Cascade 120

• 120 pieces including a crank lift, a bell, a spinner and a seesaw switch
• The lift carries marbles back up, so one run keeps going in a loop
• Precision-milled beech: grooves stay true, so marbles don’t fall off
• Compatible with the most common 4.5 cm wooden block systems

Cascade 120 is a wooden marble run with 96 track and tower blocks, a set of special pieces and 20 glass marbles. The centrepiece is a crank lift: turn the handle and a spiral carries marbles back to the top, so the run can go round in a loop for as long as someone is cranking.

What children learn without noticing

Every marble run is an experiment in gravity, angle and momentum. Too steep and the marble flies off the track; too flat and it stops. Children find this out in the first ten minutes and then spend hours tuning their builds. The seesaw switch sends alternate marbles left and right, which is a child’s first logic gate. The bell is there because finishing a run deserves a sound.

From the booklet to their own designs

The 24 designs in the booklet go from a five-minute zigzag to a 55 cm tower with three levels. Most children follow the booklet for a week and then never open it again. Pieces are milled to 4.5 cm modules, the size most wooden block systems use, so Cascade 120 combines with blocks you may already have.

Why wood

A wooden run is slower and quieter than a plastic one, and you can hear the marble on every piece. Beech is hard enough that the grooves keep their shape after years of marbles rolling over them.

Warning: contains marbles and small parts. Not suitable for children under three.

What’s in the box

• 96 track and tower blocks
• 1 crank lift tower
• 1 bell
• 1 spinner
• 1 seesaw switch
• 20 glass marbles
• Cotton storage pouch
• Build booklet with 24 designs

Size, materials and care

Size: 40 × 30 × 55 cm (W × D × H), 4.8 kg. Materials: FSC beech wood, birch plywood, glass marbles. Recommended age: 5 years and up.

Wipe with a dry cloth. Store the marbles in the cotton pouch.

Safety

Tested to EN 71-1, EN 71-2, EN 71-3 and CE marked. Small parts warning: not for children under 3.

Questions about Cascade 120

What age is a wooden marble run suitable for?

Cascade 120 is labelled 5 and up because of the 16 mm glass marbles and the planning that bigger builds need. Four-year-olds can build with help if no younger siblings are around.

Does the marble run work with other brands?

Our blocks use a 4.5 cm module, the most common size for wooden marble runs and building blocks. Most pieces combine with other 4.5 cm systems, but special pieces like the lift are designed for Cascade.

Can I buy extra marbles?

Any 16 mm glass marble works. Smaller marbles fall through the switch; larger ones get stuck in the lift.