Educational Benefits of VertiPlay STEM Toys Marble Run
Playing with a toy as versatile and dynamic as Oribel's VertiPlay Marble Run nurtures children's soft skills and is one of the most practical ways to acquire STEM skills. Here we have detailed out exactly how the various aspects of Marble run can hone different skillsets in your child.
1. Engineering or ability to build something from scratch
While there are guides and ideas to start playing with the Marble Run. Soon enough, most kids like to create their own run. Slopes, turns, gravity, heights, and more – building a Marble Run from scratch is challenging and teaches the fundamental concepts of engineering in a practical way.
2. Problem solving and trial and error, “Will it work if I ….?”
Marble Run teaches kids how to solve problems by thinking about how to approach them from various angles. Kids will learn how to use trial and error to find the best possible assembly for the tracks. New challenges are submitted regularly on loveoribel.com/challenges
3. Math
Depending on the age of the kid, a lot of math can naturally be incorporated when building a Marble Run. For example, how fast does the marble go down the Marble Run (count or use a stopwatch)? Predicting which ball will be fastest or estimating how long it will take to complete the marble run are other math concepts that can be incorporated.
4. Creativity
Playing with the Marble Run is completely open-ended. There are lots of ways to build and construct Marble Run, so the possibilities are endless. One can get more creative by adding new characters to tell a story. For example, this story of Saving Sully.
5. Spatial thinking
In order to build something, we need to think about what it will look like when it’s done. We also need to adapt and change our plans as needed while we build. When building a Marble Run, kids need to consider the space available, the amount or type of pieces they have, and what the goals are. These are all spatial skills that will help children when they’re older, especially with math and science.
6. Patience
It can take a LONG time to build a big Marble Run. It can also take time to make something new, work or figure out how to successfully connect different pieces. Persistence pays, watching the ball run down a self-designed course.
7. Imagination
All the colors, shapes, and different types of pieces, combined with constructing a Marble Run that’s long, tall, super-fast, has many starting points, etc gives plenty of opportunities for children to use their imaginations.
8. Encourages goal-setting
Making a Marble Run teaches kids how to set short-term and long-term goals to get what they aim for. This is done through the child first assembling separate parts of the track then finally putting it all together to form one cohesive track for the marbles.
9. Gives a sense of gratification and reward
Marble Run gives young kids’ the validation they need to have confidence in their abilities. By receiving the visual reward of watching the ball go through the track after spending an amount of time building the whole structure, kids appreciate the fact that their hard work led them to something tangible they can see.
10. Promotes teamwork and collaboration
When playing with siblings or friends, marble run teaches kids to cooperate and collaborate to achieve common goals. We encourage kids to play collaboratively, challenge their friends and also share their creations with us. That’s why we started – loveoribel.com/challenges
This modular toy, like the rest of our VertiPlay range, sticks to the wall and becomes an interactive playground, full of obstacle courses for the marble using ramps and wheels. There are different extensions possible, creating fun challenges so that the toy never gets boring! As your child plays, soft skills and STEM skills are both honed.