The Chain Reaction Bench
Grandpa Fenn's workshop. Place ramps, bouncers and fans and make a marble ring the bell.
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Grandpa's Invention Wall
Tell Grandpa your problem and he points to the right invention. Every machine in the workshop hangs on one wall.
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The Lever Lab
Balance crates on a plank, slide the pivot and find how a small weight can lift a big one.
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The Pulley Lab
Lift a heavy crate with rope and pulleys. Count the strands and see why a light pull can win.
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The Wheel and the Axle
Turn a handle on a big wheel and watch a heavy bucket float up. See why a bigger wheel makes the lift easier.
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The Ramp Lab
Push a heavy crate up a steep ramp and a gentle one. Find out why the long way takes the lighter push.
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The Shadow Clock
Slide the Sun across the sky and tell the time from a stick shadow, just like Grandpa.
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The Water Clock
Pick a hole. Start the drip. Watch the minute marks and find out why a water clock slows down.
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The Sound Maker
Pluck a string, slide the bridge and hear how a short string sings high and a long one hums low.
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The Balance Scale
Load two pans, level the beam and weigh a mystery box using only things you already know.
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The Magnet Maze
A magnet hides under the board. Pull a steel ball through the maze, then try a wooden bead and see what happens.
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The Windmill
Turn the mill to face the wind, pick your sails and spin fast enough to light a lamp and fill a sack of grain.
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The Wedge and the Screw
Split a log with a thin wedge and a wide one, then lift a heavy block with a screw. See what each one asks of you.
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The Periscope
Tilt two mirrors to bend light around a wall and see a bluebird on the other side.
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The Pendulum
Swing a weight on a string. Time one swing with a short, medium and long string and a light and heavy bob.
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The Kite
Raise the wind and fly a kite with no tail, a short tail and a long tail. Find out why a tail keeps it steady.
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The Gear Train
Turn a crank gear that meshes with a small, same-size or big gear. Add a middle gear and watch which way things spin.
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The Lighthouse
Light a lamp with no lens, a mirror and a big lens. Move a boat out to sea and see which one the sailor can see.
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The Siphon
Fill a tube, move a bucket and watch water climb over a rim and run until the levels match.
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The Hot-Air Balloon
Pick who rides along, heat the air and fly. Rise, float steady and land softly.
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The Telegraph
Tap a key to send dots and dashes down a wire. Spell a word. Then cut the wire and see what happens.
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