A marble run answers a child faster than any adult can. The marble either reaches the bottom or it stops halfway, and there is nothing to argue with. That is why a child who will not finish a jigsaw will rebuild a run six times in an afternoon, moving one column each go until the drop finally works.

This set holds 70 pieces and 10 different shapes: 32 magnetic square track tiles, 10 long straight slides that double as supporting columns, 8 quarter round turns, 4 straight slides, 4 U turn slides, 2 centrifugal funnels, 2 slopes, 2 triangles, 1 square tile, 1 dome cap and 4 weighted marbles. The two funnels are the pieces that make a run worth watching, because a marble entering one spirals before it drops instead of simply falling.

The tiles are translucent, so the marble stays visible through the tunnels rather than disappearing. Everything here connects to the rest of the full size PicassoTiles range, which means the run can be built straight through a tower that is already standing. PicassoTiles prints Ages 3 to 99 on the box and states that the plastic is BPA free and non toxic with smooth rounded edges.