Craft Project – Cereal Box Marble Run

Construct a marble run from a cereal box by cutting and folding ramps and passageways for the marble to travel. Challenge yourself to think like an engineer to slow the marble down so that it spends at least ten seconds rolling through the run.

Instructions

(see video for details/example)

What You Will Need

Materials

  • Cereal box
  • Scissors and/or craft knife
  • Tape (we used masking tape)
  • Marbles
  • Recommended: Ruler and/or protractor

Project Directions

Step 1

Tape the top and bottom of your cereal box shut to keep it stable while you work.

Step 2

Plan, cut, and fold out ramps for the marble to travel down.

Builder Tip

Use a protractor to draw the ramps at a 2- or 3-degree slope.

Step 3

Fold up about 1/8-inch of the edge as a guard rail to keep the marble on the track.

Step 4

Cut passageways for the marble to travel through the box to the other side.

Step 5

Tape over the cutouts so that your marble won’t drop into the box.

Builder Tip

Run some tests as you build. Time your marble and think about ways to slow it down.

Step 6

Use tape bubbles as brakes or hang flaps from ramps above to slow the marble down.

Try to keep your marble rolling for ten seconds!

Share photos of your finished project and let us know how it went! info@calvinistcadets.org.