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Linkages is a FutureMakers Spark where learners connect cardboard levers with plastic pivots to build four kinds of mechanical linkages, then design their own moving creature or machine. It is a 30 to 45 minute screen-free activity for TK/PK through middle school, and it anchors the live Art Club bundle for classroom art programs.
Last reviewed September 24, 2026
For one learner, the Single Learner Pack costs $8.95. For a class or program, the Small Group Pack of 10 costs $69.50, or $6.95 per learner, and the Class Pack of 25 costs $122.00, or $4.88 per learner. Small Group and Class Pack orders both qualify for purchase orders and tax-exempt purchasing; check "Our organization is tax-exempt" in the quote builder and enter your tax ID number, or submit your tax ID number and a tax-exempt certificate through a free store account if buying directly.
Yes. Small Group Packs and Class Packs come in fixed sizes of 10 and 25, but the $8.95 Single Learner Pack lets a program order any exact quantity below 10. This is the option FutureMakers points buyers to when a real order does not divide evenly into a full 10-pack.
Yes. Linkages Small Group and Class Pack orders qualify for purchase orders on Net 15 terms and for tax-exempt purchasing, the same as every FutureMakers Spark. See the full how to buy FAQ for purchase order terms, vendor paperwork, and the tax-exempt steps.
| Pack | Units | Price | Per learner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single Learner Pack | 1 | $8.95 | $8.95 |
| Small Group Pack | 10 | $69.50 | $6.95 |
| Class Pack | 25 | $122.00 | $4.88 |
Linkages learners connect cardboard levers with plastic pivot fasteners to build four types of mechanical linkage: reverse motion, bell crank, parallel motion, and scissor. Once they understand how each one transfers force in a different direction, learners design their own moving creature or machine that hides the mechanism inside a story or character. The big idea is the difference between a free pivot, where two levers slide and rotate against each other, and a fixed pivot that anchors a lever in place. The full build sequence is in the Linkages guide.
FutureMakers lists Linkages as suitable for learners of all ages, from TK/PK through middle school. The guide's own pre-activity questions are grouped into a 1st to 3rd grade band and a 4th to 8th grade band, with no separate PK/K set of questions, though the Puppets and Marionettes extension is written specifically for grades K to 3. In practice, the youngest builders do best with the puppet extension while older learners move into the open-ended design challenge.
Early finishers and younger builders can move into Puppets and Marionettes, built for grades K to 3, or try everyday-object builds like a fan, a pinwheel, or a see-saw. Learners in grade 4 and up get a Problem-Solving with Linkages worksheet that formalizes design thinking, plus a Many Moving Machines extension that combines several finished linkage projects into one larger mega-machine. A multi-session design project is also documented for classes that want to spread the build across more than one class period.
The Linkages product listing describes it as "a perfect 30 to 45-minute screen-free activity," which is the figure to plan around for a single session covering the four linkage types. The guide itself lists a typical time of 40 minutes, right inside that range. Classes that add the open-ended creature design or the Many Moving Machines extension should plan for a second, separate session, since those extensions are written as follow-on activities rather than part of the core 30 to 45 minutes.
Linkages is a 1:1 build, so a Small Group Pack of 10 serves 10 learners and a Class Pack of 25 serves 25, each building their own set of linkages. The Many Moving Machines extension is the one grouped activity: pairs of learners connect their finished projects together, then pairs combine into groups of four to build one larger combined machine.
The core kit needs scissors, a pencil or dark pen, and tape or basic art supplies like paper and markers for decorating the finished creature or machine. Before the session, it helps to know that the pivot fasteners sometimes need reversing or flattening if they catch when pushed through the cardboard. Keep scrap cardboard on hand too, in case a learner wants extra levers or a bigger backing board. Prep takes about 5 to 10 minutes, per the product listing.
A first success is two cardboard levers joined by a single free pivot that slide and rotate smoothly against each other. Every one of the four linkage types, reverse motion, bell crank, parallel motion, and scissor, builds from that same basic connection, so getting one clean free pivot working is the foundation for the rest of the project.
Three problems cover most Linkages troubleshooting. A brad will not go through the pivot hole: check that both legs go in together, and reverse the brad if needed. The levers are stuck: the brad is pressed too tight, so gently pry its legs open a little. A lever wobbles or falls off the board: add a guide lever or a second brad on either side, and reinforce a floppy backing board with scrap cardboard. Full troubleshooting is on the Linkages guide's troubleshooting section.
Linkages carries specific NGSS, Common Core ELA, and Common Core Math codes on its guide, spanning kindergarten through grade 8. NGSS codes cover forces and interactions plus the full engineering design cycle, from a simple sketch in K-2-ETS1-2 to evaluating competing solutions in MS-ETS1-2. The guide does not carry National Core Arts Standards or CASEL social-emotional competency codes. The full table of codes is below.
The full illustrated Linkages guide, with the four linkage types, standards table, and troubleshooting, is at kidsmakethingsbetter.com/inst/linkages. The companion video is on YouTube at Linkages: Build Levers, Pivots and Moving Creatures. Both are free to view, and a free educator account opens the slide decks too, at Coach with Sparks.
Every code below appears on kidsmakethingsbetter.com/inst/linkages. No CASEL or arts-standards codes appear on the guide.
| Standard family | Code | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| NGSS | K-PS2-1 | Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions |
| NGSS | K-2-ETS1-2 | Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model |
| NGSS | 3-PS2-1 | Forces and Interactions: Cause and Effect |
| NGSS | 3-5-ETS1-3 | Plan and carry out fair tests to identify failure points |
| NGSS | MS-PS3-5 | A change in kinetic energy means energy was transferred |
| NGSS | MS-ETS1-2 | Evaluate competing design solutions |
| Common Core ELA | RI.K-2.7 | Use illustrations and words to describe key ideas |
| Common Core ELA | SL.K-2.1 | Participate in collaborative conversations |
| Common Core ELA | RI.3-5.3 | Explain relationships between concepts in a text |
| Common Core ELA | W.3-5.3 | Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences |
| Common Core ELA | RST.6-8.3 | Follow a multistep procedure carrying out experiments |
| Common Core ELA | SL.6-8.1 | Engage in collaborative discussions with diverse partners |
| Common Core Math | K.MD.A.1 | Describe measurable attributes of objects |
| Common Core Math | K.G.A.1 | Describe objects using shapes and relative positions |
| Common Core Math | 3.MD.B.4 | Generate measurement data by measuring lengths |
| Common Core Math | 4.OA.C.5 | Generate and analyze patterns |
| Common Core Math | 6.RP.A.1 | Understand ratio concepts and use ratio reasoning |
| Common Core Math | 7.G.A.2 | Draw geometric shapes with given conditions |
FutureMakers sells Linkages as one third of its live Art Club bundle, alongside Crankie Contraptions and Drawbots. The bundle is priced at $208.50 for a Small Group set of 10 of each, marketed "for grades 2 and up." All three Sparks turn a mechanism into a visual-art object, which is why they are packaged together for classroom art programs rather than sold only as separate science kits. See our classroom art and STEM answers page for how art teachers use mechanism-based Sparks.