Mitey Maze

(Page 2 of 2)

November/December 1987
By the Mother Earth News staff 
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Four-foot brake line sections allow plenty of slack to produce interesting arcs. Dennis snaked them among each other and wound them in spirals so the plastic blocks would spin dizzily to the base. Bending the tubes provides a fine opportunity for adult playfulness, but do avoid any configurations that could trap a child's head or neck.

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There are lots of possibilities for the objects that slide on the wires, but plastic blocks from Fisher-Price (Creative Blocks, 18-piece set, #666) happen to work particularly well. They come in a variety of shapes and have an internal diameter large enough to keep them from jamming on curves in the brake line.

To anchor the brake lines to the wooden base, Dennis drilled 1/4" X 3/4" holes in the wood and slipped the tubing down in them. Then he bored into the wide dimension of the 2 X 4 and through the tubing with a 1/16" bit. An 8d finish nail tapped into each hole anchored the tubes.

As entertaining as this toy may be for a toddler, we've also noticed a certain adult fascination with slipping blocks along the convoluted paths. Perhaps it's just about as close as many of us want to get to a roller coaster these days.

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