Simple Machine Projects Using Household Items (2026)

The Six Simple Machines

15 Household Projects

1. Cardboard Lever Catapult

Ages 5+ Stack books as a fulcrum. Place a ruler across it. Put a cotton ball on one end, push down the other. Experiment with fulcrum position to maximize distance.

2. Pulley Clothesline

Ages 6+ Thread string through a paper towel tube taped to a high shelf. Attach a basket. Pull down to raise the basket up — this is how elevators work.

3. Inclined Plane Race Track

Ages 4+ Prop a board at different angles. Roll toy cars down. Measure distance traveled at each angle. Steeper = faster but shorter control.

4. Rubber Band Wheel & Axle

Ages 7+ Poke a pencil through a spool. Wrap rubber bands around the spool. Wind up and release — the rubber band's energy turns the axle.

5. Wedge Doorstop Challenge

Ages 5+ Cut wedges from cardboard at different angles. Test which angle holds a book upright best. Connects to knife design.

6. Screw Pasta Machine

Ages 6+ Wrap a strip of paper around a pencil in a spiral. This is a screw! Discuss how jar lids and corkscrews work the same way.

7. Compound Machine: Rube Goldberg

Ages 8+ Combine at least 3 simple machines into a chain reaction. Example: ball rolls down ramp → hits lever → launches marble into cup.

8. Balloon-Powered Car

Ages 7+ Cardboard body, bottle cap wheels, straw axles, balloon engine. Newton's third law in action.

9. Pulley System with Multiple Wheels

Ages 8+ Add more pulleys (spools) to reduce the force needed to lift a weight. 1 pulley = same force. 2 pulleys = half the force. 4 pulleys = quarter.

10. Gear System from Cardboard

Ages 9+ Cut gear shapes from thick cardboard. Pin them to a board so teeth interlock. Turn one — they all move. Big gear turns slow gear = more force.

11. Hydraulic Arm with Syringes

Ages 9+ Connect two syringes with tubing filled with water. Push one — the other extends. Build a cardboard arm that opens and closes.

12. Trebuchet from Chopsticks

Ages 8+ Build a frame from chopsticks and rubber bands. Use a spoon as the throwing arm. Counterweight on the short end, projectile on the long end.

13. Marble Run with Inclined Planes

Ages 5+ Tape cardboard tubes and ramps to a wall. Guide a marble from top to bottom. Each section is an inclined plane.

14. Wind-Powered Boat

Ages 6+ Cork or foam base, paper sail, straw mast. Float in a tub of water and blow to propel. Adjust sail size for speed.

15. Egg Drop Challenge

Ages 8+ Design a container using straws, rubber bands, and paper to protect an egg dropped from 6 feet. Uses levers, cushioning, and energy absorption.

NGSS Alignment