Thames & Kosmos Gumball Machine Maker – Hands-On Physics Kit for Curious Builders

Build, test, and learn with a playful gumball machine kit

Turn a simple handle and watch a gumball travel through a colorful track, performing miniature stunts along the way. Thames & Kosmos Gumball Machine Maker blends entertainment with hands-on experimentation, inviting curious minds to explore how machines move and interact in real time.

What makes this kit engaging

The setup is designed for repeat exploration. The clear globe stores gumballs that roll into the track, land in a collection cup, and can be reseated for another run. The modular design encourages quick reconfigurations to try new paths and different outcomes, keeping play fresh and interesting.

• Modular track segments allow endless configurations and reconfigurations for fresh challenges.
• Each segment highlights a mechanical concept while you assemble and test the path.

Key topics you can explore

• Simple machines, force, motion, and momentum
• Gravity, Newton's laws, energy transfer, and cause-and-effect

The kit works with standard 16-mm (5/8-inch) gumballs and includes a starter supply to get you started. As the gumballs race down the track, they perform stunts such as a pulley lift, pendulum swing, funnel, trampoline bounce, pinball-style launcher, and domino slide. The experience emphasizes trial-and-error problem solving, inviting builders to re-engineer the layout to improve the path without making promises about guaranteed outcomes. This approach helps curious builders develop persistence and a hands-on intuition for how changes influence results in a fun, low-stakes setting.