Encourage Creativity
Tinkering develops confidence, persistence, and resourcefulness in kids. Plus, it’s a whole lot of fun!
Creating a simple marble run is one great way to encourage tinkering.
To create your marble run, you will need:
- cardboard tubes (from paper towels or bathroom tissue)
- tape (painter’s tape works well)
- a marble or another small rolling object
- scissors
- a small bowl or basket
Steps:
- Find some clear wall space – an empty wall, large window, sliding glass door, or even the refrigerator door will work. You could also build a marble run inside a box.
- Cut your cardboard rolls in half so they look like slides or chutes.
- Tape your cardboard half-rolls in a zig-zagging pattern to create a series of chutes or runs.
- Place your small bowl or basket at the bottom of your run to catch your rolling object.
- Drop your marble or other rolling object into the top chute and watch it roll!
Try This:
- If the marble moves too fast and falls off, try making the chute less steep; if the marble moves too slowly, try making the chute more steep.
- Try rolling other objects down the run. How do they compare to the marbles?
- Try creating chutes out of cardboard or folded paper. What materials make the best chutes?
![A large rectangular piece of cardboard taped to a white wall with smaller strips of cardboard taped in a zig-zag pattern to create a marble run](https://schools.wrdsb.ca/athome/files/2020/05/4571789317_eab21d4a80_c.jpg)
Image Credit: Robert Hunt via CC BY 2.0
![A cardboard box with the front cut away to show strips of paper taped in a zig-zag pattern creating a marble run; several marbles sit on the bottom of the box](https://schools.wrdsb.ca/athome/files/2020/05/5879919443_0c65beff79_o.jpg)
Image Credit: Lisa via CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Categories: Elementary