Create a Fun Marble Run from Recycle Bin Materials!

My brother and I used to make marble runs out of blocks and his Hot Wheels track and it was one of our favorite things to do! I made this marble run out of recycle bin items like paper towel tubes and recycled cardboard for the new-ish magazine, The Week Junior. Have you seen it? It is a fantastic news and activity magazine for children aged 8-14. I am thrilled to be contributing to their How To column!
What you need:
- Scissors
- Paper plates, the kind with edges that curl up
- Sturdy cardboard tubes, such as ones found inside aluminum foil packaging
- Washi tape or markers
- Masking tape
- Cardboard base, like the lid of a pizza delivery box
- Large food lids, like from a jar of peanut butter, and a small beverage lid, like from a soda bottle or milk carton
- Craft knife (optional)
- Marbles
- Hot glue gun

1. Prepare the pieces. Using scissors, cut the curved edge o a paper plate to create a curvy track piece for the start of the marble shoot. Cut a cardboard tube in half lengthwise to make a straight track piece for the ending. Cut a few tubes into different lengths to use as towers to support your track. Decorate the tubes with washi or colored masking tape or markers.
2. Make a design. Use masking tape to temporarily tape the cardboard support towers to your cardboard base. Then tape the curvy and straight track pieces to the support towers. Experiment with different heights until you find a course you like.
3. Add a fun ending. Make a drop-off for your marble to fall through. Have the curvy track end in front of the plastic lid. Have an adult use a craft knife to cut a hole at the bottom of the plastic lid. The marble will drop onto the lid, through the hole, and onto the last track. For the photo above, a milk cap is glued to the center of the lid so the marble has to roll around before going through the hole.
4. Test the track. If your marble is flying off the track, slow it down by making the slope of your track less steep. You can do this by using shorter cardboard towers or using cardboard towers that are similar in height. If your marble is going too slowly, make the course steeper with taller cardboard towers.
5. Glue in place. Once your track is working, remove the masking tape and glue the pieces into place. Have an adult help you with the hot glue gun. To make sure the height of the slope doesn’t shift, test with a marble as you go along.

I hope you’ll give this fun project a try. We had as much fun making it as we did playing with it afterwards! If you make one and post it, please tag me at @supermakeit so I can see!
And take a look at The Week Junior, a perfect way to keep your kids informed…and busy!