A Maze

A purple square platfrom wtih black pegs facing up.

An orange and purple exhibit table with a green and white information panel at the back, and a purple square plate on top of the table that has black pegs facing upwards.

Mazes require planning ahead on a route or pathway to reach the end.

How it works

Tilt the tabletop to roll a ball around a maze of pegs and into a goal.

Things to try or ask around the exhibit

Can you roll the ball through the pegs from the red dot into the central hole?

Background

A maze is a network of paths, whereas a labyrinth is a design based around one single path. Most mazes can be solved by following one wall, even if this means winding in and out of dead ends.

Finding the science in your world

Mazes and labyrinths are fascinating and date back as far as 4000 years. The oldest surviving hedge maze was planted in 1690 in the garden of Hampton Court Palace in England.