Toys: Marble Run

Marbles are fun little toys for kids (ones that do not put everything in their mouth). They are simply a hard glass ball that rolls on the ground, but they can be used for several different things including a game of marbles. Many people don’t know how to play marbles these days because it is an “old” game, but if you have some extra marbles around then you should give the game a try - you never know if your child might like it.

While playing marbles can be a fun game to play, a usually more exciting way to use marbles is with marble runs - these are the plastic toys that you put together that you start a marble at the top and it works its way down the structure that you built to the bottom. If you’ve never played with marble runs before, then you’re in for a bit of a treat. Seeing what crazy structures you can build for the marbles is quite enjoyable.

It’s always fun to see who can make the longest run that doesn’t completely collapse when the marble runs down it. You get to be creative while also having to think about how you want your marble to run and what might make it move just a little bit slower down the run then someone else might do. This is a great way to play with your kids as you get to think and then they get to think how to build something.

Marble runs are similar to LEGO in that you are putting the pieces together to build something. The big difference is obviously that you’re going to have marble that follows the path that you build here. Simply adding the marble into the mix here can make this a bit more exciting at times. However, your possibilities are quite as endless for what you can build here as you can with LEGO.

Another reason that marble runs are so fun is because they remind you of some of those game shows that you watched on TV when you were younger. Namely, the Price Is Right with the Plinko game that they play. Marble runs will generally come with a few pieces that have Plinko-like stoppers coming up and that the marble will bounce down through to be able to make it to the bottom.

Similarly, another favorite piece for most kids is the whirlpool like piece. The marble runs around and around and around in a circle until it drops through the middle of the whirlpool to continue moving through the marble run. For whatever reason, kids love to watch the marble run around and around. It’s mesmerizing to watch for a while - ultimately they’ll get tired of it, but they should at least enjoy it for quite some time.

Marble runs are educational as well for kids. We always like educational toys on this site as it helps your kids to build new skills while playing which is the best way to learn. Marble runs force kids to think through how a marble will progress through what they’re building, and they’ll also have to figure out how to keep the structure standing as well. They can be creative while thinking about structure and stability.

If you don’t have any marble runs in your home, then we’d highly recommend them as a fun toy (once again, this toy is best for kids that have grown out of the everything in their mouth phase). Buy a marble run now.