Design Your Dream Rollercoaster Activity
Melissa Ferlaak
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Looking for fun indoor activities during holiday break with the kids? Break out the art supplies and get creative designing your dream rollercoaster (while learning a bit about science and physics)! Below are some steps and guidance. Don't forget to share what you build with us on our social media channels!
FUN FACT:
As part of Valleyfair's School Days, classes participating in Engineering Day get to bring coasters they have designed to compete against others. The photos below are some of our 2023 participants!
First, Design Your Dream Rollercoaster
If you could design the rollercoaster of your dreams, what would it look like? Will it go very high? Will it go upside down (or inverted) or go through loops or quick turns? Will you have any special features like water, tunnels, or perhaps a forest of candy trees? On a blank piece of paper, sketch out what your dream rollercoaster will look like. And don’t forget to give it a cool name!
Next, Build your Dream Rollercoaster
Instructions: Now that you have sketched out what you want it to look like, create it using materials found around your home! Below are some ideas to get you started:
Materials:
- Marbles or ping pong balls (to test your track)
- Tape and/or glue gun
- Scissors
- Cardboard
- Construction paper
- Paper towel/toilet paper rolls
- Pipe cleaners
- Pool noodles (cut lengthwise makes a great track—ask an adult to help!)
- Craft sticks
- Paper plates
- Straws
- Markers, crayons, stickers or anything else to decorate your coaster
- Your imagination!
1. Use a large piece of cardboard, paper plates, a tray, or even the floor to attach your supports to. Think about the various levels you want to create. Most traditional coasters need their highest point to be the initial lift hill as gravity gives your train the energy it needs to propel forward.
2. Begin attaching your track materials to the support using hot glue or tape. Be careful not to get any on the track where the marble will roll. If you wish to decorate your track, do so before attaching them to the supports.
3. Add any extra pops of surprise and delight (remember that candy forest you wanted to include in your design??) once your track is complete!
4. Test your coaster! Put a marble or ping pong ball at the top of your coaster and see how far it gets down the track. If it gets stuck in a certain portion of your track, adjust it so that it doesn’t get stuck on its next run.
Have fun!
