Marble Racetrack

Before the meeting: 

1. Familiarize yourself with the possibilities by watching the following videos: 
   • Make an Easy DIY Marble Race Track 
   • Marble Run Challenge 
   • How to make a recycled marble run 
2. Gather supplies. 
3. Set up meeting space with room for Cub Scouts to build a marble racetrack together. 

During the meeting: 

1. Share with Cub Scouts that they will be building a racetrack together for marbles that has at least two lanes using the materials in the meeting space. 
2. Talk about the different ways the supplies could be used to create a marble racetrack. 
   • Tubes can be used as tunnels, cut in half length wise to create channels which could also be taped together to create different lanes, cut multiple times along the width and then reassembled to fame a curve, and used as support towers to create varying heights to the track. 
   • Paper plates can be cut and tilted to make spirals, cork screws, and funnels.  Different sized plates will allow for wider or tighter curves. 
   • Egg cartons can be used as a trap at the end of the course to collect the marbles, and an obstacle for the marble to navigate through during the race. 
   • Pipe cleaners can be used to create different lanes for the marbles on the track 
   • Paper or plastic cubs can be used as traps at the end of the race, and tubes or funnels during the race 
   • Cardboard boxes can be used as a frame for the racetrack, additional supplies for parts of the racetrack, or simply inclined with tape for lanes. 
3. Talk about gravity and friction. 
   • Gravity: The track needs inclines to allow the marbles to race under their own power.  The track should start at a high point and end at a low point. 
   • Friction:  Different materials will affect the speed at which the marbles can race. 
4. Let the Cub Scouts discuss what they would like their racetrack to look like. Remind them the more complex the design, the more time it will take to build the track before racing. 
5. Play! Allow the Cub Scouts to race their marbles.