Grouping: Individual
Take-home: Playable cardboard pinball game
Key ideas: Energy transfer, springs/elastic force, collisions, slope, probability and iterative game design.
Start with: Launch a ball into a board with one bumper and watch how the collision changes direction.
Success check: Ball launches reliably and can reach at least two scoring zones in repeated play.
Try changing: Ramp angle; bumper placement; flipper length; launcher tension.
Preparation: Prepare tray blanks and one working flipper/launcher; sort bumper/ramp materials.
CNC preparation: Excellent CNC project: playfield, flipper holes, ramps, scoring pockets.
3D-print preparation: Optional flipper pivots/plunger guides.
Lesson flow: Day 1: layout
Day 2: mechanisms
Day 3: playtest/refine
Video:
Make Your Own Pinball Machine
Safety and cleanup: Safety glasses for elastic testing; supervise hot glue; count marbles/balls.
https://www.exploratorium.edu/tinkering/blog/2017/08/09/cardboard-arcade-2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG0uqjCXS24