Customer Reviews for Marble Run: 103-Piece Set

Perfect for making their little brains work well hands down the perfect gift

I bought MindWare's 103-piece Marble Run set for my 3 1/2 year old (almost 4 year old) son. He loves it. We have had many fun times getting out the Marble Run, setting it up, having "races" (I make 2 separate starting points and paths for the marbles to go down, with them joining just before reaching the swirling plate piece), and then doing "clean up" with the pieces, which fit easily in the handy carrying-case style box. Before I bought the MindWare set, I knew I wanted to get a Marble Run toy for my son, but I didn't know anything about the different brands or companies that make them. I did some online research and there were several companies. But MindWare's had better reviews than most, and they appeared to be more durable. I took the plunge and bought the 103-piece set, and I am confident I made the right choice. MindWare's set is affordable but also is quality construction, and I think the 103-piece assortment of pieces is very well distributed between the simple, base-building pieces and the fancier, more fun-style pieces. The pieces fit together well (not too tight, not too loose) and there is a lot of variety in the pieces and the ways they can be put together. On the downside, there are a couple of pieces that don't stay together very reliably, but they are easy to work around. There are some wide, tall base pieces that have to be put together in halves, and I wish they would click together -- but this is only a minor complaint. (I am considering gluing the halves together to make them easier to work with.) This Marble Run is a terrific toy for a kid learning to not just build something with pieces, but to build something that has a logical purpose and has to be put together with a process and a result in mind. It expands on the building skill set, but it's not difficult, and there is a very enjoyable payoff (letting the marbles do their stuff) at the end of each construction. Also well worth mentioning is that I am very pleased with MindWare's attentive customer service. I had a question about the Marble Run product and emailed MindWare. I very quickly got a helpful response. They even were able to help me on a weekend. The care put into customer satisfaction makes me feel good about MindWare as a company, and I highly recommend them to others.

It takes some thinking for students to make a path that will work.

Doesn't come with all of the pieces shown on the box. Pieces do not stay together well. Slightest pressure and the towers fall. Frustrating

This is a nice, mid-sized marble run set that is great for younger kids. My daughter just turned 3 and it's slightly advanced for her but my son who is 6 is having a wonderful time creating several marble run designs...for him and his sister! I do wish, however, that the package included a booklet/brochure with some basic marble run ideas/designs...just to get them started. The pieces all work well together and my kids are truly enjoying building a new track design every day.

Bought this for my 4 year old daughter who loves to build & create. She is figuring out how to stack the tubes & chutes so that the marble will run through. It is definitely a challenging activity for her right now & she does need some guidance but, she is determined to create the coolest, fastest run. She has already clocked many hours on this toy.

Build a Marble Run track that twists, turns, and spins marbles at incredible speeds! These colorful chutes, tubes, drop-throughs, merry-go-rounds and spinners stack and click, with clear pieces

I bought this for my 8 year old, despite the younger age recommendation on the product. He loves it. It has endless ways to build and create different tracks. I love to see the complexities of his runs. He started simple, and has increased the difficulty every time he builds it. Another plus: the box it came in is sturdy and has a carrying handle on it, so clean up/storage is no problem!

Bought this for my 5 year old and my 8 and 10 year old have as much fun with it! It's great.

This keeps my son entertained longer than most other toys he owns. Once he understood the basics (i.e. providing supports,learning which way the marble runs on sloping pieces), he was able to play by himself will little or no help. This was far and away his favorite and most used toy he received for Christmas.

Both grandsons, 7 and 14, and I had fun making multiple run possibilities. It is a well designed, worthwhile toy. It is fun to set up multiple entry points and have races through the options.

We gave this to our nephew and he loves it! We will have hours of fun building and watching the variant paths the marbles take.