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:

  1. 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.
  2. Cut your cardboard rolls in half so they look like slides or chutes.
  3. Tape your cardboard half-rolls in a zig-zagging pattern to create a series of chutes or runs.
  4. Place your small bowl or basket at the bottom of your run to catch your rolling object.
  5. 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

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

Image Credit: Lisa via CC BY-NC-ND 2.0