This candy cane marble maze is a fun way for little elves to practice problem solving and engineering. My little elves were so enthralled that they didn’t even mind they didn’t get to eat the candy canes!

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Candy Cane Marble Maze

Getting Ready

To make the candy cane maze, I first grabbed our supplies:

  • Serving tray or cardboard lid (Something with an edge to hold in the marble.)
  • 25-30 candy cane sticks (I used soft mint candy sticks from the Dollar Store so they would be easier to break by hand.)
  • Hot glue gun
  • Marble
  • Colored paper

Candy Cane Marble Maze

Making the Candy Cane Maze

I began by lining my serving tray with colored paper.  This step was optional but I liked the festive pop of color it gave the final result later.

Then my 7 year old and I began laying out the candy cane sticks – snapping them to make them shorter as we needed.

I bought soft candy cane sticks, which is like a cross between a butter mint and a regular candy cane in texture.  It made them super easy to snap to the desired length with just our fingers.

Making the candy cane maze was a challenge for my 1st grader so she had to plan where she wanted the marble to go.  I helped her make the maze a little more difficult by showing her how to make dead ends and tricky little traps.

Candy Cane Marble Maze

We ended up using about 25 sticks – almost three bags.

Once we had everything laid out, I used my hot glue gun on the low setting to quickly glue the candy sticks down to the colored paper.

After waiting a couple minutes, my little elves were ready to play!  Even though being able to control the marble proved challenging for my 4 year old, he was still all smiles.

Candy Cane Marble Maze

I’d say this engineering challenge was a sweet success!

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6 Comments

  1. Is this available for Plato Pack members? I’ve got lots of time to attempt & create this ?

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