Tin foil / marble maze

A marble maze can help your child learn what an inclined plane is.

An inclined plane is a flat surface with one end higher than the other. This allows for heavy objects to slide up to a higher or lower point rather than be lifted.

To make a marble maze, you need a paper plate or cardboard box (like a shoe box).

You also need some tin foil or straws (even playdough would work) to make the walls of the maze, and a marble (or an additional piece of tin foil to create a ball).

Create a pathway with your straws or playdough, such as the one in the image below.

Ask your child to experiment with tipping the plate / shoe box in different directions to make the foil ball travel in different directions and get through the maze.

Experiment with lifting the box to different heights and discuss what happens.