As part of a lengthy lower school (K-3) project, students investigated a vintage vending machine in their Art and Technology classes, created objects to vend, built their own vending machines, and discovered many wonderful things. The uniqueness of the vending machine captured students' imaginations and propelled the project's many steps, from Mystery and Wonder to Engineering for a Better World. The sequential phases of work and investigation challenged students to be artists, designers, empathetic inventors, and engineers. This project took place over the course of a school year in bursts of activity and dormancy in both Art and Technology classes, where students attend classes twice a week for 40 minutes. After finding a working, affordable vending machine at an antique shop, the authors organically developed this unit, guided by the interests of the young students.