BY ALDONA BIRD
As winter weather really starts to set in so too can cabin fever. Crafting and games are great ways to stay busy and engaged while spending time cozy indoors.
Combine the two and you will be entertained for hours. Making your own games is an enjoyable distraction on a winter evening.
A marble maze game can start your game making journey.
To make a DIY marble maze you will only need:
- cardboard
- marble
- scissors
- hot glue
- paint or other decorating supplies (optional)
First choose the shape of maze you want to make. It can be anything – a simple square or circle or an animal, plant, etc. Pick a size that you can comfortably hold, but which is large enough to accommodate a maze which will be interesting for you to play.
Once you know what size and shape you want the base to be, plan out your maze. Start by drawing it on to a piece of cardboard, or use a pencil (so you can erase if you want to alter the course plan) to draw it right onto your base.
It is a good idea to plan your maze and base before you cut or glue anything — if you decide you want a bigger or different shaped base after designing your maze, you will have the flexibility to change. Be sure that a marble will fit through all the channels of your maze. You can make as many pathways and dead ends as you like.
Draw your chosen shape onto a piece of cardboard and then cut it out. Cut out strips of cardboard roughly half an inch wide (keep them all the same width).
Glue these narrow strips of cardboard all along the outside edge of your base. This will keep the marble inside the maze.
Cut and glue more strips of cardboard to form the walls of your maze.
To make the maze more difficult you can add holes to navigate the marble around. These holes should be large enough to catch the marble but not to let it fall through. You can also add such holes at the beginning and end points.
Decorating your maze can add a creative flare.
Once happy with your completed maze, place a marble at the starting point and tilt it in different directions to navigate the marble through the maze.
You can use different materials for such mazes as well. Wood can work well for the base. Play dough, when rolled into strips and firmly pressed on to the base, makes moveable walls and other obstacles.
If you don’t have a marble, or if you want to make a more complex maze within the same size base, you can use a smaller bead to roll through the pathways.
Children may also enjoy designing their own mazes — for younger ones the play dough option can be a great place to start, particularly since it doesn’t require glue.
Whatever materials you choose, you can have fun both making and playing this DIY game.
