When it comes to learning these days, there are so many opportunities for kids to use their problem solving skills. In recent years since technology has been around, kids are learning to use their knowledge and research to solve problems. So this DIY marble race game was a perfect activity to get away from screen time.
STEM itself isn’t new however it plays a big role in education now in schools and education. So what is STEM?
STEM?
What does STEM stand for? Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Thats basically it! A lot of activities these days are based on problem solving. Even without technology kids are driven to think and figure out answers through play.
Which is why, when an opportunity comes by, educators are striving to bring out the budding little scientists and engineers of the future. We LOVE problem solving activities and this one is a favourite in our house!
Marble Game
These marble race games are so fun to create and fun to play with afterwards.
My son and I have been building these marble races since he was 2! And he is almost 10 now. Building a marble race game isn’t as easy as it looks or sounds. It takes a lot of brain work. But over the years my son has wanted to make his games more complex and put a lot more thought into them.
To make these marble race games you only need a few items.
- A Cardboard Box (any size)
- Crafts Sticks (we had these larger ones but thinner/smaller sticks will work too)
- Hot Glue (works best)
- Scissors
- Any other items that will work for tunnels etc!
- MARBLES!!
Strategy
Depending on what size box you are using, your maze has endless opportunities. We have used long boxes, wide boxes and even shoe boxes. We used larger craft sticks which are easier to cut than the small wooden ones. These large sticks are bright and colourful so they add a nice touch to the game.
The craft sticks are rounded at the ends. I chopped these rounded edges off so that they would connect better when making the maze.
Gluing the sticks on is simple enough but if your kids are small, they will need help with this part. My daughter didn’t do any of the building but she gave us input on where she wanted the pieces.
As far as design goes, it is completely up to the kids where and how they want their maze. As I mentioned before, since we’ve done this many times, my son has gotten more precise with where he places the pieces. Thats where the thinking comes in.
He always strives to make it more of a challenge for the marble and the player.
We have used cardboard tubes to make tunnels. This time around my son tweaked his design a little. He added a slide, a tunnel, a jumping ramp and even a see through box to catch the marble in lol!
Added Extras
He also added some stars to this latest ‘model’ to make your way around the maze. Even at a dead end, you must collect the stars before you make it to the end, apparently. 😆
Adding little extras like ramps and tunnels makes the game a little more of a challenge.
And if your kids are competitive like mine, then the added stars or points give them a purpose when making their way around the maze.
Individual Mazes
Whatever size box you decide to use for your marble race game, can contribute to what you add to your maze. We’ve used all different kinds of boxes, including an old ukulele box which was an interesting shape to work with. As I mentioned before however you can just use an empty shoebox which will do the job just as well.
Just get the kids creating ideas for their marbles and they’ll have fun playing around with it.
For more Marble fun check out our Marble Art Hearts.
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