Chain Reactions
at VERMONT STEAMspace at Vermont Teddy Bear in Shelburne, VT
Chain Reactions Extravaganza: A Family Event

Chain Reactions Extravaganza: A Family Event
Sunday, June 17th, 12:30-2:30pm
6655 Shelburne Road
Shelburne, VT
VT STEAMspace at Vermont Teddy Bear
6655 Shelburne Road
Shelburne, VT
What is a Chain Reactions event?
Chain Reactions is a collaborative experience. You work mostly within your small group.
Independent of each other, each small group builds a contraption investigating cause and effect. Each “machine” consists of a sequence of events, commonly referred to as a Rube Goldberg machine. It gets interesting when all the machines in the room are linked. Each machine sets off another’s group’s machine, culminating in a performance in which the whole room comes to life.
We will have two types of components in our chain reaction. One is simply physical (ramps, balls, blocks, etc); the other is electrical (batteries, lights, motors, sounds, etc.). Join us for some hard fun! What Chain Reactions looks like We don't have the grand finale device in the bottom left photo. Someday, we'll have one. | Taking Apart a Care Bear This toy used to be covered in fur and stuffing. It used to sing and dance. | Turning a toy into a Chain Reactions device We sometimes call this "toy hacking". We take a toy apart and use it for another purpose. In this case, we make it a feature of our Rube Goldberg-like machine. |
What Chain Reactions looks like
Taking Apart a Care Bear
Play
Who goes to a Chain Reactions event?
Children under age 8 are welcome with parent/guardian supervision. All participants between ages 8 and 15 must attend with a responsible adult. All adults are welcome to participate.
Children under age 5: no charge
Children ages 5-8: $10 per child
Children ages 9-18: $20 per child
Each adult: No charge if attending with a paying child
Each adult without a paying child: $20 per adult
All materials provided; nothing for your to bring except your own drinks and snacks.
Venue does not have easy-to-access food or drink for purchase.
Circuit tiles Supplies the power to move things along. | Circuit tiles It's fun to turn things on and off with different switches. | An old wine bottle holder Turned into a device that spins on its axis. |
What is this place?
VT STEAMspace at Vermont Teddy Bear is a unique makerspace for kids where students can learn new skills through classes, and then make their own stuff with our tools during open studio time. VT STEAMspace is operated through the Champlain Valley MakerFaire, a 501 c3 nonprofit which encourages making and STEAM (Science Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) throughout Vermont. Like our Facebook page Champlain Valley MakerFaire.
Who is orchestrating this event?
Cynthia E Day
Me:
Cynthia Day has been a classroom teacher for grades kindergarten through high school for twenty years. She attended the University of Vermont from which she received both her undergraduate degree in Economics and Environmental Studies as well as her Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction in Mathematics. She has taught in both New Hampshire and Vermont as well as in Miami Beach, Florida; Lima, Peru; and Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Newly a grandmother to twins, Ms. Day has been providing interactive booths at MiniMakerFaires in Vermont as well as providing experiences for Vacation MakerCamps. Presently, she provides afterschool MakerKids programming at the Green Mountain Performing Arts in Waterbury, VT.
Also Me:
Educator. Tutor. Tinkerer. Mild mathematical genius. MakerFaire enthusiast. Maker of things that move, things that light up, and things that make noise. Builder of things that get knocked down. Toy hacker and chain reaction builder. Re-user of stuff people throw away. Bulk buyer of batteries, micro-controllers, alligator clips, and hobby motors. Social media user. Coder of toys. Greenscreen video producer. Deep thinker. Aspiring podcaster. Avid Snapchatter. Downloader of all the apps. Owner of all the devices. Creator of cuteness, surprises, and messes. Fun haver. Reader. Grandmother of twins.