Have you ever heard of a Rube Goldberg Machine? It’s a crazy chain-reaction contraption that accomplishes a simple task in a complicated and hilarious way using everyday objects. To alleviate boredom while people are stuck at home, Rube Goldberg, Inc. has announced a new machine contest: The Rube Goldberg Bar of Soap Video Challenge. Rube Goldberg is represented by Brand Central for consumer products and sponsorship development.
All ages are invited to participate in the contest which asks participants to “Drop a Bar of Soap into Someone’s Hands” using 10-20 steps. Teams can consist of any number of shelter-in-place/quarantined family groups or singles. Video submissions must be uploaded to YouTube, marked “Not Private” and the link emailed to rubefamilychallenge@rubegoldberg.com. The deadline for submissions is midnight May 31, 2020.
“We hope that this contest provides a fun, educational, and entertaining way to pass the time as families look for things to do during this uniquely stressful period,” said Jennifer George, Rube Goldberg’s granddaughter and the Legacy Director of Rube Goldberg, Inc. “And since Rube Goldberg Machines are made from everyday objects, there’s no need to look beyond your surroundings for inspiration and elements for your machine. The task, drop a bar of soap into someone’s hands, also sends an excellent message to keep our hands as clean as possible!”
Three winning machines will be selected, and winners will be notified and announced on the Rube Goldberg website by mid-June. Each winning team will receive a Rube Goldberg Family Swag Bag, which includes: RG backpacks, water bottles, light-up hats, books, stickers and more.
“Teamwork, problem-solving, out-of-the-box thinking and improvisation—not to mention learning through trial and error are all educational components of a Rube Goldberg Machine build,” notes George. “It takes a lot of perseverance and creativity to conceive and construct a great Rube Goldberg Machine—which is why I always say that the Rube Goldberg Machine builders of today are the problem solvers of tomorrow. And boy do we need them!”
Parents are encouraged to use rubegoldberg.com as a resource to help them provide educational, project-based learning activities for their children at home.