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How to Build Cool Roller Coaster Games

Roller coasters are not only a thrilling carnival or amusement park ride; they can transform into educational teaching tools as well. Roller coasters display basic elements of physics, momentum, and the effects of gravitational forces. Introduce the basic ideas of these complex theories and laws by incorporating them into a roller-coaster-building game. Disguising the information as a game and introducing some friendly competition can help to encourage the players to absorb the information.

Things You'll Need

Cups
Poster board
Scissors
Marbles
Double-sided tape
Ruler

Instructions

- 1
  Cut a strip of poster board at least a yard long and three inches thick for each player.
- 2
  Provide the strip of poster board, several cups, a marble, a ruler, and double-sided tape to each player.
- 3
  Demonstrate for the participants how to create the roller coaster. Fold the edges of the long sides of the poster board strip approximately a quarter-inch in on each side. This will keep the marble from rolling off the sides when the poster board is used as a track.
- 4
  Position the cups upside down on the table as support for the rises and falls of the roller coaster. Lay the poster board so it cascades down over the cups to the table, then back up again over the next cup. Adhere the poster board tracks to the tabletop where it touches as well as to the tops of the cups it touches, using double-sided tape. This creates the "S" curves typical of roller coaster tracks.
- 5
  Add a right-side-up cup at the end of your track at least five inches away from the end of the poster board. The goal of the game is to be the first to land the marble into the cup.
- 6
  Instruct the players that the momentum built from the rise and falls of the roller coaster will be what enables the marble to land several inches away in the cup.
- 7
  Count down to go and the first child to land her marble in the cup wins.

Kids Games