Super Marble Run

Before I made my purchase , I read the reviews on many cheaper marble runs and learned how they often pop apart or break... then bought Galt. So glad I did! This, to me, is just like the marble run I had as a child - probably better actually! It is made from sturdy plastic, there are enough special features to make it interesting, and the push fittings are smooth and consistently firm enough to hold the structure together whilst easy enough for a child to construct or pull apart. I particularly like the large dish/vortex feature, where the marbles go round for ages, making the run last so much longer, and it's fun to watch a handful all swirling around together. My toddler also uses this to just hoof a load of marbles in all at once, then stands back and clasps her hands in awe as they all clatter down the run together! You can't build directly above the dish end though, so if you use it, it has to be at the top of one leg of your construction, but as there are 6 feet this leaves plenty of choice. There are no sharp edges; the pieces are beautifully finished, and have a great smooth and sturdy feel to them. I'm sure it will last for many years. A few words about stability and marble runs, as I have seen reviews even for this toy, saying it is 'unstable' and that they are disappointed with Galt... I think this is unfair. Stability can only exist in the design of the structure you build - so it's up to the builder to make sure the run is stable. I had no problem with this, as I have a good grasp of how to design a stable structure - in short, build using three or more legs, linking them horizontally often. I don't build any section stupidly high. When my 2 year old is a little more capable and wants to build it herself I will teach her this, and I'm sure there won't be any frustration with the kit. She can already help to push pieces together, but designing the route will take a little longer! It should go without saying, but I wouldn't try to move it around once built, unless it is a simple and compact design that you can lift from the feet. The weight of marbles left in the feet (or of construction pieces) below your lifting point may pull it apart, as this is designed for easy breakup and reconstruction. I have found that if anything gets dislodged by my two year old pulling it about, it is easy to push down on each leg of the run to firm up any loose fittings. They don't spontaneously fall or pop apart (as some cheaper sets have been said to do), and if you are using it properly you will have no problems. The four examples in the booklet were fairly easy to follow - the larger ones incorporate the idea of building two separate runs within the same structure, thereby making better use of the bits, and keeping the run stable and compact. I think one or two reviewers were thrown by this as they didn't expect it, so couldn't make sense of the route/s. However, doing it this way not only increases the mental challenge for older kids (and grown ups!) but means you can race each other. You can make multiple marble runs converge, to end up at the same foot if you want, although I haven't seen any kits out there that can send the marbles from one starting point off in different directions - that would require some sort -of marble-operated switch trap, but would by nature have to be quite delicate and risk getting broken or simply blocked if several marbles came through too close together, so I think that's why nobody has made this a feature yet. I have seen reviewers say they run out of vertical spacers on some kits - this hasn't happened to us yet with the Galt Super. Even if it did, you can use spare crossing sections to join two neighbouring columns together, thereby adding stability whilst also raising each one by a level, much as in the multiple run designs. To be honest, if you're running out of vertical spacers, you're probably trying to build something so ambitious that it won't be stable anyway. Some folks just want to built it as high as possible and then blame the manufacturer when it falls over, lol! Of course, it's completely natural that the first thing kids want to do with a construction toy is build as high as possible, so let them have a go, but I suggest that grown ups should be grown ups and manage their expectations so that the kids learn about stable structures and gain the understanding required to go on and design runs that are also fit for the main purpose: marble racing! Either that or find a way to stabilise it using tethers to a handy coffee table or something - get creative! Want more pieces? Get another / a bigger kit. But get Galt!

We bought this for my not quite 3 1/2 year old son for Christmas as he has a fascination for marble runs ever since he started watching random marble run videos on youtube. He also has a major interest in construction toys, so we knew this would be something he would like. What we DIDN'T know was just how much he would like it. He has literally played for HOURS, nearly ALL day, every day for the past three days since he opened this gift for Christmas. It didn't take him long to figure out how to construct the runs himself as the pieces are quite easy to put together and very durable. He is continually building, racing marbles, and then reconfiguring the run into a new one. He has also started to incorporate the runs onto the sofa or into towers made out of his building blocks. The only downside is that he is so obsessed with this toy that it is difficult to get him to sleep because he wants to keep playing and he wakes up earlier than normal because he is so excited to build some new runs. As I mentioned, the toy is durable and easy to put together (even for our 3 year old). I've also found that there are enough pieces to make a variety of runs that keep your attention. This is a toy that is even fun for the parents to help put together, which is a big bonus! I couldn't recommend this toy enough, especially if your child enjoys building things. I can see this being a favourite toy for a long time to come! I also plan to buy additional sets as my son gets older so that he can build bigger and better marble runs! I agree with the reviewer who said they would give it 6 stars if they could! Not only is it educational, it's fun!

This was a great gift for my 4 year old grandson. He loves building the marble run and racing the marbles down it. Could have done with a few more marbles, otherwise good value and good quality for the price.

My 4 year old grandson absolutely loves this, he’s already had hours of fun making different shapes with it, and setting the marbles rolling. It’s excellent.

My.granddaughter loved building this and playing with it. It’s colourful,sturdy and bags of fun.

This is a superb toy! Sturdy, engaging and very well made. My son loves a marble run so I decided to buy another one to have at his grandparents house. Very easy to assemble in obviously a number of ways. The saucer is mesmerising and my 6 year old autistic son played with it for about an hour, giving us all a little break. I’m going to buy another set to have as an extra one at home!!

Very good quality and easy to build

This marble run is providing hours of captivated play for my three year old. Though marbles are not a good choice if you have a young child who puts things in their mouths. For young children it's an excellent toy but requires constant adult supervision to prevent them swallowing marbles, and the run is too complicated for young children to build themselves. The run comes with six marbles, which I think is too few; I bought an extra pack of 50 marbles and my child likes to put handfuls of marbles on it at a time, one after the other. Standard size small marbles fit the run. It's simple for adults to build the run, there are no instructions and they're not really needed. It's a big enough kit to be put together in various different ways. It's not too flimsy or unstable. It's not frustrating to put together and it generally doesn't fall down. Older children could probably build the run themselves but I'm not sure it would be quite so fascinating and enjoyable as it is for a three year old. Definitely get extra marbles to go with it. I'm not sure if extra kits can be purchased to increase the size of the run, which I think would be a good idea. But I'm giving it five stars anyway since it's so cheap that purchasing extra marbles and more track (which are also cheap) isn't much of an issue.

We've had this run since June and my kids still love playing with it. I bought it for my 5 yr old's birthday. He and his friends love it. Regarding the sturdiness - it's about as sturdy as they come - I'm not sure what people were expecting. Does it fall apart, occasionally, but it usually happens when they try to build it too tall or without strategically placing the base parts or if it gets knocked over because they are really excited about what they are doing. As a comparison, if my kids stacked Legos of all the same size bricks this tall it would fall apart as well. This really isn't a toy for a 2.5-3 yr old, my youngest constantly knocks it over and it falls apart when it topples over. He still loves to play with it, but needs help. I wasn't bothered by the lack of instructions, however, my wife did not agree at first. Part of the fun is building different runs and figuring out where the marbles will go. It really encourages problem solving, logic, creative thinking and reasoning skills. I wish we had bought the bigger set as the kids fight over the pieces. It's best for 1 or 2 kids. This is made of a hard thick rigid plastic. It will break before it bends though we haven't had any break. I do wish it had better storage - the cardboard box didn't last long and doesn't have a closure. Overall - one of the best toys we've bought.

Arrived very quickly. It was a gift but have heard the kids are enjoying it.

Très bon jeu pour tous les âges car on fait le circuit qu'on souhaite. Les billes en verre sont un plus. Bémol : il n'est pas très stable; Je recommande ce jeu qui amusera enfants, parents et grand-parents.

This product is great. There are endless options for creating a track or run for the marbles. This one is especially fun as it has so many parts, including moving parts in it. However this is a good starter set or basic set. There are a lot of pieces in this box and the package includes marbles. It is easy to put together and pull apart and every creation is different. The plastic is sturdy and when a tower is created it stands up well. It is a great toy for both independent play and playing together. We did end up purchasing another set which has a few more interesting pieces: James Galt 1004447 Murmelbahn The age range of this toy is wide, ranging from 3 year olds and up. It is very popular with my child and his friends, and I will admit that it is equally enjoyable for adults too. I would recommend this to a friend.

My 5 years old love it, he could spend hours on this!