Somehow last night turned into a giant physics lesson. Don't tell the kids though, they thought they were having fun! We pushed back all the couches and built a giant marble run (16 meters long) in the living room. It included lots of test runs and discussions regarding how to improve the track. In the end we had a working marble run (as long as you used the lighter marble). They pointed out you couldn't use the heavier marble because the force of gravity was stronger on the loop since it weighed more, and that's why it wouldn't complete the circuit. We also spent a little time discussing how the company that made the parts could have improved them. Our biggest complaint was the lack of weight in the bases for the uprights. As you can see from the picture we had to weigh the bases down with books. So if you're ever designing a toy like this, keep that in mind.
Regardless of some of the flaws, we had a great time. Some days it can be completely overwhelming to challenge the children, but then we have nights like last night that remind me why we're doing this in the first place!
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