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DIY Box Marble Run

Re-purpose empty cardboard boxes

By Tammy Gnagy February 18, 2021
Wait! Don’t throw away those cardboard boxes. Instead, repurpose them into a fun Marble Run activity.

What You Will Need:
  • An empty box
  • Hot glue gun and hot glue
  • Scissors 
  • Marbles
  • Wooden craft sticks (optional)
  • Duct tape (optional)
Start by cutting the top half off the box to the desired depth of your marble run. Cut strips of cardboard from the top of the box for the “runs” on the inside. You could also use craft sticks to create some different “obstacles” for your marble.

Glue the cardboard strips to the inside of the box. If you are a planner you could measure and draw in where you want your strips ahead of time. You can also reinforce with duct tape. Make sure you don't make them too steep or too close together, or your marbles may get stuck. This portion of the project is a lot of trial and error (and learning!) as you discover where marbles get stuck or roll too fast. But cardboard and hot glue are easy to modify. Add little pieces here and there to control the marbles and figure out new ways to make your cardboard invention work!