Gear Maze Ball Puzzle — Turn the Gears to Open the Path

A frog-shaped handheld maze with small balls inside and coloured gears set into the paths. To move a ball onwards your child has to turn a gear so it lines up and opens the way through. Tilt alone will not do it — the gears have to be set correctly first.

How you play

1. Hold the maze flat and find where the balls are sitting.
2. Look at which gear is blocking the path ahead.
3. Turn that gear until its opening lines up with the track.
4. Tilt gently to roll the ball through.
5. Repeat gear by gear until every ball reaches the centre.

What it builds

• Understanding that a mechanism must be set before movement is possible
• Patience and a light touch — tilting hard sends balls backwards
• Planning which gear to turn first when several are blocking
• Wrist control and fine adjustment

Three ways to play it

• Do it one ball at a time rather than all of them at once
• Time a full solve and try to beat it
• Turn all the gears randomly first and solve from wherever it lands

The details

• Ages: 3–5 years