KEVA Contraptions User manual

Instruction Manual Ages 7+
Instructions & photos for
6 Contraptions
Planks &
2 KEVA
®Balls
Firing
Ball
Domino
Effect
Shot Ball
Sitting Ducks
Trigger
Plank
Luge
Turbine
Curved
Conveyor
PLUS: Slalom
The High Dive
Trestle Washout
Build Contraptions
withExciting
Twists & Turns!
Tips and ideas to
get you started
designing your
own Contraptions

Tips Inventing
Trial and Error
Make frequent trials as you build to see if the ball will do
what you expect it to do.
Easy Does It
Gentle slopes and slower speeds make it easier to control
the ball movements.
Moveable Structures
Build towers on square bases so their position can be easily
adjusted.
Like Sandcastles
Remember that Contraptions are temporary. They will
eventually fall out of alignment. The goal is to successfully
get the ball through the Contraption one or more times.
Design Your Own
Use your imagination to expand the basic
concepts illustrated in this booklet.
Table It
Build on a table to gain more height. Try making the
KEVA® ball move from the table to the oor.
The Angle Advantage
Upright planks are much more stable if they are angled
rather than parallel.
Proof
Take photos or videos to help remember your
accomplishments.
As children build Contraptions they learn the art of
inventing. Inventing is all about problem solving. Whether
inventing a new gizmo for a household chore or inventing
a lightbulb, it always starts with a problem and creative
thought to solve the problem or nd a better way.
Building Contraptions creates one problem after another
… yes, problems are good.
Problem: The ball won’t move.
Solution: Place the ball on a sloped plank.
Problem: The ball falls o the side of the plank.
Solution: Add sides to the plank (create a chute).
Contraptions invite the builder to work through the
invention process to create interesting new structures:
What do you want the ball to do? (problem)
How might you accomplish this? (creative idea)
Build a structure. (prototype)
Try it out. (experiment)
Did it work? (evaluate)
Revise your plan. (improvement)
Repeat.
Building Contraptions is just a series of small experiments.
The young inventor is learning to solve problems and think
creatively … one plank at a time.
Build A Mind!
2

Shooting Gallery
Trigger
Plank Sitting
Ducks
Shot Ball
Firing Ball
Dominos
Step 1: Build a ramp with a steep slope. Step 2: Add the Shooting Gallery section.
The ball must have enough speed and
momentum to knock over the Domino
Planks at the end of the ramp.
An action-packed Contraption
that is sure to impress your audience!
Step 3: Line up the Domino Planks and the
Sitting Ducks and load the Shot Ball. It may
take some trial and error to determine the
perfect position for the Trigger Plank.
Tip: The Domino Planks are precisely
positioned so the Trigger Plank will strike
the Shot Ball and send it sailing toward the
targets (the Sitting Ducks).
3
8 planks high

Zig Zag
Tracks
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visit www.mindware.com
2100 County Rd C West
Roseville, MN 55113 | 800.274.6123
The Luge
Turbine
Curved
Conveyor
Get the Ball
Rolling…
and Your Mind
Spinning
Building Contraptions
and experimenting with
KEVA® planks gives builders first-
hand experience with balance,
leverage, geometry
and principles of physics.
Every time you design, stack,
adjust and construct, your
brain is expanding along
with your creations.
Build a Mind!
Your imagination is the
only limit to what can be
created with KEVA® planks.
Build ball-bouncing Contraptions
or switch gears and create towers,
tunnels or towns. Imagine the
possibilities.
What will you build today?
©2010 MindWare