Simple activities using toys we already have in our playroom are my favorite. Finding new ways to use the toys inspires creativity and play. This Hexbug race activity was a spur of the moment idea that I made my son pause as I ran downstairs to grab my camera. We played from after dinner all the way until bedtime and again after school the next day. We didn’t places bets but the way my son was hooting and hollering you’d think he had money on his little Hexbugs. Here is how we set it up simply enough that anyone can do this with very little planning. I apologize for the terrible light in the photos, I could have re-taken the photos in the daylight the next day but I try my best to always share it like it is, and this was done after the sun went down with bad photography light. The good news is that didn’t change how much fun it was.
Gather your materials. You will need some Hexbug Nanos , habitats, and bridges. I have links to the exact toys we have at the end of the post. If you want to take a more hands on approach you could try making your own bristle bots and make your own mazes with Lego! With a little extra planning there is no reason you have to use these exact toys.
Set up the course. We don’t have a ton of tracks so our courses were short but we made two identical ones with what we had. You could do this with one track and a stopwatch too, just send the bugs in one and a time and time them.
After you set the courses turn the bugs on and the first one to do the whole course and find the exit wins. If they exit before going through the whole course they have to start again.
That’s it.
That kept my son completely engaged and cheering for ages.
We turned the races into a championship having the winners of each race go head to head until we had a grand champion. My son decided to make the winner a medal with a pipe cleaner and bead.
Some activities have a clear academic goal,some are about creating something together, some are for physical development, and some are just about having fun with your kids. They are all important.
Quick Links Supply ListThis is a list of the supplies ( or very similar) items used in the post. This list contains affiliate links.
Hexbug Nano Hex CellsHexbug Nano Curved BridgesHEXBUG Nano, 5-PackHexbug Nano Habitat Set