Thames & Kosmos Pinball Machine Maker STEM Kit – Gumball Rally, Toy of the Year Finalist

Meet the sweetest way to explore physics and engineering: a customizable pinball machine that uses edible gumballs as the playpieces. This kit turns a simple build into a hands on laboratory where you test ideas, measure outcomes, and refine your designs with immediate feedback. The setup invites curiosity, experimentation, and playful discovery while staying kid friendly and safe for home or classroom use.

What you can build and how it works

• Build a customizable pinball machine that uses edible gumballs as the pinballs, blending play and inquiry.
• Reconfigure the field with a wide range of obstacles like bumpers, slingshots, bells, ramps, and more to create new challenges each time.
• Experience a gamified approach to physics concepts such as force, motion, gravity, and collisions through direct manipulation and observation.
• Experiment with trial and error to test ideas, refine strategies, and see how small changes affect outcomes.
• Enjoy approximately 45 delicious standard machine size gumballs included in the kit for immediate play.
• Operate a spring powered launcher and responsive flippers that mimic real pinball action for dynamic play.

Key moments of learning and play

• The central ramp rotates to direct projectiles into three elevated areas and the final winning ramp, illustrating path control and energy transfer.
• An Archimedes screw mechanism moves fallen gumballs back toward the launcher, creating continuous play and an engaging loop of action.
• Open ended play encourages creative problem solving and sustained engagement as configurations evolve with each session.

The kit combines a tactile building experience with math and physics ideas, offering a hands-on way to explore cause and effect, momentum, and mechanical design without requiring specialized equipment. It supports child-led exploration and can be adapted to different ages or learning goals.

Awards and recognitions you can share

This Pinball Machine Maker was a 2025 Toy of the Year Finalist, reflecting its appeal and depth. It was also listed on the Toy Insider’s 2024 STEM 10 and named a 2024 TTPM Best Artisan Toy, highlighting its blend of craft, play, and educational potential.

Whether used at home or in the classroom, the kit offers a visually engaging, interactive way to spark curiosity about physics and engineering. It highlights process over guaranteed outcomes, inviting kids to imagine, build, test, and iterate at their own pace.