Where to buy a marble run from.

[Vagaceratops]

I am thinkiing of getting DS2 a marble run because I think he would like one. Where is the best place to get one from?

I've seen them on Babipur.co.uk. I'm not sure if that's the best place, but I've always found them to be very reliable in terms of customer service and delivery. I've bought several big items off of them and have been very impressed each time.

There are nice ones on Amazon.

Get a quadrilla one: they're fab. This shows the set DS1 has which is v cool. Amazon do them, as do a few other online places. The wooden ones get used by much older kids than the plastic ones, they're more adaptable so takes longer to grow out of them.

We got one for the kid from Aldi last year (I think) - worth looking out.

DS has one from ELC which he's had for at least 3 years and still loves.

My ELC was great it kept all 3dc enthralled between the ages of 2 and 5 or 6. Think the quadrilla is great for 5+

We got one from Amazon. A Galt one.

Make sure you get one that's steady and easy for kids to fit the parts together. Otherwise you'll be sat there doing it. The Galt one is not super fancy but my kids play with themselves and love it.

Ooh yes OP you could make your own, follow that clip by RustyBear - it will only take you a few minutes...

RustyB - that's brilliant! I love the chess pieces. They cannot have seen daylight for months making that.

What age range are marble runs good for?

We got a very old-style ELC one from a charity shop. It has had lots of use by 3DSs. Incidentally my DH made a wooden one for our PFB. We were on holiday in Corfu and DS1 played with a great clonky homemade one outside a shop one evening so when DH got home he decided to fashion one himself It took him weeks of whittling until finally this thing was ready and although it did make a nice clacking noise when the marbles dropped, they constantly fell off the tracks and frustrated the DSs. When we moved house it didn't manage to come with us

we have the elc one and got extra track and my boys play with it loads. ds2 is ten and he spent ages yesterday making a massive track and then filming the marbles going round and down.

ChiefOwl - any age, as soon as they past the age of wanting to stick marbles in their mouth. My 3 yr old and my 7 yr old love it.

The Works have them in stock. Either £5.99 or £6.99.

M&S have them in - didn't check the price though, sorry!

We got a Quercetti 'marble run super' from an eBay shop last Christmas which DS likes. It's quite a good size.

We have the Argos one- its pretty impressive, a full marble run, followed by a truck which automatically lays out the dominoes and eventually sets an aeroplane off! I can't find it online, will get the product code in morning when DS up!

Please get a nice plastic one that slots together. DS got the wooden Aldi one for Christmas last year (he was 3) and it all balances together. It is a work of fine tuning to get it all right, small children can't do it and it falls apart really easily. He loves it though. I hate it, I spent until about the end of February balancing stupid blocks on top of each other and getting all the heights and angles right, so that it could all be knocked over by baby/cat after 2 runs.