My daughter is obsessed with marble runs, and this may be the fourth one we’ve built in one week! Here’s another one we made last week with a cardboard box.
For this toilet paper roll marble run, we started by wrapping the rolls with colored masking tape.This alone took a good part of a morning! We had fun layering and wrapping tape, selecting colors, and cutting the rolls. Once the rolls were appropriately covered, I took a pair of scissors and cut the tubes right down the center. N thought this looked like fun, and cut some of them as well.
Then we found some free wall space, taped the highest tube to a spot that N could easily reach, and kept on taping rolls until we had something we were happy with. We tested it a few times along the way to work out the angles and distances. This is a fabulous math and physical science lesson!
After rolling a marble, N stood back to watch the magic happen.
We needed something to catch the balls (and jellybeans!), and a strawberry basket was just right for the job. If your kids like making marble runs, if you’ve made a marble run, or if you’re planning to make one, I’d love to hear from you!
What other materials could you make a marble run from?
This post is linked to It’s Playtime, We Play, Craft Schooling Sunday
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
This is awesome! I love the idea of taping it up on a wall!! So much fun! We’ll have to give a try!
Love this idea! You are definitely inspiring us to create a marble run of some kind! I need to find our marbles! This marble run is very doable because we have tons of tubes!!! Excited to try one! (Wonder if C will be too!)
love it! This is something my son will have so much fun with. Thanks for the inspiration
you’re welcome!
We did this when we visited my mom. She doesn’t have a ton of toys for the kids but she saved all her tubes and containers. We ended up putting a tin foil ball through some of the runs and some dry pasta. This project kept us busy for days! I think it is time we do it again. Thanks for the great reminder.
this is so cool, sarah! thanks for sharing the photo. i especially like all of the entry points. how fun!
This is very nice!
I love it, and will try it in a few days with my children.
One idea for a marble game I learned from my friend and former assistant director, was to cut small curved doors in several shoe boxes, and just roll the marbles on the floor through the boxes.
I might make some of her ideas and post them. I’ll let you know if I can get to it.
Brenda
so glad this inspired you, brenda
i didn’t think to use shoe boxes. we’ll have to try that next time i have empty boxes in the house.
Love that idea!!!!
I was going through my supplies for my classroom today, want to use things up before the end of the year. We are definitely trying this next week!!!
very cool! i hope it goes well…do let me know
Craft Sticks and a glue gun make an excellent and long lasting marble run. You can see how here: http://bit.ly/mkWPuX
We’ve also made a marble race with two ramps using a cardboard box: http://bit.ly/e5uUuY
Another way is to use PVC pipes: http://bit.ly/iuK5fN
Enjoy!
I love that you used a jelly bean. I never would have thought of that!
yep really loved the stage of building and testing – will see how it goes over the next few days…
http://umatji.blogspot.com/2011/05/wheeeeeeeeeee-said-marble.html
worked really well for both my boys which was interesting – the 5 year old and the 1 1/2 year old.
thanks for inspiration!
love this one! great to see you again on Craft Schooling Sunday! I’ve actually been in Berkeley for two weeks so you may notice a little No.Cal flavor to my posts! all the best.
I DID notice that, Sara! Are you from the Bay Area? I love your blog, and always get great ideas from you and your readers.
Oh my goodness I love Sarah’s idea that she posted above
Anyway, Rachelle – I featured this on this week’s It’s Playtime – all about upcycling items and this one is so much fun
Jamie
I know, I love Sarah’s idea too! Thanks for including us on It’s Playtime, Jamie – what a great collection of play ideas!
Love this! I’m always looking for science demos that I can do for my toddler/preschool library story time groups. I can set it up ahead of time and let the families experiment with it after I finish my presentation. Even better to suggest jelly beans. Safety with the little ones is tricky with some science demos that I’d love to try.
Thank you!
Amy L
i’ve been wanting to do this for so long! except i was going to glue magnets to the toilet rolls so they’d stick to a metal sheet. thanks for sharing
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