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In this activity, learners work with an adult to build a rocket and launcher out of a plastic 2-liter bottle, flexible plastic hose, plastic tubing, toilet paper tube, and duct tape.

$5 - $10 per group Ages 6 - 14 30 to 45 minutes
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In this activity, learners discover that some things only stand up while they are spinning.

$1 - $5 per student Ages 8 - 14 1 to 2 hours
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Learners trace, cut out and fly a boomerang, outdoors or in a large indoor space.

1 cent - $1 per student Ages 4 - 14 10 to 30 minutes
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In this activity, learners create a traditional Mexican noisemaker (a matraca) using cardboard, craft sticks, and a wooden dowel.

$1 - $5 per student Ages 6 - 18 1 to 2 hours
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In this hands-on engineering project, kids use two simple machines, levers and inclined planes, to construct their own pinball machines.

$1 - $5 per student Ages 6 - 11 30 to 45 minutes
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In this activity, learners build a recording timer made from simple materials (e.g., small dc motor, sharpie pen, craft sticks, adding machine paper tape, etc.).

Over $20 per group Ages 14 - 18 1 to 2 hours
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In this engineering activity (page 5 of PDF), young learners investigate how materials and design contribute to the strength of a structure, particularly walls.

$1 - $5 per group Ages 4 - 8 45 to 60 minutes
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The goal of this activity is to build a miniature bobsled that is either the fastest or the slowest. Learners use recycled materials to design, build, and test their bobsled on a bobsled track.

$5 - $10 per group Ages 6 - 18 10 to 30 minutes
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In this activity, learners construct speedy vehicles made out of paper plates and powered by twisted rubber bands.

$1 - $5 per student Ages 6 - 18 45 to 60 minutes
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In this activity, learners construct three optical illusion toys to examine how our brains play tricks on what we see.

$1 - $5 per student Ages 6 - 18 30 to 45 minutes
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In this activity, learners explore electronics and motion by making a Scribbling Machine, a motorized contraption that moves in unusual ways and leaves a mark to trace its path.

$5 - $10 per group Ages 11 - adult 1 to 2 hours
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In this activity, learners will use a variety of household and/or natural objects to design a sculpture that balances from a single point.

free Ages 6 - adult 30 to 45 minutes
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In this activity, learners will use their chosen material to build the tallest tower possible in under three minutes. This activity uses problem solving and fine motor skills to challenge learners.

$1 - $5 per student Ages 4 - 8 10 to 30 minutes
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In this activity related to Newton's Laws of Motion, learners build a boat powered by a propeller in the air.

$5 - $10 per student Ages 8 - 18 45 to 60 minutes
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Learners use engineering design principles to construct and test a fully solar-powered car. Solar car kits usually include a photovoltaic cell and motor; some include a chassis as well.

Over $20 per student Ages 11 - 14 2 to 4 hours
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In this activity, learners build a hovercraft using a paper plate, cup, and simple motor.

$1 - $5 per student Ages 6 - 14 45 to 60 minutes
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In this Engineering Design Challenge activity, learners will use balloons to investigate how a multi-stage rocket, like that used in the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission, can propel a sat

$1 - $5 per student Ages 8 - adult 10 to 30 minutes
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Cardboard Automata are a playful way to explore simple machine elements while creating a mechanical sculpture.

$5 - $10 per student Ages 8 - adult 1 to 2 hours
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In this design challenge activity, learners build a rubber band-powered rover that can scramble across the room.

1 cent - $1 per student Ages 11 - 18 30 to 45 minutes
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In this activity, learners will build a stomp-powered launcher to blast off paper rockets they design. Materials can be found at a local hardware store or you may already have them at home.

$5 - $10 per group Ages 6 - 18 10 to 30 minutes