About a month ago, SmartMax sent us their Mega Ball Run for our girls to try out. At our local toy store, there is a different type of ball run (it’s a marble run) and my girls absolutely love to play with it. I thought this might be a fun take on the concept.

What I Love

My very favorite thing about this set is that children can use the pieces in such a wide variety of ways. In contrast to a more traditional marble run, which is only designed to created 3D designs, you can use SmartMax pieces to make designs that lay flat, as well. I love the ideas shown in the booklet for making all sorts of fun creatures and shapes. Layah has enjoyed building these, in particular.

I also love that the balls in this set are larger, and not as likely to be lost as marbles. They also don’t present the same choking hazard for little ones that marbles would.

And finally, I love that the shape of the components lends itself to quite a wide array of building possibilities. Unlike the ball run I had as a child, this one allows much more room for the imagination.

What I Don’t Love

When it comes to constructing 3D models, the sheer number of pieces needed is quite large (some of the examples provided we couldn’t make due to not having enough pieces, even with the 74 piece set) and the downside of the magnetic construction component is the fact that if you aren’t careful when touching your design, it can fall apart rather easily. It actually took me a while to get some photos of a fully constructed ball run for this very reason.

My 6 1/2 year old seems to be able to construct that more complicated designs, but not without a lot of falling apart happening in the process, which does sometimes cause her to simply give up. My youngest (just turned 4) is not able to construct the 3D stuff on her own, and that did surprise me because she loves to build with LEGOs, so it’s not simply a matter of a lack of practice with constructing things.

So overall, I think this is not the ideal fit for every kid, but it is a good option for younger kids, maybe right around 3, with a focus on the flat designs and getting used to how the set works. It’s also a good choice for a little one who would enjoy a ball run but who might have a younger sibling who doesn’t need to be around marbles. 74 pieces are included in the set, and additional sets are available for expansion. The set retails for $130 and you can find it (for a better price!) on Amazon.