There is a light blue box with a dark blue border with six drawings illustrating the chain reaction. A red glove on a spring pushes a ball into a cup, a candle sits below and burns the string that holds the cup, and the ball falls.
Six playing cards are sitting in two rows of three. Each card has a drawing of a different object, such as a tea kettle, a kite, a skateboard, or a dog, on them, a number, and a suit

Exploratorium Chain Reaction Playing Cards

$ 9.95
$ 9.95
Sold Out

The Tinkering Studio, in partnership with Iris Gottlieb, has turned the chain reaction activity into a beautifully illustrated deck of cards to inspire new ways of thinking about the art of chain reactions.

A chain reaction is a sequence of events, each triggering the next, a continuous series of
cause and effect. With these cards, you can create a chain reaction to tell an imaginative story or plan a machine that performs a simple task in an overly complicated, whimsical way; for example, a “Machine to pet your dog when you’re not home.” Think of these cards as a starting point to launch your creativity. Whether you use them for story-telling or plan real-world reactions, make sure you end with a spectacular grand finale!

Shuffle the deck thoroughly and start by picking two to three random cards. Imagine a brief story that connects these elements. What tale do these elements want to tell? What is happening? Why?

Great for all ages. 52 card deck.