Craft Project – Marble Run

Follow these instructions (and the video) to design and make your own marble run! 

Instructions (see video for details/example)

What You Will Need

Materials

  • Cardboard
  • Scissors/Craft knife
  • Compass
  • Protractor
  • Glue/Tape
  • DC motor
  • Small dowels
  • Marbles

About the project

Marble runs have exploded in popularity – and for good reason! They combine engineering, creativity, and hands-on building into one exciting project. But you don’t need to buy a fancy set to get started. With a few simple materials, some clever thinking, and a little patience, you can build your very own marble run from scratch.

This project introduces just one example of what’s possible. Once you learn the basics, you can challenge yourself to build more elaborate, gravity-defying courses!

1. Build the lift system

There are many types of marble lift systems, but here’s one that’s simple and effective.

Start by cutting several cardboard circles of the same size. On one of them, use a compass to draw a smaller inner circle. Then, use your protractor to evenly mark six holes for marbles around that inner circle.

One of the circles will also serve as a mounting plate for your DC motor. Cut out a small section to allow marbles to fall through to the track. Depending on your setup, you may need to build cardboard spacers to help guide the marbles in and out reliably.

Once your base, motor, and marble catcher are assembled, install the system at an angle so it can lift marbles from the bottom of the run back to the top.

2. Complete a track

Now it’s time to get creative!

Use cardboard and small dowels to build a track for your marbles to roll down. You’ll want to test and tweak things frequently before securing everything with glue or tape. We created a basic loop that guides marbles back to the lift system—but you can go wild with your own ideas!

Try adding twists, turns, jumps, or even multiple levels. The sky’s the limit.

3. Run the Marbles

Once everything is in place, turn on your motor and watch the marbles run! You can experiment with different track layouts, add a power switch, or even enlarge the lift mechanism for bigger marbles or higher runs.

If you have any questions or comments about this video, please send them to info@calvinistcadets.org.