Homemade Handheld Marble Run: A Visual Motor Integration + Bilateral Coordination Game

Improve visual perceptual skills and bilateral coordination as well as fine motor skills with this homemade marble run game. This occupational therapy-based game is made with upcycled materials, and is fun and engaging for the whole family. Use as a therapeutic tool during therapy sessions or at home to continue working on upper body skills or, of course, create this game just for fun to play with family and friends.

Years ago, I made a simple marble run, similar to today’s project, for the pediatric therapy center I was working at. So many kids used it. It was made using a sturdy, thick box and toilet paper rolls just like today. I’d see it floating around the therapy center, and everytime it made me smile. So many skills were being practiced with so many kids. For such a simple and quick project, it had a pretty big impact.

What Is A Handheld Marble Run?

A marble run is a handheld game that uses a marble to go through small tunnels inside an open-faced box. The goal of the game is to make the marble go through/under designated tubes or openings. These designated tubes can be numbered or colored so that a certain path has to be achieved. The tubes can also be unnumbered in which any path can be chosen.

Confined to a handheld box, the marble run is easily made using hot glue and empty toilet paper rolls.

What Skills Does The Homemade Marble Run Work On?

The DIY handheld marble run game that we are making today, works on a variety of visual perceptual skills as well as upper body skills including bilateral coordination. This occupational therapy-based visual perceptual game is a fun and engaging way to work on specific upper body, fine motor, and visual motor skills.

In addition, since we will be hand making our marble run game ourselves, a variety of fine motor and upper body skills will also be used while creating our marble run as well. As an occupational therapist, I love activities that use a variety of skills such as this one. Let’s review some of the upper body and fine motor skills that will be addressed while making and playing this game.

Fine Motor + Upper Body Skills When Making The Marble Run

Fine motor strength is the strength of the muscles in the hands, wrists and fingers that allow us to perform various tasks using our hands including the ability to pinch, grasp, and manipulate objects. Todays project focuses on strengthening the fine motor muscles of the hand through scissoring.
Scissoring skills: Work on scissor skills by focusing on holding the scissors correctly in an upright position while cutting the toilet paper rolls. Cutting the toilet paper rolls provides the individual with opportunity to work on increasing muscle strength while cutting due to the thickness of the toilet paper rolls. Need adaptive scissors? Check out these adaptive DIY self opening scissors.
The pincer grasp is a fine motor grasp that uses the tips of the index finger and thumb to grasp small objects. We use this grasp to pick up small items such as beads, cheerios, small wads of paper and crumbs. The pincer grasp can be used to pick up the cut toilet paper rings. The three prong grasp, which uses the thumb, index, and middle fingers to pick up small objects, can also be used to pick up the toilet paper rings.
Bilateral coordination is the ability to use both sides of the body during an activity in a controlled and organized way. While scissoring or coloring the toilet paper rings, the skills of bilateral coordinationa are being used.
Hand eye coordination a subcomponent of visual motor integration uses both the hands and the eyes together in a coordinated manner to complete a task such as while making this handheld game.
Isolating the index finger is the ability to move just the index finger while the other fingers maintain their position. For example, pointing the index finger to pop a bubble is the ability to isolate the index. While creating the homemade marble maze, you can focus on isolating the index finger when holding the toilet paper tunnels in place after gluing. As always, use caution when working with hot glue.

Fine Motor + Upper Body Skills Used While Playing The Marble Run

When playing the marble run game, you will also be working on the following skills:

Visual perception is the brain’s ability to take in, interpret, and make sense of visual information. Throughout this project whether playing the marble run game or just working on making it, uses the skill of visual perception.
Visual tracking is the ability to move your eyes to focus and follow moving objects. In this case, visual tracking is used while playing the game to track and follow the marble or pom pom.
Bilateral Coordination, as stated above, is the ability to use both sides of the body during an activity in a controlled and organized way. When adjusting the marble run to move the marble in a specific direction, bilateral coordination skills are being used.
Hand-eye coordination, as mentioned above, is a subcomponent of visual motor integration uses both the hands and the eyes together in a coordinated manner to complete a task. Hand-eye coordination skills are being challenged while playing the marble run. Each time the marble or pom pom is adjusted and the direction is changed, it is because the eyes and the hands are working together to get the marble to a designed tunnel.
The pincer grasp: As stated above, the pincer grasp is the ability to pick up small objects using the tips of your index finger and thumb. Focus on using the pincer grasp when picking the marble or pom pom.

How To Grade It To Make It More Challenging

Add a number to each one of the toilet paper roll tunnels to designate a specific path the marble has to go through.
With a partner, time each other to see who can complete the path in numbered order without skipping any numbers.
Color or paint each toilet paper ring a different color. Before starting, call out a series of colors to be followed as a path in sequential order around the marble run. Start with calling out just a few colors, then as successful, call out additional colors.

How To Grade It To Make It Easier

Consider using a small pom pom instead of a marble. The pom pom will roll slower making it easier to direct the pom pom to a specific location.
Add fewer toilet paper tunnels to the maze to make it easier. Add additional rings as successes are seen.
Use a smaller box so that the pom pom or marble stays more controlled.
If color contrast is needed so that the users can more easily see and process where the toilet paper tunnels are, color the toilet paper tunnels a bright colors such as bright red, green or yellow so that they can be more easily seen. This will be especially helpful if the box and the toilet paper rolls are similar in color.

Special Precautions

Only adults should use a hot glue gun to avoid injuries and burns.
Use safety scissors when needed with children.
Marbles and pom poms are a choking hazard. Use caution when working with young children. This activity is not intended for children under the age of 3 years or for those who chew on non-food items.

How To Make A Homemade DIY Marble Run

Materials

Box with 4 sides and an open top
Packing tape, optional
Empty toilet paper tubes
Scissors
Hot glue, super glue, or tape

Instructions

Prepare the box ensuring it has 4 secure sides, a secure bottom, and an open top. Cut and tape sides as needed.
Cut the toilet paper rolls in half length wise.
Using the half toilet paper roll, cut ½” tunnels or wider. Vary the sizes as you choose.
Prepare the toilet paper rings by adding feet to each end. To do this, bend the ends of each half ring by ¼” to the outside as seen in the photo. This will be the portion of the tube you will glue or tape to the box.
Plan out your marble run by placing the half rings in their approximate position, and glue or tape in place once you have settled on your placement. Make sure your tunnel’s height is high enough for your pom pom or marble to fit through.