If you've ever played with marble run toys you'll have an edge in this Minute to Win It game. Instead of marble track though, here you'll be laying down office supplies to create a run for the marble.
The length of the setup procedure might appear daunting, but they're simple steps and this game is a lot of fun. Well worth the few minutes it'll take you to put everything together.
The Goal
The goal of Layin' Track is to set up a series of stapler refill sections to create a track for a rolling marble. There are obstacles to get over as well, and the marble will have to land inside a cup at the end.
Equipment Needed
There are quite a few materials required to set up this game, but they're common supplies and it really doesn't take long to put everything together. Here's what you'll need:
- A box of standard-sized staples (the ones that come in chunky sections - keep the sections together)
- At least one standard-sized marble
- Six erasers (the basic rectangular pink ones are preferable, but use what you have on hand as long as they're fairly flat)
- One drinking glass, about pint-sized
- Poster putty or double-sided tape
- Four reams of paper
- One table that's at least four feet long (and if it's longer you'll also need a ruler or measuring tape)
- A one-minute timer or stop watch
Set Up the Game
Before you can jump in and play there are a couple of things to set up.
- If your table is longer than four feet, measure four feet from one end and mark the spot across the table. This is where the track will begin.
- Affix one section of staples to the finish end of the table using poster putty or double sided tape - the staples should be upside down so that the marble can run along the "scoop" in the center. The end of the staple section should be flush with the end of the table.
- Place two reams of paper under each leg of the table nearest the starting point to create a tilt.
- Affix three groups of two erasers at random points on the table - these will act as obstacles, you so want to place them where the path of staples will run.
- Place the drinking glass at the end of the table directly beneath the section of staples you've affixed. The marble will fall into the glass at the end of the run, so test your placement a couple of times by rolling a marble off the staple section to make sure it falls in the glass.
- Finally, place the open box of staples and the marbles near the starting point so the player has easy access to them.
How to Play
The player stands at the starting end of the table. When the one-minute timer begins, he or she can start building a marble run using upside-down staple sections. The course can go however and wherever the player likes. When the run is complete, he or she must run the marble along the track - if it stays on the course and lands in the cup at the end, it's a success. Of course this has to be accomplished before the timer runs out.
The Rules
There are a few rules to keep in mind while playing Layin' Track:
- The marble must run along all sections of staples that are laid down for the track
- If the run doesn't work, the player may keep trying until the timer runs out
- The staple track must cross over all of the erasers
Tips and Tricks
The best tip for this game is the most obvious: make the straightest, most basic track you possibly can. You don't want to set up extra hurdles when you're on the clock. Make sure that all of your staples sections run seamlessly together to avoid jumps or bounces.
The blueprint with video instructions for this game can be found at NBC.com.
