My wonderful friend, Margi, who grew up in Zimbabwe (where kids knew how to entertain themselves!) taught me how to make this super cute Roly Poly Oppy Poppy Bead which wobbles and bobbles as it rolls down a half-pipe track.

Materials:

2″ x 4″ piece of aluminum foil
marble
small metal tin (like one that hold bandages or breath mints)
long carboard tube
scissors

Center your marble on one of the long sides of your foil piece then roll it up.

When you’re done rolling you will have formed a tube with the marble in the center.

 

Tightly pinch the open ends of the tube closed so that you have the rough shape of a giant pill.

 

Put the foil covered marble inside the metal tin. Close the lid and shake vigorously. The harder and longer you shake, the better your Oppy Poppy Bead will be.

Open the tin and remove the bead which will now be smooth, shiny and perfectly pill shaped.

Next, make a half-pipe track for your bead. Use scissors to cut your cardboard tube in half long ways so you have two long open half pipes.

Prop one end of one half-pipe track on the edge of a chair of coffee table. Set the Oppy Poppy at the top of the half pipe and watch it wobble end over end down the track.

For extra fun, make another bead, grab a friend and set up the half-pipe tracks side by side for an Oppy Poppy Roly Poly Derby!