Take the Science Buddies Engineering Challenge!

Try the annual Engineering Challenge from Science Buddies which is open to all students worldwide, a new challenge and prizes are announced every January. Explore all the challenges.

Ball Run Challenge—2026 Engineering Challenge

The results are in! Please visit the challenge results page for information on the winning teams, top scores, and more!

One of the most rewarding aspects of this challenge is seeing students take the lead in their designs while adults support from the sidelines. Its low-cost, accessible nature makes it easy to implement anywhere, while still fostering creativity and purposeful problem-solving.

Tonya Prentice, teacher

My favorite part of the 2026 Science Buddies Engineering Challenge was seeing students move from ideas to iteration— especially when their first design didn't work and they had to rethink it.

Callie Sova, teacher

About the Engineering Challenge

K-12 students worldwide are invited to give engineering a try with the annual Engineering Challenge from Science Buddies. Announced every January, the Science Buddies Engineering Challenge lets students use their problem-solving skills to design, build, and test contraptions. The challenges use simple materials and are free for all to participate.