncing across screen...@LEGOfoundation WeDo fan...dominoes with turnaround Thanks @TinkeringStudio & @ryanejenkins and everyone here for gently nudging me along! JOY! pic.twitter.com/uA43eqyGcp
— Cate Heroman (@cateheroman) March 21, 2020

Anyone else want to play with us? Here is our first 3 part chain reaction. @Explora_Roma
#ExploraPerTe. @TinkeringStudio @makeymakey @MonktonHead
#RoundTheWorld_ChainReaction pic.twitter.com/tX9M4etW6y
— Reception | Monkton (@MonktonRecep) March 21, 2020

"For best results, use other side" - A little @makeymakey + @scratch + @HEXBUG fun #RoundTheWorld_ChainReaction pic.twitter.com/IEX5Yi8XGU
— Kathleen Fugle (@kathleenfugle) March 14, 2020

Hah 🤪we know what you mean about them performing well when no one is looking! We also don't mind a little push from a 👉"magic finger" every now & then.

Nice to have collaborators from Amsterdam🇳🇱using a swinging 🍔 & @makeymakey! ...but why not a frikandel? https://t.co/LXceMOaYCK
— The Tinkering Studio (@TinkeringStudio) March 24, 2020

We will add more examples as they come through on social! Share your own creations with the #RoundTheWorld_ChainReaction hashtag.

More Inspiration

Some projects can take months to dream up and create! This Lemonade Machine video is epic! Maybe you can take some ideas from this video for your own epic homemade chain reactions and rube goldberg machines.