5 Simple Grimm's Ball Runs You Can Build Today

A set of colourful wooden Grimm's blocks and arches arranged to create a ball run - on a light wood floor in a bright room,, with a small tray of round wooden beads nearby.

5 Simple Grimm's Ball Runs You Can Build Today

Feeling inspired by the incredible Grimm's ball runs on social media, but not sure where to start? You don't need a complicated setup to create hours of open-ended play. With just a few Grimm's Wooden Toys pieces, you can build ball runs that are simple, sturdy, and easy for little hands to fix and rebuild themselves.

At Oskar's Wooden Ark, we're always looking for play ideas that spark joy without the overwhelm — and these five ball runs do exactly that. With huge thanks to Jennifer (@jen.ma.bu) for generously sharing her expertise, her ball run designs, and her family's favourite way to play with Grimm's toys, we've pulled together this simple step-by-step guide.

See the Ball Runs in Action on YouTube →

1. 'Down the Rainbow Bridge' Ball Run

A beautifully simple design that makes the most of your Rainbow Bridge pieces.

You will need:

Natural Building Boards
Rainbow Bridge
Pastel Small Balls

Arrange the individual Rainbow Bridge pieces on a flat surface in descending height order
Leave approximately 5cm of space between each piece
Lay the Building Boards in two columns down the length of the arches
Allow approximately 1cm of space between the two columns for the ball to roll down

Ball run created with Grimm's Wooden Toys and building blocks at Oskar's Wooden Ark

2. 'Rainbow House' Ball Run

Colourful, playful, and a treat for little ears too - this one has a satisfying sound as the ball travels down.

You will need:

Natural Building Boards
Counting Rainbow
Stacking House
Pastel Small Balls

Arrange your largest Stacking House on a flat surface
Place the remaining Stacking House pieces on their sides in descending size order
Lay four Building Boards in a skinny V-shape, opening up towards the smallest Stacking House piece
Arrange your Counting Rainbow pieces upside down, side-by-side, in descending size order, using the Building Boards as support

3. 'Over-the-Top Rainbow' Ball Run

An epic build using your 1001 Nights Building Set and Pastel Rainbow- perfect for a bigger ball run adventure.

You will need:

Natural Building Boards
1001 Nights Building Set
Large Pastel Rainbow
Pastel Small Balls

Assemble blocks from the 1001 Nights Building Set to create the base of your structure
Place your Pastel Rainbow flush with the blocks, arranging the four largest arches in a series of steps
Add the remaining 1001 Nights blocks on top of the structure
Finish by placing a Building Board over the rainbow arches

4. 'Slip and Slide' Ball Run

A dynamic build with a proper "take off" point and a grand finale finish.

You will need:

Natural Building Boards
1001 Nights Building Set
Rainbow Bridge
Rainbow Stepped Roofs
Pastel Small Balls

Arrange the Rainbow Bridge pieces (excluding the largest red piece) in a small stepping formation
Use blocks from the 1001 Nights Set to build the base
Position the Building Boards in a V-shape over the 1001 Nights pieces, with no gaps between them
Place the largest Rainbow Bridge piece as a slide for the ball's take-off point
Add a couple of Stepped Roofs pieces at the end of the V-shape for a grand finale sound

5. 'Stairway to Grimm's Heaven' Ball Run

A striking, tiered design that brings together several of our favourite Grimm's sets.

You will need:

Large Stepped Pyramid
Rainbow Bridge
Rainbow Semi Circles
Counting Rainbow
Rainbow Stepped Roofs
Pastel Small Balls

Arrange the selected pieces of your Large Stepped Pyramid, then place two Stepped Roofs alongside the green blocks
Layer the Rainbow Bridge pieces upside down on top, descending in size, ensuring there are no gaps
Place the yellow Semi Circle on top of the three green pyramid blocks
Top with the purple Counting Rainbow arch, and add another arch at the end to stop the balls rolling away

Time to Get on a Roll

However you build them, ball runs are one of the simplest ways to bring open-ended, independent play into your home — and the best part is, when they fall apart, little hands can put them back together again.

We'd love to see your creations! Tag @oskarswoodenark and @jen.ma.bu on Instagram and Facebook using #oskarswoodenark.