Little Discoveries
Cardboard Marble Run
Tape tubes to a box and build a run that keeps a marble moving.
Ages 6 to 8
45 minutes
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Get ready
5 minutes. Collect tubes and tape.
What you’ll need
Toilet paper tubes, tape, a big box and marbles or a ping pong ball.
Let’s play
1. Cut tubes in half the long way to make chutes.
2. Tape them down the side of a box in a zigzag.
3. Test with a marble and fix any spot where it falls off.
4. Time the run, then try to make it slower.
Your part in the adventure
Be the tester who finds the weak spots.
What they’re discovering
They’re learning about slopes and gravity, and improving a design step by step.
Before you begin
Marbles are a choking hazard for little siblings, so use a ping pong ball if they’re around.
Keep the idea going
Add a funnel made from a paper cup.
Every child is different. Adjust activities for their age and abilities, and stay close by. These are play ideas, not medical or developmental advice.