Runs of marbles, an ancient game that all children should have. Benefits and which ones to choose

The marble track is a STEM game with many advantages and benefits that entertain the whole family without age limits. Which one to choose?

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The marble track is a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) game with many advantages and benefits that entertain the whole family without age limits.

La marble track it is one of the games for children that, most of all, manages to combine quality free time added to the acquisition of new skills, a real useful tool for the learning of children and more. By now we have repeated it countless times: the best way to learn is to have fun and, if at the same time you also get other advantages and benefits, it becomes even more interesting. But what are the advantages of this ancient game suitable for all ages and which one to choose based on the skills acquired?

Index

Benefits of the marble tracks

1. Strengthen self-esteem Designing or building something with your own hands gives you confidence in yourself and in your abilities. After building a track and testing it with marbles, the little girl or boy will have a sense of accomplishment needed to build self-esteem. This sense of trust will come in handy as it grows up - people who believe in their abilities tend to be more successful in their lives.
2. Improve problem solving skills True, children are experts in the art of problem solving. It is natural for them to go in search and exploration of new things. Faced with the first difficulties, they never let themselves down, trial and error will be their best allies to find the perfect track. By playing with the marble tracks we can help develop and keep alive the innate ability of problem solving.
3. Green light to imagination and creativity It encourages people to be more creative and to use their imagination to build their own track. Although each box comes with instructions to follow in order to create an exact replica, these do not necessarily have to be followed; indeed, ignoring them helps to develop the creative mentality.
4. Teach perseverance and patience Building a marble track is not easy and you may encounter several challenges along the way. Keeping trying and not giving up helps build patience and perseverance, two fundamental skills that will prove to be of great help throughout your life.
5. Promote teamwork and cooperation One of the main benefits of marble runs is that it promotes teamwork. Different points of view to tackle a task together: building the track and reaching the goal by cooperating with each other.
6. Improve cognitive skills Using your mind logically to find the right click piece and running the track without the ball stopping will help improve and exercise cognitive skills in a fun way. A useful benefit especially during the school years.
7. Improves eye-manual coordination In addition to contributing to the development of mental abilities, it also helps with hand-eye coordination that allows children to achieve independence on certain actions such as: leafing through books, tying shoes, drawing, coloring, writing. The pieces assembled one by one require careful and safe hands to ensure that the track does not shatter at any point. This type of toy helps to acquire this motor skill faster.
8. Improve concentration Maria Montessori already said it: “the first premise for a child's development is concentration. The concentrating child is immensely happy ”and, in these distracting times, staying focused on a given action would seem like a tall order. Playing with the marble tracks helps extend the time children can focus on a specific activity.
9. Helps to train visual - spatial skills To build a track for marbles requires the ability to integrate different information that comes from the perceptual space: we have to think about how it will be once finished; as we build we also need to adapt and modify our plan as needed. We also need to consider the space, quantity and types of pieces we have available. These are all visual - spatial skills that will help with math, physics and other sciences.
10. Gratification and reward After taking some time to build the entire structure, watching the marbles make their way across the track will be a very satisfying tangible reward. This sense of gratification prompts the boy or girl to be more adventurous and satisfied with working towards something that, while it may take time and effort, will produce great results.

How to choose the marble track?

There are no longer any doubts about the multiple benefits of playing with the marble track, but how can we choose which one to buy? There may be several criteria to consider at the time of purchase: price, age of the boy or girl, and / or the type of material.

Based on age

To choose or build the marble track - as for any other game or toy - it is necessary to take into account the age of the boy and / or girl.

• 1 to 3 years old

The first marble track! There are tracks suitable for the little ones, easy to assemble, with large colored marbles and easy functions. Quercetti, Xyloba, Trihorse, Haba, Hape, Eichhorn brands offer some models suitable for this age group.

Migoga Junior Bio is the new Quercetti marble track, which joins the eco-sustainable Play Bio line, characterized by the use of an exclusive bioplastic made up of 40% wood fiber. It guarantees a safe and autonomous play activity, thanks to the three large spheres filled with colored beads, in order to provide visual as well as auditory stimulation. The toy is ideal for children aged 1 1⁄2 to 5 years.

• From 4 years

As we grow up we acquire new skills, the marbles get smaller and the building possibilities multiply. There are several models offered by Quercetti, Xyloba, Hubelino, Haba, Hape, for this age group (but also for the whole family).

• Ages 8 and up

There are interesting alternatives to meet the needs of our young builders, such as the Xyloba marble tracks that allow you to compose music or play famous melodies; the Gravitax tracks by Ravensburger that exploit the principles of magnetism, kinetics and gravity to create unique circuits or the STEM Marbelocity by Tinkineer kits composed of small pieces of wood that are assembled with white glue and a little manual skills.

Based on the materials

Pay attention to the materials when choosing: opting for more natural elements affects the health of children and the environment. The tracks made of certified wood, bio-plastic such as Quercetti's latest “PlayBio” line or recycled materials are very valid conscious options that aim not only at the development of children, but also protect their future.

DIY Marble Runs

If you are practical with manual skills you could try to create a track for do-it-yourself marbles, savings and diversion will be guaranteed. Here are some tutorials to get ideas:

Makedo on the Instructables site helps us build a track with milk cartons. Here all the steps to follow. A little more complex, but not impossible, is the project created by Today DIY, here the tutorial.

The marble runs are an excellent pastime, not only for the little ones, but also for the grown-ups. Whether built alone, with friends or with the whole family, fun - with its many benefits - is guaranteed.

On educational games you might also be interested in:

• The right games for every age group according to pediatricians
• At 10 he made wooden toys for the poorest children
• Chiodini: the timeless game of the 50s to develop learning and imagination