Smithsonian Newtons Cradle Value Kit
$8.99
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2.2 out of 5 stars with 14 reviews
broad age appeal: 2.43 out of 5
ease of use: 2.71 out of 5
length of play: 1.57 out of 5
quality: 1.22 out of 5
value: 1.25 out of 5
11% would recommend
9 recommendations
3 out of 5 stars
Thumbs down graphic, would not recommend
18 May, 2026Verified purchase
Ok but not good
I remember the “real” ones that were bigger and better quality so I was expecting more, but for a fun little desktop distraction from work it is ok. It is definitely a lot smaller than I was expecting and seems to be made cheaply so if you buy this for a kid be aware.
1 out of 5 stars
Thumbs down graphic, would not recommend
2 May, 2026Verified purchase
(no review title)
The worst quality. Knowing that this is meant for children is mind blowing. Within 5 minutes of opening, one side of the frame lifted out of the bottom plate and the entire thing was all tangled up. Frame is made of cheap plastic and the strings are a thin line that will definitely get tangled beyond repair.
1 reply from NSI Product Support Team team - 14 days ago
We’re so sorry to hear you had such a frustrating experience with the Smithsonian Newton’s Cradle, KP. We’re especially sorry to hear the frame came out of the base so quickly and that the strings became tangled almost immediately. That’s definitely not the experience we want for our customers. Please reach out to our customer service team at custserv@nsi-int.com, and they will be happy to help. Please put “Target Review Follow Up” in the subject line and let them know you published this review under the name KP.
1 out of 5 stars
Thumbs down graphic, would not recommend
9 April, 2026Verified purchase
Ruined easter!
I got this for my 14 year old son, and he was excited! First, the balls hitting each other didn't last more than 3 seconds. Then the strings got tangled very, very easily. Now this product, appealing at first glance, is in the trash.
1 reply from NSI Product Support Team team - 1 month ago
We’re so sorry to hear your son had such a disappointing experience with the Smithsonian Newton’s Cradle, TargetPractice. Most of us at NSI are parents and grandparents ourselves, and it is never our intention to disappoint kids. We’re also sorry to hear the motion only lasted a few seconds and that the strings became tangled so easily, especially after it seemed so promising at first. Please reach out to our customer service team at custserv@nsi-int.com, and they will be happy to help. Please put “Target Review Follow Up” in the subject line and let them know you published this review under the name TargetPractice.
1 out of 5 stars
Thumbs down graphic, would not recommend
8 April, 2026Verified purchase
(no review title)
Theory is nice but product not worth the purchase. Smaller than expected, lines tangle easily and frequently, and does not work more than 10 seconds at best. Son was excited when he saw it but unfortunately the product has been very disappointing.
1 reply from NSI Product Support Team team - 1 month ago
We’re so sorry your son had such a disappointing experience with the Smithsonian Newton’s Cradle, Rachel. Most of us at NSI are parents and grandparents ourselves, and it is never our intention to disappoint kids. We’re also sorry to hear it was smaller than expected, that the lines tangled so easily, and that it did not perform the way you hoped. Please reach out to our customer service team at custserv@nsi-int.com, and they will be happy to help. Please put “Target Review Follow Up” in the subject line and let them know you published this review under the name Rachel.
1 out of 5 stars
Thumbs down graphic, would not recommend
16 March, 2026
Bad physics
It's cheap, and still not worth the price tag. I have a minor in physics and this is just absolute junk. Like others said, the strings are so thin and pendulums so short, cheap materials, that the actual harmonic swinging is almost immediately dampened. I'd rather pay 10 bucks extra to have one that oscillates more than 2-3 times before it transfers energy through the device into other balls, and that's if you lift and release the ball perfectly the first time. If not, it's behavior is practically random. I get the goal, but they went way too cheap, or just didn't prioritize the designs intentions very well.
1 reply from NSI Product Support Team team - 2 months ago
We appreciate you sharing your perspective, Jeremy. Newton’s Cradles rely on very precise alignment and tension to demonstrate energy transfer, so feedback about the strings and damping is helpful for our team to hear. Thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed review. If you’d like to discuss your experience further, you can reach our customer service team at custserv@nsi-int.com and reference your Target review so they know what you’re contacting them about.
1 out of 5 stars
Thumbs down graphic, would not recommend
14 March, 2026Verified purchase
Do not buy
Value price but still not worth it! Completely unusable right out of the box. The threads the metal balls are connected to were tangled to the point they could not be separated at all. Do not waste your money!
1 reply from NSI Product Support Team team - 2 months ago
Jessi, we’re sorry to hear that — especially if it was tangled right out of the box. That’s definitely frustrating and not the experience it should be. If you still have it, you can return or exchange it through Target. You’re also welcome to reach out to our customer support team at customerservice@nsigames.com and reference your Target review by putting “Target Review” and the name you used to post the review in the subject line so they can help look into this for you.
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
13 March, 2026
Glad we ended up buying it
My daughter wanted to buy this at the store. I was hesitant based on the bad reviews, but it works well. Didn’t have any issues with tangled string with ours. It’s not super high quality and it is somewhat small. However, my daughter was happy with her decision and she’s been playing with it all day. We didn’t have any issues with function.
1 reply from NSI Product Support Team team - 1 month ago
Thank you for sharing your experience, Sizeworries. We’re so glad to hear your daughter was happy with the Smithsonian Newton’s Cradle and that yours worked well right out of the box. We also appreciate your balanced feedback about the size and quality, and we’re especially glad it ended up being a purchase you felt good about. Thanks again for taking the time to leave a review.
1 out of 5 stars
Thumbs down graphic, would not recommend
13 February, 2026
Cheap.
The lines were tangled straight out of the box and after 10 minutes of delicately untangling them I noticed that 2 of the lines were too long making the toy unusable (they were no longer in a straight line so they did not hit one another when swinging). Cheap. Do not waste your money.
1 out of 5 stars
5 February, 2026Verified purchase
It's complete junk - do not buy!!
It’s tiny and cheaply made. The motion only lasts a few seconds. And the strings almost immediately get tangled into a mess. It’s a garbage product honestly. Zero redeeming qualities. Do not waste your money.
1 reply from NSI Product Support Team team - 3 months ago
We’re sorry to hear about your experience, SB — that’s definitely disappointing. The Newton’s Cradle is meant to demonstrate basic motion and energy transfer, but the issues you described with the strings and durability aren’t what we want customers to experience. If you’d like help or want to share more details, our customer service team is happy to assist. You can reach them at custserv@nsi-int.com and reference your Target review so they know what you’re contacting them about.
1 out of 5 stars
Thumbs down graphic, would not recommend
31 January, 2026
Its Junk. Dont buy it!
This product is made so cheaply. Motion doesn’t last for more than 30 seconds. It’s a lot smaller than you would assume given the box size, it’s maybe 4 inches wide. And the strings get tangled very easily. We literally threw it away after 5 mins. So disappointing.
1 reply from NSI Product Support Team team - 4 months ago
Hi Lalalalala — we’re sorry this was such a letdown. We know how disappointing it is when something looks promising and immediately feels flimsy or frustrating once it’s out of the box. If you’re open to it, our team can take a closer look at what happened and make sure your feedback is seen. You can reach us at custserv@nsi-int.com with the subject line “Smithsonian Newton’s Cradle – Lalalalala”, and please include the name used for this review.