DIY toy guide
Toilet-Roll Marble Run
A cardboard wall of tubes that sends treats tumbling for a cat to chase
Glue empty toilet-roll tubes at angles onto a cardboard backing so a dropped treat or lightweight ball zig-zags down through them — a homemade 'marble run' your cat can watch, wait for and pounce on at the bottom.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
🧺 You will need
- 5-8 empty toilet-roll or kitchen-roll tubes
- A flat piece of cardboard for the backing (an old box side works well)
- Non-toxic glue or tape
- Lightweight balls, kibble or treats to roll through
- Scissors
🔧 How to make it
- Cut some of the tubes in half lengthways to make open chutes and leave others whole as full tunnels.
- Arrange them on the cardboard backing in a zig-zag, each one tilted so the exit of one lines up above the entrance of the next.
- Glue or tape each tube firmly in place, checking that a treat rolls smoothly from top to bottom.
- Prop the finished board upright against a wall or the side of a sofa at a gentle angle.
- Drop a treat or light ball into the top and let your cat track it zig-zagging down to the bottom.
- Reset and repeat, gradually adding more tubes or steeper angles as your cat gets the idea.
💡 Tips
- Use your cat's normal kibble so the game doubles as part of a meal.
- A crinkly foil ball or a ping-pong ball makes a satisfying rattle as it travels.
- Angle the run over a rug so treats do not scatter far when they reach the floor.
Safety: Use only non-toxic glue and let it dry fully before play, and supervise cats who like to chew cardboard so they eat the treats, not the tubes. Remove and replace the board once it becomes soggy or chewed.
📝 Notes
Cost is essentially free if you save tubes and cardboard from the recycling. The build takes about twenty minutes plus drying time, and can be made grander over time by adding more tubes, bells or a catch-tray at the bottom.