When Play Evolves: Watching My Almost 13-Year-Old Build
When I first designed the Imagimags Marble Run, I had a clear picture in mind: children bringing motion to their builds with chutes and curves. What I didn’t realise was how complex the designs can become and how long the play can last.
My eldest is turning 13 next month. Usually by this age, the time of toys has come to end. They’ve been handed on or packed away. And play has moved on to screens. Yet our lounge floor is still covered in tiles, tiles, and more tiles, tubes and wooden balls.
When he was younger, it was all about the immediate thrill of the drop. Today, his builds are full-scale engineering experiments. As his understanding of physics and structural balance has matured, his creations have evolved into intricate awe-inspiring builds. He’s intuitively calculating angles and problem solving when balls get stuck. Throughout, he’s balancing the need to keep tiles aside to support the structure he has in mind, with the desire to build it as big and high as possible. What a life-lesson is that: how much can I spend now, and go big, versus what I need to save in case I need it later to support my goals!!
To be honest, the structures he builds today have completely surpassed anything I ever imagined when I was designed the set.
This is why the Marble Run is a natural second step after a Foundation Set. It gives children the chance to add dynamic movement to builds. In our home this has meant: ramps into car garages with Hot Wheels driven down the slopes; forts with quick exit chutes for knights to escape and most recently an entire amusement park of water slides and rollercoasters.
Clicking the slopes into the tiles does take dexterity and strength, which is why we recommend the Marble Run for ages 5 and up. There is a booklet included for build ideas. Once your child has the hang of it, I encourage you to sit and watch them, and just be amazed and inspired by their creativity.