Review on Gifts2U Educational Construction Marbles Parent Child by Johnny Wheat

I used to be a children's librarian in Vermont and I LOVED our marble walkway. It was big, strong, and had enough detail that I could EASILY build a 6ft or even 7ft multi-tower track. Perhaps my biggest issue with this product is that this is exactly what I expected when I bought it. I spent about $20 on this marble race after the December 2020 holidays (I think the price has gone up $1 or $2 since then). I probably should have known better than to expect a $20 7ft masterpiece. At the same time, getting what you pay for is not that scary. The parts are thin but strong enough - there was a broken piece of pipe in my kit. There is also a piece of chimney which I thought was broken at first, but it could only serve as a window chimney because the break is clean and at least looks intentional. However, this piece is also unusable because although they cut it, the connection was messed up so it doesn't fit into another piece of tubing. So 2 pieces of pipe out of 52, not so bad. Other included parts are listed in the item listing EXCEPT small yellow accessories such as wheels and swivels. They come in a separate bag and each accessory only goes with a specific element of the slide, but good luck figuring out which one - there are no words in the instructions, just a few blurry images of finished maze setups, so you'll have to figure out which one Accessories which handset connects to based on these images. Don't worry, I eventually got it, but it probably should have been in any compilation of included parts. The tallest (solid enough) barrel must be a maximum of 3 feet high. In fact, I built the lane two feet high, and that seems to be the best measure of how high it can go before the balls get stuck because the tower is moving too much. Finally, I have no idea why there is a picture of a baby on the list because these balloons are SMALL. For example, no one under the age of 6 or 7 should really play with them until the child is old enough to NEVER put anything in their mouths other than food. These balls are even smaller than regular ones and I imagine they pose an undue choking hazard. The packaging says 4+, but even with a close eye on a child like a hawk they pose a SIGNIFICANT CHOKING RISK until they completely stop putting toys in their mouth (or nose). They're also small enough that a determined child can absolutely get their nose on it, no matter how small). Admittedly, perhaps despite the high demands I unknowingly place on myself. Once you put the pieces together they are strong and dense enough that the balls will go through the trays without getting stuck (as mentioned above some less durable designs tend to get my balls stuck in the rails and some other accessories ) and you can just build a 2 foot tower, no problem. Hoses and accessories connect well, but are easy to disassemble. Lots of balloons not to worry about losing a pair (unless you have pets or kids who could choke on them). Comes in a large box with parts, all in individual bags to begin with, but the box is big enough to hold them all once the bags are opened. The balls are divided into two bags of dimes. All in all, you get your $20, which is both bad and good.