Idea & Physical Concepts

The idea of the game is to set up two distinct tracks to see which marble makes it to the end faster. The child, or children put the two marbles at the top of the track. One child the presses the release button between them. The marbles should always make to to the end at just about the same time because the two tracks are the same length and the tops and bottoms are the same height. This toy teaches about kinetic and potential energy.

Production & Sales

Most of the pieces in the set are easily mass-produced which should keep production costs down. There are the pylons, which are stackable and all identical, the track couplings, which are also all identical, four plastic wires, and the base. The cost could probably be about $30-$40. It would be made of a hard plastic so it would be somewhat durable, but if any of the pieces broke, they would be easily replaceable. There are a few safety hazards associated with this toy. Small children could eat the marbles, strangle themselves with the wire, and otherwise hurt themselves in an unforseen manner. I would recommend this toy for ages 10 and up.