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How to Build an Old-Fashioned Wooden Marble Maze

The marble maze game is a classic toy many remember from their youth. The object is to navigate a marble through a maze of barriers on a square board. When you become proficient at navigating the maze, you can practice navigating it in reverse. It's a game of concentration and hand-eye coordination. Build a version of this classic game utilizing easy-to-find materials.

Things You'll Need

Marble
Sheet of 1/4-inch plywood
Bottle of wood glue
Small can of paint
Sandpaper
Hand or circular saw
14-inch-square piece of thin plexiglass
Drill
Screwdriver
Small wood screws

Instructions

- 1
  Cut out a 14-inch-square piece of plywood to use as the base of the game.
- 2
  Cut two 14-by-1-inch strips from the remaining plywood, and cut another set of strips the same width that are 13 inches long.
- 3
  Glue the four strips to the base to form the perimeter of the game. Glue each strip in place standing on one of its long thin edges, and hold it firmly for 1 minute or until it is secure. Leave a gap in the upper left-hand corner of the game and a second gap in the lower right-hand corner.
- 4
  Sketch out the maze on paper. Leave a few dead ends and several turns. The more dead ends and turns, the more challenging the maze game.
- 5
  Cut 1-inch-wide strips to form the walls of the interior of the maze. Measure the lengths of the strips to match the plan of your maze. Following the pattern in your sketch, glue the walls to the base, and hold them firmly until they are secure. Keep the walls about 1 inch apart so the marble can travel freely.
- 6
  Sand all edges of the game to remove splinters. Paint the game various colors to make it eye catching. Allow the paint sufficent time to dry before the next step. Apply a second coat of paint if necessary.
- 7
  Place the piece of plexiglass over the top of the game to keep the marble from falling out of the maze as you move the game around. Drill four small holes in the plexiglass, one in each corner. Secure the plexiglass to the wood slats with wood screws.

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