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AIBU?

To think a marble run is unsuitable for a 2.7 yr old.

35 replies

ACardiganForCat · 19/12/2014 18:21

He doesn't chew toys anymore but the idea makes me nervous. Am I being PFB about this?

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jamaisjedors · 19/12/2014 18:23

Just put it away for a while and get it out later.

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Linskibinski · 19/12/2014 18:24

Nope potential death traps at any age, chuck it in the bin.

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Sirzy · 19/12/2014 18:25

Yanbu. DS is 5 and is getting one but even then it will be used under close supervision

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APipkinOfPepper · 19/12/2014 18:26

DD (2.5) loves her big brother's marble run and has for a while (they still like me making the runs for them though!). I do make sure I watch her, but she's never put one in her mouth.

Having said that, I probably wouldn't get one for a child that age - they'd probably get more out of it when they were a little older.

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arethereanyleftatall · 19/12/2014 18:27

I would say pfb. Sorry! My dd had one since she was 2. I never thought twice about it tbh.

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SaucyJack · 19/12/2014 18:29

I think they'd be a bit fiddly for a two year old as much as anything.

But a death trap at any age they most certainly are not.

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ErrolTheDragon · 19/12/2014 18:30

It depends on the kid, some would be ok with it. Is this something that someone else has got for him or that you were wondering about? If the former, people sometimes do get a gift that's a bit old because then the child is less likely to have it already IYSWIM.

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CountingToThree · 19/12/2014 18:30

My son's loved ours from about 18 months! He was never one for putting things in his mouth though. All depends on the child

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WillkommenBienvenue · 19/12/2014 18:31

Get some old cardboard tubes, make your own and see how he likes it and watch to see whether he eats the marbles. It's a great toy that a lot of children get a lot out of.

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LittleBearPad · 19/12/2014 18:32

I've suggested one for dd (2.6).

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CrohnicChristmas · 19/12/2014 18:33

My DD (age 2) is allowed to play with one but only under close supervision, it's her cousin's so when she's playing with it there's at least 2 adults plus her older cousin, and we can make sure she's never alone with it not even for a minute. She's never been one for putting things in her mouth anyway.

I don't know how I'd feel about her having one of her own, but I'd make sure it was out of reach unless she was actually playing with it, and perhaps only get it out when DH is home so he can watch if I needed the toilet or anything.

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IceniMist · 19/12/2014 18:36

No way are marbles allowed in our house. I remember sucking one at about 10 and it went down my pipes. I managed to push it up somehow.

Someone younger may not.

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ACardiganForCat · 19/12/2014 18:36

A family member has got him one, not for Xmas but as a general gift (spoilt!). Knowing he is playing with it would put me on edge. Ive just had ds2 though so my hormones could be going haywire. Trouble is, once he's old enough, ds2 WILL eat them!

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LittleBearPad · 19/12/2014 18:38

I also have a newborn. I'm hoping by the time he's old enough to take an interest the marble run will have lost it's novelty value. I think I mainly want to play with it

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misskangaandroo2014 · 19/12/2014 18:44

Play with it with the child?

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chocomochi · 19/12/2014 18:44

Depends on the child. My DDs were never really that interested in putting things into their mouths after about 12 months, but know children who still put things in mouths at 3/4 years old.

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ACardiganForCat · 19/12/2014 18:45

I can do that but he is increasingly playing independently and I have a newborn.

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DandyHighwayman · 19/12/2014 18:50

Cardi I would surreptitiously gather it up and stick in the attic for a while.

Or maybe take it to Gran and Grandads.

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TheLittleOneSaidRollOver · 19/12/2014 18:56

My 3 all loved the marble run. Eldest got it at 3, younger DC played with it from crawling.

They needed supervision until youngest was 4, for two reasons:

Building it is tricky. Building it together is fun. Building it completely alone was too hard for a 3 or 4 yo.

As soon as little ones began to crawl they would eat the marbles if allowed. I got over their desperation to join in destroy the tower by giving them a marble run tube to chew and poke, sometimes with a spoon for bashing.

Me breastfeeding on sofa offering tower advice, chatter and occasional connecting tricky pieces was moderately successful.

Eldest was well bored of it by 8 but would still happily build it with younger siblings, with running commentary and support scarily similar my conversations with him back in the olden days.

I love marble run. It is fun.

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Roomba · 19/12/2014 18:59

Not sure if YABU to be honest. DS1 (now 9) has one, and DS2 (2.5) adores watching and 'helping' his brother play with it - always under my supervision I must add. DS2 is fascinated with it, and is also past the phase of putting everything in his mouth, but I wouldn't underestimate the ability of a 2 yr old to do something dangerous unexpectedly!

If someone got my 2.5 yr old one, I would just put it away for a bit but know they'd enjoy it when they were able to put all the bits together themselves. DS2 can't do that yet, so it would just frustrate him and I'd need to do it all for him at this point.

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FishWithABicycle · 19/12/2014 19:01

YABU once a child is old enough not to chew toys a marble run is a brilliant gift. Use only under supervision at first, and only when baby is napping when baby is in that dangerous mobile-and-chewing phase, but don't reject it I banish to the loft.

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Iggly · 19/12/2014 19:01

My two put stuff in their mouths as toddlers and still do. We have a marble run (a gift) and I've put the marbles out of reach.

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NotAnotherNewNappy · 19/12/2014 19:06

Yanbu - perfect choking device and impossible to supervise with a newborn. Mine are 6 and 3.5 and only just allowed to play bloody hungry hippos.

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littlejohnnydory · 19/12/2014 19:07

They're a great toy that grows with them. My two year old loves it and her 7 year old brother loves it too. She loves racing the marbles and he likes building more complicated tracks. But then, she is my third and couldn't really have kept toys with small pieces away from her for that reason, the house is full of playmobil and Lego. If you're worried you could keep it out of reach and only play with it with him, not let him play without direct supervision? There's a lot he can learn from it.

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TooManyMochas · 19/12/2014 19:08

We got 3yo DS one around the same age. He absolutely loves it and can build simple runs himself. He hasn't put a non-food item in his mouth since he was one-ish (was never much of a chewer) so we didn't think there was an issue. Its used under supervision though just in case. Depends on the child really.