These box lid mazes are an awesome craft for tweens to make using some common craft materials! My kids enjoyed making these mazes, and playing with them was great for developing hand-eye coordination. I happened to have several shoe box lids on-hand, but any box lid would work well for this project. The best part is that these box lid mazes take only a few minutes to make and the kids will get to the playing part quickly — perfect for when you need a quick but satisfying tween craft project!
A big thank you to the Toy Industry Association’s Genius of Play initiative for sponsoring today’s creative craft and play idea! If you are not already familiar with the Genius of Play, be sure to check out some of their expert articles about play to help make playtime even more valuable, fun, and engaging for kids of all ages. If you are a parent, consider signing the Pledge to Play — it only take a few seconds and you’ll be joining thousands of other families across the country who understand the value of play!
To make a box lid maze of your own, you will need:
- A Box Lid — almost any size or shape will work nicely.
- Wax Sticks
- A Small Round Bead
- A Pencil
We started by using the pencil to lightly draw out the design for our mazes inside the box lid. If you would like, you could use the pencil to add the words “Start” and “Finish” to your maze as well.
Next, we separated the wax sticks and pressed them on top of the pencil lines. Once pressed down, the wax sticks should attach to the inside of the box lid without the need for glue. However, they can be removed easily if you happen to make a mistake, or if you wish to re-create a different maze design all over again!
Add the bead to the start of the maze, and try maneuvering the box lid to get the bead to the finish. Try timing yourself to see if you can set a new record, or have a maze race tournament with a friend!
I love this video from the Genius of Play that outlines just some of the developmental benefits to playing with clay:
You can learn more about the value of play and more creative play ideas by following the Toy Industry Association on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram!
More Crafts for Tweens:
- Botanical Sun Catchers
- Suminagashi — Paper Marbling Technique
- 10 Fun Crafts and Activities for Kids Ages 8-12
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting us! All opinions are my own.
