Children use physical skills to erect the chute, and then use problem-solving skills to try to make the run of the marble last exactly one minute. Explain to your child that devices like these may have been used to measure time.

What this activity will develop:
Motor, art and thinking skills What you'll need:

• Paper-towel tubes
• Scissors
• Masking tape
• Marble
• Watch or clock with a second hand

1. Cut the paper-towel tubes in half lengthwise.
2. Tape the ends of the tubes together to create a hilly, curvy marble course. Cut and tape on shorter sections as needed for curves.
3. Make one end of the course higher by taping the end tube to a doorknob. Prop up other sections of the course with additional paper-towel tubes.

1. Test the marble run by measuring the length of time it takes for a marble to complete the course.
2. If the marble finished in less than one minute, add tubes to the course. If the marble is still running at the end of one minute, shorten the course.
3. Adjust the course until it measures one minute.
4. Test different-sized marbles to see if size makes a difference in how long the marble takes to run the course. Think of other ways to measure one minute.

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