What are your favorite marble runs?

[Angel]

My dd's have been interested in marble runs for a year or two. We are looking at maybe getting one this Christmas and was wondering which ones you liked best. This might be something older dd will actually do with the younger. :glare:

 

Thanks!

[hornblower]

IMO Quercetti makes awesome marble runs. We only have a basic one & I'm not sure whether my son is now too old for the big skyrail one but I covet it.....

 

http://www.treasuretrovetoys.co.uk/asp/skyrail.asp

 

Not sure about their entire product line but the several toys we have from Quercetti are also all made in Europe - no made in China stuff.

[Bonnie in VA]

It's expensive, but sturdy. We tried a plastic marble run, and it was frustrating because the support legs would not stay in place. My kids (even the younger ones) can play with the Quadrilla without getting (too) frustrated.

 

Bonnie

[mamapjama]

I researched marble runs a lot last year. My son really loved making his own and we loved to watch the marble runs on you tube. I was hesitant that buying a kit would take away from him building his own creations (it has :( Being that I avoid plastic as much as possible it was, at that time, narrowed down to Haba and Quadrilla. The Haba has some fun pieces - a staircase, something with a bell, and a waterwheel type piece. But those pieces were quite expensive and hard to get here. After alot of discussion the main feautres of the Quadrilla sets were that they were quite stable (my 2 year old does knock them down, but the pieces fit into each other nicely for my 6 year old), there are some great designs and the child can create their own designs, there are extension kits, and I like that it can be quite contained. We have a sand table that my dh made a few years ago and the quadrilla is now on that table (has sides on it) so the marbles all stay on the table.

 

I do think a set like the Haba may have more for it along the lines of creativity, but the Quadrilla does promote that as well. It is just because the pieces work certain ways that it is a tiny bit limiting.

 

My son loves it and it has provided many, many hours of entertainment. He got it last Christmas and uses it daily (he's 6)

 

HTH

[Stacia]

Agreeing w/ the recs for the Quercetti Skyrail runs. Big hit here.

[Annie Laurie]

We have the Quercetti with the elevator- that sky rail looks way cooler but it was my for my 4 yr old who really wanted the elevator one and is much too young for anything more elaborate. The biggest draw for me was that it's not made in China. However, the kids play with frigits the most, as do the kids who come over to play. It consists of magnetic pieces you can arrange. We've had it for years and unfortunately, it's made in China.

[Angel]

Thank you. This is great information. How many pieces were in the sets that you bought? Regarding the wooden set, I've seen one in the Timberdoodle catalog. It seemed like there were not as many combinations you could make with the wooden, am I wrong? Are there just as many ways of building and designing the wooden pieces as with the plastic?

 

Thanks so much. This is a great help.