Wacky, Whimsical And Only At Target: The Coolest Contraptions Since MouseTrap

Remember the sheer joy of kicking a tiny bucket and watching a marble dart through a crazy course (bathtub, diving man and all) until the trap finally falls, catching your opponent’s mouse? Victory! We’ll, we’re boxing that feeling up—only at Target! A whole line of zany contraptions inspired by famed cartoonist Rube Goldberg are snapping, whirling and plinking their way on to Target shelves and Target.com.

The tasks seem simple: Watering a flower, catching a fly, shooting a basket and more. But with these complicated contraptions, getting the job done requires some good old-fashioned learning (gravity, simple machines, physics and chain-reactions)—and a ton of fun.

Toys that encourage learning and exploration—especially when it comes to science, technology, engineering and math—are hugely popular right now, and Target’s always on the look-out for unique, imaginative toys and games. These activity sets from Spin Master and Rube Goldberg really fit the bill—and we think parents and kids alike are going to love them.

Take a peek at a few fun contraptions:

The Garden Challenge

The Acrobat Challenge

The Speeding Car Challenge

Ready to construct your own chain reaction? Head to Target or Target.com to check out our Rube Goldberg activity sets ($9.99 to $29.99) and start building your collection—the kits connect, so with each additional set the contraption gets larger, zanier and more convoluted. Watch later this spring and summer for more kits to debut, too!