Featuring levers, pulleys, slides, and switches for kids to manipulate, Rube Goldberg® Miracle Machines® add a touch of whimsy to any playground. These elaborate play panels are designed to thrill and engage the senses for everyone ages 2 and up (CSA 18mo+), helping to develop cognitive and fine motor skills as well as provide insights into cause-and-effect relationships.
To make this series of mechanical chain reaction play panels, Miracle® Recreation collaborated with The Rube Goldberg® Institute for Innovation & Creativity, a family-run, nonprofit organization that uses the legacy of its namesake to promote equity and access in STEAM and STEAM education. A Rube Goldberg Machine® is a delightfully over-complicated contraption that completes a simple task in the silliest way possible.
Rube Goldberg was a Pulitzer-prize winning cartoonist whose depiction of hilariously impractical machines inspires artists, educators, advertisers, and influencers. By partnering with the Rube Goldberg® Institute, Miracle Recreation brings authenticity and delight into recreational play by asking kids to solve three simple tasks: make a cup of tea, feed a cat, and score a goal.

Individuals or teams can work to score a match-winning goal! Start by turning the wheel, and then guide the ball along its journey until it reaches the net. Manipulative elements all across the panel offer the chance for young children to build their fine motor skills, while older kids will enjoy creating a methodical approach to reaching the goal. Its width, sloped height, and accompanying sounds ensure everyone can join in on this thrilling play. Each turn at the play panel yields a variety of outcomes depending upon the path taken, reinforcing the notion of cause and effect, especially as it relates to machine thinking.