Ravensburger GraviTrax: Starter-Set | Innovative Marble Run & STEM Toy for Kids Ages 8+ | Engaging & Educational Building Game

Fun!
Fun learning activities with the kids! Great for kids who like building and seeing how things work! This was a fun project!

Amazing game for boys
Amazing game. Keeps my 12 year old son busy for hours. We got some more. 3 boxes

First Impression: Almost Perfect!
I admit I have a certain fascination with marble runs, even as an adult. This one is different from anything else I’ve seen on the market, so naturally, I had to buy it. It arrived yesterday, and I’ve been experimenting with it for hours. This set is a lot of fun, and it’s almost perfect, especially compared to the other marble runs I’ve had.The hexagonal grid is definitely unique, and takes a bit of thinking at first to get the pieces oriented properly. That’s a good thing, though, right? 🙂 The marbles (actually steel ball bearings) stay on the track 99% of the time. The pieces don’t actually lock together, and occasionally you’ll accidentally bump something and knock a piece off, but it’s usually easy enough to put it back. It’s not really an issue for older kids and adults, but a young child whose lacks dexterity would get frustrated very quickly.I was a little surprised that the base plates are actually just cardboard … heavy cardboard … but cardboard nonetheless. It’s only been a day, but they seem to be holding up fine so far. Other than the cardboard base plates and the steel ball bearings, everything else is plastic. From the video, I kind of thought the silver track pieces would be metal, but they’re also plastic, and obviously need to be handled carefully.It comes with instructions in several languages (each language has its own pamphlet), and there are two pattern books that show different layouts, starting with simple ones all the way up to harder ones. I found them all to be super-simple, because it shows you step-by-step what to do, and where to put everything. Make sure you have your base plates turned the same way they do in the book, and use the green hexagons as guides so that you put the pieces in the proper places. Even the most complicated layout only took me about 15 or 20 minutes to do. It’s worth mentioning that some of their layouts that use the cannon (included) , and I had to alter those to make them work. The cannon is surprisingly powerful, and would almost always send the ball shooting right out of the track. One ball has already rolled behind my desk and seems to have vanished from the face of the earth. They only give you 6 balls, and all 6 are needed for the more complicated cannon layouts, so that’s a little frustrating. I did order all of the expansion sets and the other two “tricks” (loop and hammer), and there are supposed to be extra balls included with some of those. I wish all of the balls were colored, but it’s not a huge deal. I got a red one, a blue one, a green one, and 3 silver ones.I like that the launch pad has a button that launches the balls simultaneously, making races more fun. The clear level platform pieces are sturdy and it’s nice to be able to see through them. I wouldn’t recommend building underneath the centers of the platforms, though, because if something needs to be repaired or changed, there’s often no room to reach under and fix it. If you do build under it, stay close to the edges where you can more easily reach the tracks, otherwise you’ll find yourself carefully lifting the whole platform and hoping it doesn’t come apart. 😉 I wish the vortex piece was bigger so the balls would take longer to spin around it. Sometimes they just kind of drop through without any spinning action.Unlike some other marble runs, this set tends to be more horizontal than it is vertical. In other words, you’re gonna need a big table. The four base plates measure a little over 24″ square when assembled in a 2×2 layout.The starter set alone gives you a decent amount of pieces to play with, but you’ll probably find yourself wanting the expansion kits and the add-on “tricks”. The video that’s in the listing is a little misleading, because you don’t get the loop or the hammer with the starter set. Those are extra. They also show more than one set in the video, so go by the written list of contents rather than what you see in the video. I wish they sold individual pieces separately, because some items are only available in the starter set. I would’ve liked to have a spare launch pad, a spare catcher, etc, but best as I can tell, you’d have to buy a second starter set to get more of some of the items. You might consider buying two starter sets and the “tricks” add-ons, rather than a starter set, the two expansion kits, and the “tricks”. The cost difference isn’t much. It just depends on which pieces are most important to you. EDIT: Yes, in hindsight, I wish I’d simply ordered two starter kits rather than the expansion kits. It’s about $7-8 more, but you get a lot more stuff.Value-wise, yeah, it’s a bit overpriced for plastic, cardboard, and steel, but it’s nicely designed, and you do get hours and hours worth of fun for the money.The set is very nicely packaged in a sturdy box (great for storage) and arrived in perfect condition.Edited to add this tip: If you have several level platforms and run out of the gray/black height tiles, use paper towel or toilet paper rolls cut to the right size instead. That’ll free up a good number of height tiles, without having to buy more. 🙂 Usually 3 stacks of the height tiles are needed to support a level platform. I still use one stack of height tiles to make sure the platform stays in place, but I’ve been able to replace the remaining two stacks of height tiles with paper towel rolls. (Hope that makes sense.)

Overall it’s great. Just a few cons.
Pros:Variety of components for creativity.Fun learning of STEM concepts.Infinite track design possibilities.Expandable with cool accessories.Enjoyed by kids and adults.Durable.Cons:Initial setup can be complex.Additional expansions are pricey.Needs ample space for building.Pieces don’t always securely connect.Marbles are quite small (tough for kids).

Bought this for my 8yo. He is enjoying it a lot. He has played with many other marble run toys. He says this is the best so far!

Très bon jeux , acheter pour Noël.Arrive en bonne état et rapidement.

Il Ravensburger GraviTrax Starter Kit è un gioco innovativo ed educativo progettato per coinvolgere e divertire bambini e adulti attraverso la costruzione di percorsi mozzafiato. Con più di 125 componenti, l’obiettivo è far rotolare più biglie contemporaneamente fino al traguardo, sfruttando i principi magnetici, cinematici e gravitazionali. Scopriamo insieme i suoi punti di forza e alcune considerazioni da prendere in considerazione:👍 Pro:Ampio Set di Componenti: Il GraviTrax Starter Kit offre una vasta gamma di componenti, dando ai giocatori la possibilità di progettare piste creative e avvincenti. Questa ricchezza di pezzi consente un alto grado di personalizzazione, rendendo ogni tracciato un’esperienza unica e stimolante.Apprendimento STEM: Questo gioco va oltre il semplice intrattenimento, offrendo un’esperienza di apprendimento coinvolgente. I principi scientifici legati alla gravità, cinetica e magnetismo vengono messi in pratica in modo divertente e pratico, stimolando l’interesse dei giocatori per la scienza.Creatività Illimitata: Con GraviTrax, la creatività raggiunge nuove vette. I giocatori possono liberare la loro inventiva costruendo mondi di percorsi personalizzati con diversi livelli di difficoltà. Le possibilità sono infinite, permettendo ai giocatori di esprimere la loro immaginazione in modo coinvolgente.Accessori e Espansioni: Il kit include già l’accessorio Cannone magnetico, ma è possibile aggiungere ulteriori espansioni per arricchire ulteriormente l’esperienza di gioco. Questo consente di estendere il divertimento nel tempo, mantenendo sempre viva l’entusiasmante sfida di costruzione.👎 Contro:Possibile Complessità: A causa della vasta gamma di componenti e dei principi scientifici coinvolti, alcuni giocatori potrebbero trovare la curva di apprendimento iniziale un po’ impegnativa. Tuttavia, una volta che i concetti di base sono compresi, il gioco diventa più agevole e gratificante.Costo delle Espansioni: Nonostante il kit di base offra un’esperienza completa, alcune espansioni potrebbero richiedere costi aggiuntivi. Ciò va preso in considerazione quando si desidera arricchire la collezione di pezzi per rendere i percorsi ancora più stimolanti.Richiede Spazio: Poiché la costruzione dei percorsi può diventare piuttosto estesa e coinvolgente, è necessario disporre di uno spazio adeguato per giocare senza dover smontare continuamente le creazioni.VALUTAZIONE FINALEIl Ravensburger GraviTrax Starter Kit è un viaggio entusiasmante nel mondo della scienza e della creatività. Con una vasta selezione di componenti, offre un’esperienza di apprendimento STEM coinvolgente per bambini e adulti. La possibilità di creare percorsi personalizzati stimola la creatività dei giocatori e li tiene impegnati a lungo. Sebbene possa richiedere un po’ di tempo per familiarizzare con i principi scientifici coinvolti, il GraviTrax Starter Kit rappresenta una scelta eccellente per chiunque sia appassionato di costruzioni e giochi che combinano divertimento e apprendimento. Sia che tu sia un giovane esploratore o un adulto curioso, GraviTrax ti offre un’esperienza di gioco avvincente e mozzafiato.