The Marble Run Mega Maze Challenge
Designing and constructing a complex, multi-level marble run using reclaimed tubes and tape, which requires collaboration and testing gravity/friction principles.
- Takes
- 1–2 hr
- Your setup
- 15 min prep
- Ages
- Ages 7–16
- Mess
- No mess
- Cost
- $
- Where
- Indoors
How to do it
- 1Establish a starting point and a collection zone at the bottom.
- 2Design the path, ensuring continuous flow and avoiding impossible jumps.
- 3Cut the tubes into channels and ramps.
- 4Tape the pieces to the wall, starting high and working downwards, testing the marble trajectory frequently.
- 5Challenge: Build the run that keeps the marble moving for the longest duration or includes the most complex maneuvers (loops, switches).
What they're practising
- Applied Physics
- Problem Solving
- Structural Engineering
- Iterative Design