Tape empty paper towel or wrapping paper tubes to a wall or cardboard backing at different angles, connecting them into a path. Drop a marble or small ball in at the top and watch it travel through the tube maze to the bottom.
What you need
- empty cardboard tubes
- tape
- a marble or small ball
- a large piece of cardboard or a wall
How to do it
- 1Tape a large piece of cardboard to a wall, or use the wall directly if tape won't damage it.
- 2Tape tubes at a downward angle, connecting the bottom of one to the top of the next.
- 3Drop a marble in at the top and watch where it goes, adjusting any tube that sends it flying off course.
- 4Keep extending the maze downward, testing after each new tube is added.
Variations
- If wall-mounting isn't possible: build the maze flat on the floor with a slight lean using books underneath.
- How it ends: a final full run from top to bottom with no adjustments needed is the natural finish line.
💡 Parent tip
Save this build over a few days rather than finishing in one sitting — a growing maze is more exciting than a maze appearing all at once.
What your child develops
- Cause and effect — each tube adjustment has a visible, immediate effect on the marble's path
- Spatial reasoning — planning how tubes connect in three dimensions
- Iterative design — testing and adjusting rather than getting it right the first time
Safety notes
- Supervise closely if a young child might put the marble in their mouth.
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