Engineering activity
Marble Run Engineer
Create a simple marble run using cardboard tubes, paper towel rolls, and tape on a wall or large piece of cardboard.
Materials and setup
- cardboard tubes
- tape
- marbles
- cardboard
- scissors
Parent note
Save paper towel and toilet paper tubes in advance. Tape a large piece of cardboard to the wall as a base, or lean it against a wall at an angle. Marbles are a choking hazard for children under 3.
How this changes by age
Pre-K (ages 3–4)
Create a simple marble run using cardboard tubes, paper towel rolls, and tape on a wall or large piece of cardboard.
Steps
- Tape a large piece of cardboard to a wall or lean it against furniture.
- Cut paper towel and toilet paper tubes in half lengthwise to make ramps.
- Tape the ramps at different angles on the cardboard, going downhill.
- Drop a marble at the top. Does it make it to the bottom?
- Adjust ramp angles and positions until the marble rolls all the way down.
- Tell a grown-up one thing that surprised you.
Learning objectives
- Understand that objects roll downhill due to gravity
- Experiment with ramp angles and positioning
- Practice cause-and-effect thinking
Kindergarten (ages 5–6)
Design a marble run with at least 3 levels, a funnel entry point, and a landing zone. Make the marble travel the longest possible path.
Steps
- Plan your marble run on paper first — where will the marble start and end?
- Cut tubes, use cardboard pieces, and tape to create ramps and tunnels.
- Include at least 3 level changes (the marble must go down 3 separate ramps).
- Add a funnel at the top made from rolled paper.
- Test and time how long the marble takes from top to bottom.
- Challenge: can you make the marble take even longer by adding curves or longer paths?
- Tell a grown-up one thing that surprised you.
Learning objectives
- Plan a multi-stage engineering project before building
- Understand how angle affects speed of a rolling object
- Iterate on a design to achieve a specific goal (longest travel time)
Early elementary (ages 6–8)
Engineer a marble run that includes a jump, a spiral, and lands in a specific target zone. Measure and record marble speed at different points.
Steps
- Design a marble run with these required features: at least 5 levels, one jump (gap the marble must fly over), one spiral section.
- Build using cardboard tubes, tape, straws, and any household recyclables.
- The marble must land in a cup or target at the bottom.
- Use a stopwatch to time the marble at different sections.
- Measure the distance of the jump. Adjust the ramp angle to make the jump work.
- Record your results: times, distances, number of successful runs out of 10.
- In one sentence, tell a parent or sibling what surprised you today.
Learning objectives
- Apply concepts of momentum and projectile motion in a hands-on context
- Measure and record experimental data systematically
- Engineer solutions to specific design constraints (jump, spiral, target)
Upper elementary (ages 8–10)
Design a Rube Goldberg-inspired marble run with chain reactions, energy transfers, and at least one mechanical mechanism (lever, pulley, or inclined plane).
Steps
- Research Rube Goldberg machines. Identify 3 types of energy transfer you'll include.
- Sketch a detailed plan showing each stage and the energy transfer at each step.
- Build the machine. Include: marble run section, at least one lever or pulley, a chain reaction (dominos, falling books, etc.), and a final action (ring a bell, pop a balloon, etc.).
- Label each energy transfer: potential to kinetic, kinetic to sound, etc.
- Film the machine in action. Calculate the total time and number of energy transfers.
- Write up: What worked? What failed? How did you fix it? What would you change with unlimited materials?
- In one sentence, tell a parent or sibling what surprised you today.
Learning objectives
- Identify and apply multiple types of energy transfer in a single system
- Incorporate simple machines (lever, pulley, inclined plane) into a complex design
- Analyze and document an engineering project including failures and iterations
Safety and evidence note
Read the full activity before beginning. An adult should supervise tools, heat, food, outdoor work, movement, and experiments as appropriate. Completion records that the activity was done; the child’s explanation, work sample, photo, or demonstration is stronger evidence of learning than a completion check alone.
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