Many of you will recall seeing the video a while ago of an incredibly elaborate marble run that rolled all over the creator’s lounge (sadly, I couldn’t find it to remind you…) and some of you might have whiled away your childhood making marble runs. While you can now buy kits of plastic bits to make marble runs at home, there’s no real need to buy anything special.
A marble run can be a fun activity for a rainy afternoon and it’s an especially good activity for boys. Here’s one homemade marble run in action.
(picture of marble run from http://www.serving-pink-lemonade.com/2010/03/marble-run.html)
(From http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5774yI7LeQ)
What you need:
- Anything at all! In particular, you need to look for materials that are stiff enough to hold the marble and stay in place. Some good examples could be toilet rolls, empty yoghurt containers, egg cartons, empty tins (be careful of sharp edges, though…) etc… etc…
- Scissors
- Tape
- Something to ‘run’. A marble is ideal but you can also use a small ball etc… (one article I read suggested smarties or similar lollies – but that’s up to you ;))
What to do:
Your marble run can be as simple or elaborate as you want to make it. All you need to do is find an upright surface and go fo it! You could use the back of a door, or a piece of cardboard or wood, or create your run in a box. Just experiment as you go to make sure that your marble continues to run.
Some inspiration:
This simple cereal box marble run is easy to make and doesn’t require much in the way of materials.
Several different marble runs for children of different ages
Happy marble running!
Rochelle
PS If you make a great marble run, we’d love to see it! Feel free to share it on our Facebook page or email rochelle@kiwifamilies.co.nz
