Thames & Kosmos Gumball Machine Maker
Price as of 2026-06-02. Check Amazon for the current price.
Quick Decision
Is This Right For You?
- •Buyers who prioritize quality over price in STEM Toys
- •You're on a tight budget — $2 above the category average of $35
- •Rating sits in the bottom 2% of STEM Toys — higher-rated options exist
- •ThinkFun Gravity Maze Falling Marble Logic Game offers a better rating (4.6/5) at a similar or lower price ($23)
- •Sillbird 12-in-1 Solar Robot Building Kit STEM Gift — 59% cheaper at $15 (Score A+)
- •Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100 Electronics Exploration Kit — higher rated at 4.8/5 ($30)
📊 Based on data analysis of 44 products in this category.
Mubboo Score: B-
How we calculate the Mubboo Score
Quality (45%): customer rating, normalized to a 10-point scale
Popularity (35%): review volume vs the category leader, log-scaled
Value (20%): price position vs other STEM Toys
Computed from live Amazon rating, review count, and price across 44 STEM Toys · last refreshed 2026-06-02.
How It Compares
This Product Thames & Kosmos Gumball Machine Maker | Most Popular ThinkFun Gravity Maze Falling Marble Logic Game | Best Rated Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100 Electronics Exploration Kit | Best Value Sillbird 12-in-1 Solar Robot Building Kit STEM Gift | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $36.95 | $22.79 | $29.98 | $14.97 |
| Rating | 3.9/5 | 4.6/5 | 4.8/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Reviews | 2,337 | 37,616 | 29,080 | 15,641 |
| Mubboo Score | B- | A+ | A | A+ |
Quick Specs
- Size
- Medium
- Theme
- Physics
- Set Name
- Gumball Machine Maker
- Unit Count
- 1.0 Count
- Item Weight
- 0.1 Pounds
- Manufacturer
- Thames & Kosmos
- Model Number
- 550101
- Material Type
- Plastic
Related Video Reviews
- 📹 Best Toys for 2026 | Toy Fair New York 2026 Best in Show — US Japan Fam
Key Features
- ✦Build your own gumball machine with this science kit that's part marble run, Part roller coaster, Part pinball machine!
- ✦Each segment of track teaches a different lesson in mechanical physics, exploring topics such as simple machines, force, motion, momentum, gravity, Newton's laws, energy transfer, …
- ✦Track segments are modular and can be easily moved around to create an almost limitless number of different gumball machines.
- ✦As they roll down the tracks, the gumballs perform cool stunts via a pulley lift, pendulum, funnel, trampoline, pinball launcher, domino slide, and more!
- ✦The kit works with standard machine-size, 16-mm (5/8-inch) gumballs, the a small supply of gumballs are included to get you started.
Source: product listing on Amazon.
About Thames & Kosmos
- 8 products in our database
- Average rating: 4.4/5 across all products
- Price range: $14.95 – $49.77
- Categories: Board Games, STEM Toys, Telescopes
Other STEM Toys
Bottom Line
Thames & Kosmos Gumball Machine Maker earns Mubboo Score B-. Priced at $37 — a premium option, above the category average of $35. Rated 3.9/5 from 2,337+ reviews. Strong buy if: buyers who prioritize quality over price in stem toys. Skip if: you're on a tight budget — ThinkFun Gravity Maze Falling Marble Logic Game (Score A+, $23) may fit better.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Thames & Kosmos Gumball Machine Maker worth buying in 2026?
It earns a Mubboo Score of B-, with a 3.9/5 rating from 2,337 reviews — better than 2% of STEM Toys we track.
How much does the Thames & Kosmos Gumball Machine Maker cost?
It is currently $36.95 — premium-tier pricing for STEM Toys.
How does the Gumball Machine Maker compare to other STEM Toys?
The category's most-reviewed alternative is the ThinkFun Gravity Maze Falling Marble Logic Game (4.6/5, 37,616 reviews, $22.79). The Gumball Machine Maker carries a Mubboo Score of B- vs A+.
Sources & References
Mubboo may earn a commission on purchases made through affiliate links. This does not affect our Mubboo Score, product rankings, or editorial judgments. Prices are accurate as of the last sync (2026-06-02) and may change.