Tinkerball Game & Simple Machines Interactives

Tinker Ball Simple Machine Interactive Game

The Tinker Ball game is one of a growing number of simple machine interactives to help kids understand how simple machines work and how they're used in inventions.  Tinker Ball is an invention at play from the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, through the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.

The object of the Tinkerball game is get the tennis ball at the top of the screen into the small container at the bottom of the screen.  It provides everyday objects, like funnels, a hockey stick, rulers, gears, and springs.  Kids drag and drop the objects at the right onto the screen to guide the ball in the direction they want it to go.  They can rotate the objects to fit their "inventions."

If  the ball doesn't make it into the container when you release it, you can adjust your invention until you get it right.  Once you've succeeded, the playing screen is wiped clean and you can play Tinker Ball again.

There are lots of simple machine and even physics principles that can be learned with this game.  What type of simple machine is each object?  Can you predict the trajectory of the tennis ball when it bounces off a certain object?  Or how high it will bounce when it hit objects from a certain distance? Can you provide more than one path for the ball to take to reach the container?  Can you use all of the pieces?  Can you create your own Tinker Ball invention in your classroom from objects in the room?

Tinkerball is one of a few simple machine interactive games I've written about in previous posts. Try out the Simple Machines Game.  Or play with Edheads Simple Machines and Compound Machine, both listed in LearningReviews.com websites with Forces & Motions interactives and lessons.

Solving Math Word Problems with Online Tools

If your student or child is struggling with a dreaded math word problem, there are tools to help him reach the solution on his own.  Some of my favorite are on Math Playground, a website with problems,  problem-solving tools, and math games for grades 1-12.  Math Playground was designed by Colleen King, a math teacher and researcher who is continually looking for ways to use technology to increase student understanding of math.

 Math Playground Thinking Blocks

One of  her website's best problem-solving tools is Thinking Blocks™ interactives for problems with addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and ratios, grades 2-7.  These interactives were developed by teachers to help young kids visualize parts, multiple steps, and parts-totals relationships.

Other useful problem-solving tools on Math Playground are the video explanations for solving many different types of word problems.  There are single-stage problems and multiple-stage problems for upper elementary and middle school math concepts using fractions, percentages, ratios, probability, geometry, averages and algebra.

For older students in grades 7 and above,  the SAT section provides step-by-step video guidance for solving word problems typically found on the SAT.  These include probability, data analysis, quadrilaterals, coordinate and solid geometry, among others.

Online, you'll find countless worksheets with word problems.  And there are some online instructions for how to go about solving the problems.  But there are precious few websites that guide kids through problem solving step-by-step.  Math Playground  is one of the best at providing interactive assistance for your child to build confidence in solving word problems.

For more math word problem practice and assistance, look at the websites described on

LearningReviews Math Word Problems